Raghav Mathur burst onto the scene and skyrocketed to fame in 2004 with an impressive 1.3 million copies sold of his debut album, Storyteller.  The new sensation became a heartthrob and inspiration around the world for young South Asians as he went on numerous world tours and performed alongside some of the industry's best, including acclaimed superstar Adnam Sami.   
Today Raghav continues to tour the world. However, the large gaps in between his projects have left fans wondering what the musician has been up to.  There is no denying that Raghav still has a massive following, as evidenced by his hectic tour schedule. But his career has definitely had its ups and downs over the years. 
 As Raghav prepares for his next album, The Phoenix, he reveals to DH! the story of his life after Storyteller. From his mother's recent illness to constantly living out of a suitcase in order to pursue his dreams, Mathur has had a lot to deal with. But his passion for music remains alive today and in an intimate Q&A with Desi Hits! Raghav opened up with answers to questions that the public has been asking.

DH!: Congrats on your label deal with Cordova Bay Records, a lot has happened since your start.  From day one you have been compared to Jay Sean who has signed a mainstream record deal. How do you feel about this comparison and are you content with the way you are perceived at the moment?

Raghav: Growing up, I always looked up to the artists that stuck to their guns: Stevie wonder, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, so for me it's what I am about.  I take pride in being able to weave in and out of Hindi and Western influenced records, because they are both of equal importance to me.   Storyteller embodies how I grew up and what kind of person I am. After that album, there were so many mimics to that sound that it almost bastardized the originality of it.  Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, but just as the artists whom I grew up admiring, I knew I needed to reinvent myself to stay fresh. Now I feel I am making the best music I have ever made. I've learned from all those years of hard knocks. I'm fine with being compared to Jay Sean; he's a tremendous success story of hard work.  He's reaping the benefits of that and he deserves it.

DH!: Tell us about your record deal; how did that happen?
Raghav: My Mother's health became a priority and I wanted to spend more time with my family. Truth is I had been away from them for over 10 years at that point chasing my musical dreams.  I split up with my manager and I was like 'Canada is my home even if it's a small country.' I want to get started here and be close to my family when they need me the most.  So that's why I went shopping for a Canadian record deal - and it didn't take long.   The label [Cordova Bay / Universal] told me to make the record I wanted to make and take creative control. I turned down bigger deals with bigger labels to be able to do what I want to do.

DH!: Are you still on good terms with your management?

Raghav: Yes, I have had two and they have been great.  I just felt like taking things in my own hands for now so I can figure out my direction.

DH!: A lot has happened since Storyteller and you have had your ups and downs, what was your game plan after that album dropped?

Raghav: I was very thankful because a year before I was in Calgary working at a store and all of a sudden I was the number one record in India and the Middle East. After that the industry went through a paradigm, Rishi [Rish] and I caught the very tail end of selling records and touring. My game plan changed because honestly I didn't have the sound that I wanted that would dignify a re-invention. If I had that quicker, Identity would have been different. In the meantime I wanted to go deeper than Storyteller.

DH!: What were you up to after your debut album as there were large gaps between your projects and you didn't maintain the same type of buzz you had with Storyteller?  What inspires you now for your new album?

Raghav: You can tire yourself with making all kinds of music, the creative mind can go on shutdown and my creative brain went on shutdown for ten months. I was touring and I never took a break from it. Two things hit me hard: My mom's health; that gave me perspective. Also, Michael Jackson passed away. I am a ridiculous fan of Michael and when I listened to his life's catalogue of work I realized he was a true perfectionist and never worried about outside pressures. He was stylistically all over the map and made all kinds of music. I got inspired by that. I can't play it safe; I needed to make the kind of record I wanted to make. "So Much" is different from what people expected but it's not disingenuous. It still sounds like Raghav.

DH!: Your album after Storyteller was Identity, which was released by Universal Music India, at that point where you trying to take over the Indian market?

Raghav: There was never a conscious effort to overtake a market; it was an effort to make a certain kind of music so to me it's about making an overall catalog of material.

DH!: Were you content with Identity as it was not as acclaimed as Storyteller?
 

Raghav: As an album I'm not 100% happy with it because it lacked some depth. I had to fight for "Humrahee," as some people said the record was too slow.  But to me "Humrahee" was the exact flavor of what Identity should have been about.  I also understand that the people I was fighting with weren't in it to make a catalog of music for their life; they had to make a dollar, which is just how the business works.  I also enjoyed working with Redman, I love "My Kinda Girl." My focus shifted after Identity, I want to make the album of my life. I need to raise the bar musically.

DH!: How do you feel right now? Are there more things you want to do?

Raghav: I'm happier than I've ever been, I've worked myself silly since Storyteller. I've been all over the map and it took its toll. I had a lonely time in between when I tried to get my life back because my life was divided between Canada, India and the U.K.  Between relationships, career and my family, I was always zipping about between those three countries and everywhere in between.  I was everywhere, but I felt like I was nowhere. Between management, record label, girlfriends, family, friends and fans, if I was in one place, I was letting someone else down.  And that was hard to deal with.  But it's no big deal, everyone has issues, I'm very lucky.  I'm doing what I want to do when I wake up every day.  I'm making music, and that's all I want to do in the future. 

DH!:  Your latest track, "So Much," reflects your contentment as it has a happy, feel-good vibe; tell us about that.

Raghav: My personality has to come across, a side of me has not been exposed and I want to show more and more of myself. People change as they go along and everyone has a message to get across. I'm a happy go-lucky person and I wanted to get that across on the record.

DH!: Beyond the music, what else have you been up to outside of your career?

Raghav: I'm a massive sports fanatic; sports is my meditation, my complete escape, I just go to baseball games and hockey games, it's my zen mode.

DH!: Are you in a relationship?

Raghav:  I was in one recently but I'm not now.  The problem was that we never saw each other.

DH!: What is your game plan after "So Much?"

Raghav: Finish the album. I'm trying to get across that I come from a school where the music speaks all. This album will speak for itself.

DH!: Do you have a message for our readers?

Raghav: I hope people are still on the ride, it's about to get crazy again.

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