In the bustling tapestry of the music world, there exists a chorus of unsung heroes whose voices are the initial threads in weaving a song’s narrative, yet seldom bask in the glory of the finished piece. Scratch singers, often the industry’s underdogs, provide the preliminary vocals for songs, laying down the reference tracks for melody, lyrics, and emotional tone. However, their work is frequently overlooked when a big-name performer steps into the recording booth to deliver the final version of the track.
Singer-songwriter and film composer Jaasmaan Singh exposes this overlooked struggle through his latest album “Scratch Singer.” Addressing the need to dismantle the entrenched hierarchies that stifle creativity, he expresses a simple wish shared by many in his profession: the freedom to share one’s art and secure a decent livelihood. Unfortunately, contemporary practices put these basic aspirations at risk, revealing an inequitable starting ground for artists.
The journey of Jaasmaan, a Canada-based artist from India, represents a mosaic of resilience and determination. In 2022, faced with mounting rejections and a dire financial crisis that left him questioning his future, Jaasmaan was driven by an unyielding desire to finalize one lasting musical creation. His album mirrors the tenacity required to remain relevant in an industry that can often unsparingly minimize creators’ contributions. As Jaasmaan puts it, it’s a constant fight to overcome being branded as merely a ‘scratch’ in a track, devaluing the important role that such singers play in the music-making process.
Jaasmaan recalls how he was often asked to lend his voice for scratch tracks without compensation or credit, only to later learn that his vocals had been replaced by the polished tones of a celebrity artist. Despite this, his perseverance shines through his narration, having initially resisted following in his father’s classical devotional singing career. Raised in a middle-class family, the practicality of a stable occupation was always front of mind.
Yet, music called to him. Though Jaasmaan did not actively study music as a young child, he learned to play the tabla, thanks to his father’s foresight, aiding his eventual foray into composing. Even after securing an engineering degree from NIT Jalandhar, he listened to the call of music, akin to a siren’s song beckoning a sailor. Choosing to ride the waves of uncertainty rather than the steady grounds of engineering, he ventured to Canada where the pursuit of music became a tangible dream.
The artist’s struggle was met with arduous odd jobs, braving the cold while singing on streets, and navigating the complexities of bureaucracy in a foreign land – all to finance his education and his true passion. Finding inspiration in the masterful works of Alokananda Dasgupta and legendary AR Rahman, Jaasmaan also experienced the gentleness and protection that should be the industry’s norm from Alokananda. This support greatly influenced his work, reflected in moments within his music videos and his personal growth.
Expanding his boundaries, Jaasmaan collaborates with noted figures like Kalpradha from the film “99 Songs” for a Telugu version of “Scratch Singer” and teases interest in the Tamil music scene. His footprint in regional Indian music also includes work in the 2021 Malayalam film “Kho Kho,” signalling a widening horizon for his artistic journey.
With multiple irons in the fire, Jaasmaan is carving a niche for himself in the world of music. Directing a musical short film based on his album, working on a documentary, composing and scoring films like “Aar Paar,” and founding a student-run Indian Music group at York University, where he is furthering his studies in music, he seeks to pay homage to his roots. These ventures highlight the depth of his commitment to music and the authenticity of his message embodied in “Scratch Singer.”
Jaasmaan Singh’s tale is a testament to the resilience necessary in a competitive industry, serving as a beacon for those who find their contributions relegated to the background—the scratch singers with voices yearning to resonate beyond the reference tracks they so often lay down.
