Daily Inspiration: Meet Ramya Pothuri

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ramya Pothuri.

Ramya, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My interest in pursuing music as a career really began when my family and I moved to India when I was 16 years old. Music had always been a big part of my life; everything from church band to my high school choir, but I never really considered it as a career.

Our move was very last minute and I suffered from really bad homesickness for the first few months. To cope, I turned to all the music I used to listen to before the move so I could feel closer to home. My sister and I would come home from a bad day at school and sing and play songs for hours to feel better. My relationship with music grew stronger, and by the time I graduated high school, I was seriously considering pursuing music as a career. I convinced my parents to let me move to Mumbai, the entertainment capital of India, and they allowed me about a year there to figure out what I wanted to do.

I had always written songs for fun, and I had started showing some of the songs I had written to my friends. One of them recommended me to a producer that he knew. At the time, I didn’t really think my songs were any good so I thought I would meet this person to just see what would happen. He heard my demos and told me he wanted to produce them. I was just going with the flow at that point so I agreed. We made an EP together and I released it without giving any of this much thought. After the release, I started getting offers for shows around Mumbai and it just naturally took off from there. Honestly, my becoming an artist wasn’t the plan but a bunch of random events in my life led to it.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been a journey full of ups and downs. I feel growth as an artist is never linear and one of the hardest obstacles in my career has been accepting that. Whenever I’m having a low in my career, I have to fight the thought that this is permanent and accept that things are always going to fluctuate in a career in the arts.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an RnB/Alt-Pop singer-songwriter, artist, and producer. I’ve been creating and releasing music for 6 years and it’s been featured by the likes of Colors, Rolling Stone India, Kodak Film, and Elle Magazine. I’ve also had a song placed in Sims 4! I’ve sung in Jingles for Tinder and The Dubai Expo and have played shows such as NH7 Weekender, Red Bull Tourbus, and Sofar NYC.

My aim with my music is to make anyone who’s listening feel safe and at home. When I moved to a different country music did that for me, so with mine, I aim to do the same for other people.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
There are so many people in my life that have helped me along the way and currently. My friend Rishi Bradoo, the first producer I ever worked with was instrumental in helping me understand what it means to be an artist. Through our long conversations, I learned how to build a fanbase, create a strong and consistent sound, and make people not only fall in love with the music but also with the artist. My friend Ayan De as well who I worked with for a couple of years thought me so much about making music and is also an amazing and supportive friend. My boyfriend is also my biggest supporter and cheerleader. On the days I feel low about what I’ve achieved in life, he’s always been endlessly supportive. My parents are also my biggest supporters and it means a lot to me that they’re proud of what I’ve achieved so far. Also, one of my best friends Tanya, who is not only one of my closest friends but has also been my music-making partner for a few years now!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ramyapothuri/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6FPzAQ2kbDLgCCFPoGnjXQ
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ramyapothuri

Image Credits
Photos by Pietro Arredondo