CHENNAI: It isn’t everyday that a Scottish pop sensation reveals that her biggest fan is from Chennai. "I was actually pleasantly surprised to find that people in Chennai know my music," says Sandi Thom. Apparently, Sandi received a flattering e-mail from a fan in Chennai, who even put her on to local promoters in the hope that she'd get to see her live here in the city, someday.While her name may not immediately ring a bell, her songs certainly do the trick. You may recall I Wish I was a Punk Rocker, her debut single playing on the radio over and over again a few years ago. In the midst of producing her fourth album, the Indian market has seen very little of this talented singer. "Perhaps it's because I work with an Indie music label now. So, promotion can’t be compared to one of the bigger labels," reveals the artiste. In fact, until the making of her third album, Merchants and Thieves, Sandi was signed up with RCA (record label). But she states, "I like it this way, because I get to focus on the kind of music that I want to make, and do it at my pace."In recent times, Sandi has been more inclined towards her roots in blues and rock. She recalls, "I grew up with singers like Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton and Fleetwood Mac." So, have their styles also spilled onto her lyric writing? Apparently not. At least when it comes to how she writes her songs. When Sandi pens her lyrics, it could be just about anywhere, she reveals, "Restrooms, elevators, aeroplanes --- anywhere that's quiet," she says. She adds, "Often, I end up thinking of lyrics in the bathroom because you tend to get better acoustics in there."Perhaps one of the most talked about moves of her career was a show titled, 21 Nights from Tooting --- a series of webcasts performed from the basement of her flat in South London. The audience capacity in the flat was six people. But the half-hour shows were broadcast, free of charge, via her website. The first night, 70 people tuned in, the next night it was up to 670. And by the middle of the second week, she was performing to a peak audience of 70,000. In retrospect, the artiste states, "That was back in 2006. We didn't even have YouTube at that point. So, it was considered 'revolutionary'." Ask her about the surge of overnight successes via the internet in the present day and this singer states that there's an overdose these days. "Its like a minefield out there!" she exclaims. "I think we're saturated as a world with musicians and artistes wanting to be heard." In all honesty, she adds, "Sometimes, it wouldn't hurt to a have a little bit of quality control."Though Sandi isn't too familiar with the sights of India, she does have a few cuisine favourites. "Oh, I love mango chutney," she laughs. "And naans and saag paneer." She adds quickly, "But now that I know that I have a fanbase in India, I'm going to work hard on coming there in 2012, and hopefully get to taste some authentic Indian food."
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