Spotify Spotlight: Unleashing Creative Energy, 2000s Pop Bliss, and Air Guitar Fun in Boxers

Rahul Advani’s Singapore Nostalgia

If you’ve spent most of your life in Singapore, you know that when you finally pack up and move overseas, the cravings don’t just fade. Rahul Advani, now swapping the Orchard Road vibes for a Bangalore office, is no exception. He misses the street‑food staples that used to be his daily treat—especially char kway teow, carrot cake (the black version steals the show), popiah, nasi lemak, pulut hitam, and of course that comforting glass of ice Milo that never fails to hit the spot.

Nature‑Haven Reminiscences

It’s not just the food. Rahul also feels the pangs of those green retreats he used to wander in: Botanic Gardens, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, the Zoo and Bird Park—places where he could breathe in the fresh air and pretend he was a wildlife expert on a safari tour, minus the animal adventures.

Weekend Lifestyle in Holland Village

There were also twilight moments spent in Holland Village. He’d skip through the Thambi Magazine Store hunting for quirky reads, then head into the market to snag a bite at the Holland Village Market & Food Centre. The mini shopping trip to Serangoon for a Mustafa spree was another highlight—proof that even a quick detour can bring back the nostalgia rush.

Staying Grounded in Two Worlds

Despite the longing, Rahul keeps his feet firmly planted on both lands. “I still drink enough stout and munch on kimchi—because both are personal to me,” he says. He cherishes the batik shirts that remind him of Singapore’s artistic vibe and loves spinning stories about the adventures that shape his life. These are the ties that hold him together as he moves forward, living life on his own terms, a line from his newest single “Ready To Breathe.”

Behind the Song

In the behind‑the‑scenes scoop, Rahul shared that the music video subtly mirrors a call‑centre employee’s grind. To top it off, he got a chance to perform solo for the President of Singapore—an honor that tugged at his sentimental heart. When asked about fandoms, he gushed over 2000s pop music, proving that his love for catchy beats knows no boundaries.

Tell us about Ready To Breathe – who or what inspired it?

“Ready To Breathe” – A Fresh Take on Stuck in the Rat Race of Love

Ever find yourself stuck in a groove that feels more like a labyrinth than a dance floor? That’s exactly what “Ready To Breathe” was birthed from. After wrapping up my first EP, I hit a brutal writer’s block that felt like a wall made of cliché. I’d slapped on an awkward mental speed limit and it made every lyric feel like it was on a treadmill.

Letting Go of the Pressure

When I finally kicked back and decided to shake off the seriousness, the song emerged as a sweet escape from a relationship that seemed to demand more than it delivered. The track is all about the moment when you follow a dare to take a bold leap and rediscover that spark you thought was long gone.

Sound Experiment – From Boredom to Funk

Songwriting was a bit of a high‑school lunchroom drama at the time: bland, predictable, and stuck in a loop. With “Ready To Breathe”, I veered onto a steamy, soulful, rock‑filled path, and apparently enjoyed every chord change. It felt like stepping into a new playlist version of life – more fun, more raw, more… YOU.

Finest vibes:

Soulful groove – like a sax at dusk
Rock feel – string riffs that could drive a truck
Pure joy in improvising—hit the groove in the moment

It’s a reminder: When you breathe easy, music plays smooth. And that’s exactly what happened when I caught the rhythm and let the stigma crash into the past. Try it, and feel the breeze. It’s all in your head, though a tune that keeps the world alive behind it keeps it real.

The single is about finding the courage to live life on one’s own terms. In what ways do you live life on your own terms?

My Unconventional Journey

From Courtrooms to Cultural Corridors

Picture a young student, book in hand, dreaming of courtroom drama. That was me during my undergrad years, chasing the law with all the enthusiasm of someone spotting a courtroom in a movie montage. But destiny had a remix in mind.

Legal Lays: The initial dive into law was like a deep sea dive—found the thrill of precedent, then found a craving for something louder.
Indian Intrigue: The moment I stumbled upon the subcontinent’s culture, I was hooked. Stories, spices, spin, and the improvisational vibe of Bollywood—it was a bridge to my inner wanderer.
Anthropology Avenue: I swapped statutes for field notes, questions for ethnographies, and the discipline for a journey into human stories.
Home in India: The final stop—relocating to live the very stories I’d studied. Imagine picking up a map, an ID card, some pakoras, and settling into India’s rhythmic chaos.
Melody Marathon: Through all the twists, the music didn’t quit. From composing the next indie hit to singing on stage, I kept harmonizing my way through each chapter.

So yes—law, culture, anthropology, relocation, and a dash of melody. A stack of eclectic choices that grew into a life no spreadsheet could capture, but definitely a story worth singing about.

How did you come up with the concept of a call-centre employee stuck at home?

Lockdown & a Lively Zoom Music Video

The track wrapped up just as the first lockdown hit. Suddenly, “getting out and meeting people” became a no‑go rule. I had to rethink the whole idea of a music video—gone were the outdoor shoot, the bustle of crowds, and the chance to play with a live crew. That snag sparkled, though, into a fresh creative challenge.

The Story Angle

Protagonist: a house‑bound guy juggling endless work calls and social media scrolls.
He dives headlong into his job and picks up every hobby he sees people doing online—trying to keep the “lockdown lifestyle” pace.
Song theme: breaking free from expectations.
Climactic moment: he learns it’s okay to go at his own rhythm and just chill. He ends up shaking his own “air guitar” in his favorite boxers, a hilarious nod to staying comfortable.

From Play to Zoom

I needed an actor who could carry the viewer through this character’s odyssey. I hit it off with Vidyuth Gargi, dropped into his world when I saw him in a slick play by playwright Shiv Tandan—an old Singapore connector from NUS days. Vidyuth had kept in touch, and when I mentioned the music‑video angle, he was all in.

Zooming into Fun

It turned out to be a blast experimenting with a brand‑new medium: Zoom. The humor, the heart, and Vidyuth’s effortless pitch‑perfect performance all joined to give us a fresh, authentic feel that felt exactly like a real, spontaneous jam session—even while we were staying home. The result? A music video that feels genuinely human and entirely relatable.

How did your musical journey begin?

My First Musical Moment

Imagine a shy 8‑year‑old kid walking backstage, hair back tucked into a small hat, the electric buzz of a school auditorium humming behind him. That was the mind‑bending flashback of my first real encounter with music: I was chosen to play the lead in a school production of the musical Oliver! Even though I was a certified wallflower, the act of singing pulled my whole nervous system into a comfortable groove. Never again would silence feel like a safe harbor.

From Stages to the Straits Times

After the school play, I became a regular in talent shows and school recitals.
Year four of school was a breakthrough: I was invited to audition for the Straits Times & Business Times ChildAid charity concert.
The highlight? Performing a solo right before the President of Singapore—big shoes, small backdrops, a roar of applause.
That very day I met musicians and artists from all corners of Singapore, and the door to the homegrown music scene swung open.

The Indie Roadtrip

I didn’t stop once the spotlight faded. I hit every possible venue—from cramped bars upstairs to breezy pubs and even shopping mall stages—until the day I made my way to the prestigious Esplanade.

My journey was not confined to solo acts. I dove headfirst into Singapore’s indie music ecosystem, following bands that resonated with my tastes—Gentle Bones, M1LDL1FE, Enec.e, Arajua, and the ever‑sunset stillsunrise. I started writing gig reviews, buzzing about the latest shows, and even took on the role of a band interviewer for Baybeats for a full year.

So, what does a shy kid become? A voice that echoes across venues, a listener who documents local swagger, and a connector who bridges the gap between performers and audiences. And it all started with a single note in a school auditorium— a lesson that the bravest move lies in letting music lift our spirits.

You won a singing competition while in India – congrats! Tell us about your journey to the crown.

From Pune to the Spotlight: A Journey to Musical Glory

Picture this: I packed my bags in late 2016, headed to Pune—a stone‑throw away from Mumbai—to dive into PhD fieldwork. Lucky for me, I stumbled upon the town’s annual singing showdown, High Idol.

First Setback

I tried to sign up, only to find the barn doors were already shut.
Heart sinking, I thought the dream was over.

But destiny had a surprise in store.

The Lucky Call

A few weeks later, an organizer texted: a fella had bailed at the last minute.
There was a free slot—straight into the music house.

With adrenaline in my veins, I sprinted to the venue, breezed through the first round, and weeks later—drumroll—I took home the trophy.

New City, New Cheers

Even though I was fresh on the block, the city treated me like a long‑lost buddy. The warm welcome made the whole experience feel like a high‑five from the universe.

Enter Tejas Menon

A judge, the Mumbai‑based maestro Tejas Menon, was already a fan of mine. He asked, “Got any original tracks?” I brushed him a rough sketch—Ready To Breathe—and he delivered a game‑changing piece of advice: “Get into a studio, record it.”

High School Musical, Metaphor Style

That night, as the final votes were tallied, I realized I was the start of something fresh—just like the first scene of a blockbuster musical.

Why Mumbai Matters

Tejas whisked me to the capital’s buzzing music scene.
I played intimate house concerts, regaining stage confidence.
The city’s vibe turned my nerves into raw energy.

Singapore Studio Sessions

When I finally sat down to record Ready To Breathe in Singapore, Tejas pitched in from the land of Merlion. His backing vocals recorded in Mumbai gave the track a special kind of magic—an early mentor’s signature on a new masterpiece.

In the end, a city move for a PhD turned into a harmonious pivot, proving that sometimes, the best tunes strike when you least expect it.

The track is produced by Bani Hidir. What was the creative process like?

Recording with Bani: My Musical Adventure

Hey folks, grab your headphones—because this is the story of how a decade‑old love for a song led me to work with the genius behind it.

The Hook Up

I first heard Bani when he empowered local artists Joie Tan and lewloh. Yet the real spark came from a 2010 iTunes download: the haunting track “Falling Into You” by 53A. Imagine my shock when the guy who engineered that track was on my radar a decade later.

2016: Ready To Breathe Takes Off

First scribbled the lyrics in 2016.
Performed it at Singapore’s Esplanade with Rishabh Sharma on guitar and my bro Rohan on bass.
Craved the same groove for the studio session, so I invited Rishabh and Rohan back.
While they locked in guitar and bass, Bani added drums, guitars, organs, and a kaleidoscope of other instruments.

Studio Bubbles & Musical Banter

Every Sunday, the studio turned into a jam pit. Bani and I swapped influences: John Mayer, Sara Bareilles, Six60, and Ello. We also geeking out over 2000s pop hits—think cheeky “No Scrubs” vibes. That playful back‑and‑forth shaped the finished sound of “Ready To Breathe.”

Why This Feels Like a Time‑Traveling Playlist

It’s just like a mixtape that got a remix: old memories, fresh beats, and a lot of laughter. Working with Bani was not only a technical triumph but a personal victory—finally seeing my beloved track’s bloodline and dancing along with a teammate who knows the beat like the back of his hand.

So, if you’re looking for that authentic blend of classic charm and modern swagger, just hit up Bani. He’ll absolutely make your song feel like a passport to the good old days.

—Published by Wonderwall.sg
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