Interview: The Healing Sound of Akshara’s “CLONES”
Photos by Jaya Kang
There’s something magnetic about Akshara’s presence, a quiet intensity that feels both ancient and futuristic. Her new EP, “CLONES,” feels like a conversation with oneself. Listening to her is almost therapeutic; there’s something in her voice, in the calm she conveys, that makes you want to stop for a moment and breathe.
Akshara says she spent years searching for stillness and eventually realized it’s not about shutting the world out with yoga or incense but about accepting the chaos that lives within. Learning to be still, she says, is an act of rebellion in a world that keeps shouting, “do more, run faster, work harder.”
Every song on “CLONES” vibrates like a reminder that peace isn’t always silence but rather listening to what you feel. Through her blend of soul, R&B, and Indian roots, Akshara manages to connect deeply with people. She admits that what matters most to her isn’t numbers or external validation, but that real connection that happens when a song touches something inside someone else. And she does it because her music feels like someone whispering “everything’s going to be okay” softly in your ear.
In this interview, we talk with her about “CLONES,” her Indian roots, the calm she learned to cultivate amid chaos, and how her music has become a form of therapy for herself and for those who listen.
Hello, dear. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to chat with you. Your new EP, “CLONES,” feels like an intimate journey through your inner world. What was the emotional starting point for this project, and when did you realize you wanted to explore the many versions of yourself?
A big theme of the Clones project is navigating multiple identities/versions or clones of ourselves as parts that contradict one another but still come together to create the whole that we are. Each song describes a different part of my life, starting with "theplaceicomefrom" which starts with the nostalgia of my childhood experiences growing up in India and the little pieces of my traditions I brought here with me. We then go into "Tree Rings," an ethereal, vocal world that compares the rings on trees to the lines on our palms, describing the synchronicities we have with nature and the way we endure time.
"Orbit - Outer Space Version" takes you away from the trees on earth into outer space as I step into myself and gain confidence, starting with Bollywood's legendary actress, Rekha, talking through her experience navigating artistry as a woman. "GLASS" leans into a darker side of womanhood and her encounters with a fragile man's ego. Then we go into the title track, "Clones," where she accepts the multitude and complexity of her many facets. Lastly, "LOST" is a love song to her partner, who makes her feel whole as all of her clones fall into herself in her most peaceful, vulnerable moments.
You’ve said that “CLONES” is about learning to love every version of yourself, even the ones that don’t make sense yet. How has that process been for you?
I’ve realized it’s a journey that’s anything but linear, and that’s what makes it beautiful. While I was creating this project, I was very inspired by “shadow work.” I think we tend to push away the parts of ourselves we dislike or pretend they don’t exist, and it only forces them to come out when we least expect it. It’s allowed me to accept the parts of me I feel shame/guilt towards and understand each clone that exists within me instead of repressing her.
Photos by Jaya Kang
Stillness seems to be a recurring theme, both sonically and conceptually. In a world obsessed with constant movement, what does stillness mean to you as an artist and as a woman?
It’s funny because I used to crave stillness and try to meditate, shut the world out, go to yoga classes, and light incense, but I realized the chaos came from within. Learning to be still is one of the most difficult feats of our generation because it contradicts everything we’re told in the world of capitalism: “that more is better. Work hard, play hard.” But it’s a wonder how many miracles find their way to you when you truly decide to sit with yourself and actually listen to your thoughts. As an artist, this means setting realistic boundaries and maintaining the discipline of choosing to surround myself with people on my wavelength and finding ways to strengthen my intuition. As a woman, this means building a stronger shield against taking on everyone else’s emotions and turning them into my own so I can really understand what I feel. I watched my mother and my grandmother and all the generations of women before me set their peace aside for men, other women, and children. It’s also been a beautiful experience watching my mom find herself in her 50s, and it’s inspiring to me that it’s never too late to learn to be still.
Songs like “theplaceicomefrom” and “Orbit (Outer Space Version)” feel like soundscapes between memory and the cosmos. How did you merge your Indian musical roots with these ethereal, almost cinematic elements?
I grew up singing Indian classical music, so I think it inevitably became a part of my vocal expression. Leaning into my artistry, I’ve been playing around with different ways to lace it into the sound, little percussive moments, a sitar instead of a melodic synth, or even just with my voice. I love that my music heals my fans, and that’s become my purpose in building these soundscapes that take people away from reality.
“GLASS” became a breakout song, not just for its sound but for its honesty. What inspired that track, and what does it represent in the context of “CLONES”?
GLASS is different in comparison to any other song I’ve ever written. I think at the time, Avara and I worked together and talked about the way we’ve felt being women in an industry full of men. Avara, being a woman of color and a female producer, had so many anecdotes, and we realized our shared experiences with many men in music came from how fragile egos can be in a place like this. For Clones, this showcases a little bit of feminine rage along with the power of the female village. The music video is sharp in telling this story, and the dancers brought such a beautiful, classical element to this to really make it feel vivid.
The visual world around your music, from the “GLASS” video to “Clones,” feels meditative and symbolic. How involved are you in the visual storytelling behind your work?
I think I’ve always loved building visuals. When I first write song ideas, my mind is flooded with visual ways to tell the story. As a kid, I wanted to be a screenwriter/novelist, and I think that passion still lies somewhere in me, and now I’m surrounded by incredible creative directors to help bring this to life. I feel very involved in the storytelling, and I love talking through all the inspirations behind these visuals. For Clones, a big inspo was “Poor Things,” one of my favorite films, and I wanted to bring the quirkiness of those shots into the video. With “Glass,” it felt more majestic and cinematic.
You’ve described “Clones” as a reflection of living with ADHD and finding peace amid inner chaos. How has music helped you navigate that space of multiplicity and self-understanding?
I think music and being in a flow state with creating is the only time I feel like my erratic thoughts and the million voices in my head truly disappear. It’s also helped me understand that there’s always room for growth and change, and a big catalyst for it all is discomfort. As a society, we chase convenience, and being an artist has been a grueling, tedious, and rewarding journey, and I’m only at the very beginning. I’ve learned to try and love the discomfort of all the different clones that come out as I’m creating music, and to make space for each one of them—because they all have ideas that come together to make the final product.
There’s a tenderness in your work that feels spiritual, almost like a form of healing. Do you consider your music a form of therapy for yourself and for your listeners?
Absolutely. Recently, especially in performing live more, I’ve realized how much I care about building real human connections with my music that pierces beyond our screens and social media. Nostalgia and spirituality are a way for me to connect with nature, other people, and find frequencies that bring us together in a world that tries to keep us apart. It is definitely a form of therapy for myself, and a reminder that, regardless of all the numbers and the external validation, making music will always be something I love deeply because it heals my inner child.
Photos by Jaya Kang
Your sound blends R&B, soul, and Indian classical textures in a very natural way. Was that fusion instinctive, or did it come from a deliberate desire to bridge two cultures?
It was certainly instinctive in the beginning because of my background in Indian cinema with A.R. Rahman and my vocal training. Over time, I think it became a way to bridge cultures, but it feels less like a mission to me and more like just something I love listening to and want to be a part of my sound. I try not to force the Indian elements if they don’t fit, but more often than not, it slips out in a little vocal run or sonic element, and 9 times out of 10 it makes the song way better :)
You remind us that there’s bravery in resting. What message do you hope to leave with this phrase to those who listen to it during their own moments of reflection?
It’s so easy to listen to and internalize voices from the outside that so often, we don’t even realize our body is always talking to us. I urge my listeners to start by listening to their body when she’s sending you a message; she will always lead you to your soul.