top of page

Artist Spotlight: Nithin Bagal

We caught up with Nithin Bagal, the artist behind Indyonthetrack, to learn about his artistic process and the joy of producing hip hop.


First off, tell us about yourself! Where are you from? What year are you at Emory? What are you studying? What kind of art do you make?

My name is Nithin Bagal, I go by Indyonthetrack. I'm from northern Virginia, I'm a junior at Emory studying chemistry and CS, and I'm a hip hop producer.


When did you start producing? What drew you to hip hop?

I started messing around with producing my senior year of high school and got serious about it my freshman year of college. I was drawn to hip hop music because the genre is so diverse and expressive. It really allows you to create music based on what you're going through or experiencing, whereas I feel like in other genres it can be easy to get locked into one style.


What do you love most about producing?

The thing I love the most about producing is working with other people for sure. Whether that's a vocalist who's planning on using my beats for a song or another producer who's working with me, it's always fun to see how different the music can end up from how I intended when other people get involved. That's also the best way to learn things and get better because everyone has a cool trick or process that they use that can really add to your own.



Who or what inspires you?

Growing up, I played classical piano, and I always loved complex melodies and unique chord progressions. I've definitely tried to incorporate that in my own music so that my beats sound good without vocals, too. I think that creates a much more fulfilling song. In terms of artists I look up to, I'm a huge fan of Timbaland and Metro Boomin because their beats are always so distinctive. I've been working on getting that unique and recognizable sound, and they're masters of that.


How has COVID-19 impacted your creative process, if at all?

Luckily as a producer, most of the time I'm contacting artists through Instagram or other social media platforms, so the pandemic wasn't a big change in terms of my process. Even with working with other producers, I can always just send melodies if meeting in person is not an option.


What are your goals for your music? What message do you hope to convey?

As a producer, I'm not necessarily trying to convey a specific message or idea with each beat, but more of a feeling. The music I make is what I would like to listen to, and I try to just go for sounds that really convey a certain emotion. In terms of goals, I really try to not put too much pressure on where I want to end up, but rather just keep having fun with it. That way, all the success that comes with it just feels like the cherry on top because I'm enjoying the process so much.


How do you stay involved in hip hop production as a student at Emory?

It can be a challenge to try to find time for music when school gets really hectic, but that's why I never force myself to sit down and make something. Not only will the music feel inauthentic, but the other things I'm juggling will start to suffer. If I'm in the mood or I have an idea, I can usually find a couple minutes here or there to lay something down and come back to it when I have more time.


Keep up with Nithin on Instagram @indyonthetrack



69 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page