Shravya Kamaraju - from 31k Tiktok followers to original music

Shravya Kamaraju is a freshman at Rutgers University on a pre-med track but moonlights as a singer-songwriter. With over 31k followers on Tiktok, Shravya gained attention with her soulful covers of popular pop songs mixed with desi classics. Her cover of Slow Dancing in the Dark mixed with Subhanallah has gained over 23k views, but she has now shifted into writing original music. She was trained in western-classical singing, but her songwriting style is influenced by indie and pop themes. She released her first EP called 5/28, which is able to stream on all platforms, and one of her singles, Lavender Kisses, has over 170k streams on Spotify.

Why did you begin creating music?

"I have always loved listening to music because I think it's so incredible the power that music has to make you feel an emotion in its rawest form. Most artists are writing songs based on personal experience and through their songs they can tell their stories in such a beautiful way. In such a way that listeners can connect with them on a personal level. I loved to sing and the idea of sharing my stories with people through what I love was what initially got me excited to start writing. "

Describe your musical style in 3 words.

heartfelt, lyrical, chill

What has your experience been of being a creative in the South Asian community? Were there any obstacles you had to overcome?

"While I know many South Asians have obstacles that stem from their family not allowing them to pursue a career in the arts field, my parents have always been very supportive regarding anything I try to pursue. My parents and I both agreed that it was not practical for me to make a living solely off of my music but I had always had an interest in medicine so I was fully on board to pursue a major in the stem field along with trying to make a singing career. Balancing both can get really hard at times but it has been relatively manageable considering how understanding my parents are."

What music have you released?

"I have released 10 songs: Summer Haze, More Than Just A Thing In My Head, Tired, Dear Love, Lavender Kisses, Bad Habits, Disappearing, Next Time, Rose gold Frames, and Where I Wanna Be. I also released one EP with a talented musician/producer Archit Gupta titled 5/28."

Do you have any upcoming projects?

"While I do have a lot to learn when it comes to writing and producing my music, I definitely plan on releasing more songs in the near future. Towards the end of January, I will be a song called Metal Heart."

What do you do for fun?

"I love to hang out with my friends, go shopping, play tennis, and run. Overall I am a pretty extroverted person and love trying new things with my friends and family."

Do you have any advice for other South Asians who are trying to release their own music?

"I think it's really important to pursue it only if you are doing it for yourself. It should be something you do because you love doing it because it gets really tough and frustrating if you have to manage a primary career path along with music. But the bottom line is to have fun with it and keep working towards releasing music because knowing that even 5 people are streaming your music that you wrote and worked on is such a rewarding feeling."

Upon reflection, if you could tell your younger self something before you started your musical journey, what would it be?

"Don't forget the reason you started songwriting"

Where can people find your music?

On all music platforms but my most popular ones are Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes