Thomson Andrews: From Music to Media Visionary - A Journey of Passion and Creativity

Congratulations on being named in the ‘40 under 40’ as a Media & Content Visionary! What does this recognition mean to you personally and professionally?

Thank you! This award is deeply humbling and affirming. On a personal level, it's an accolade to applaud my 17-year journey that started with nothing but a voice, a vision, and unbreakable determination. On a professional level, it reiterates the mission I've carried through every project—from beginning with AR Rahman at 20 years old to performing around the world with legends like Sunidhi Chauhan, being a vocal arranger for iconic projects like MTV Cokestudio, MTV Unplugged, MTV Unwind and more than 75 Iconic films, creating indie music, and mentoring more than 200 artists through my startup 'ThroanOf Art'. From being an artist to a producer, composer, podcaster, TV host to being recognized as a creative media visionary isn't about the spotlight—it's about building futures, opening doors, and harnessing creativity to drive cultural and business impact. This award encourages me to create even bigger, bolder legacies in music, content, and Entertainment Business.

Your upcoming Bollywood projects include Metro In Dino and more big banner films. Can you give us a sneak peek into what listeners can expect from your vocal contributions in this and any upcoming films and collabs?

Indeed! Working again with Composer Pritam Da on Metro In Dino is like coming full circle, as he's been a constant creative presence and inspiration in my life and I am super grateful to him for always nurturing my talent and encouraging me to keep excelling at my skills. I’ve had the honor of being a vocal arranger on songs “Zamaana Lage” &“Dhaagena Tinak Dhin” and these songs are such wonderful melodies; hence creating vocal designs and harmonies for the song was a musical treat! Ive also sung additional vocals on “Dil Ka Kya”. The songs that I've sung and vocally arranged have a certain soul and and emotional depth that pair so wonderfully well with Composer Pritam Da music soundscape & Director Anurag Basu's cinematic world. For upcoming films, it's a high-energy sonic terrain—cinematic and explosive—with vocals that capture intensity and grandeur. Its was also fun to sing additional vocals on the Arijit Singh & Martin Garrix global collaborative singles, which are due to release soon! My voice adds that international RnB, Soul, Funk, Jazz, Pop sheen over Bollywood music projects, which has been my signature flavor, forte and identity as an artist across my career; even in my playback singing. Watch out for textures, emotion, and more fun vocal acrobatics!

Let’s talk about The Thomson Andrews Show. What inspired you to step into hosting, and how does it allow you to connect with your audience differently than music?

Music provided me with a voice, but hosting provided me with the authority and platform to ignite meaningful and insightful conversations. ‘The Thomson Andrews Show (TTAS)’ came into existence because I love stories—human, unfiltered, and inspiring. After my brief stint as a Talk show host on a music-travel reality show called “Hungama Music Bus”, where I interviewed several music legends like Javed Ali, Indian Ocean, Harrdy Sandhu whilst my travels and experience culture and music on the show; I was invited to share my journey on TEDex as a speaker 2 times. I felt wonderful to connect with people who were so motivated by my journey and experience after my TED talk and moved to tears by people stating their were touched by my story and life. Having collaborated with legends across the worlds biggest and best studios such as Netflix, Apple TV, Disney, Sony, and Amazon Prime Video, Dharma, Yashraj and others; I've always felt that stories are what unite us. Through the TTAS show's two verticals (“Unveiling Journeys” and “Unscripted Journeys” featuring SonyLIV’s talents on YouTube over a candid chat with them about their journeys), I get to dive into both entrepreneurial minds and behind-the-scenes minds in the world of entertainment. Hosting has provided me with the responsibility and opportunity to be more than a performer and musician—I'm now a thought leader and a curator of stories that create impact and inspire people across the world. It's a different beat, one that resonates deeply with the person I am today. From interviewing and conversing with Film industry Veterans & Icons such as Sooraj R Barjatya, Nikhil Advani, Ram Madhvani to behind-the-scenes insights from stellar actors like Anjali Anand, Barun Sobti, Nikita Dutta, Jameel Khan, Tanuj Virwani, Priya Bapat; having in-depth conversations with CEO’s and Visionaries from RPG Group, BLS E-Services, WildLife Conservation Trust, Geologists like Dr. Sunayana Sarkar, talking music and beyond with musical stalwarts Naveen Kumar, Sameer Uddin, Fitness guru’s like RakesshhUddiyar and Hair experts to the stars like Ryan of MUAH Salon sharing celeb routines; I’m so glad I’ve been enriched and enlightened by people of various walks of life. I’m truly blessed to be creatively exploring various dimensions of myself, my talents and artistry through music, content creation, podcasting & entrepreneurship and I’m all geared up to keep creating and inspiring the world through artistic expression, content, inspiring journeys, and many more milestones to go.

Tell us more about singing in five Indian languages for the film ’83 — how do you prepare vocally and emotionally for such multilingual challenges?

To sing in five languages for '83 was a wonderful challenge and a deep dive into culture. As a vocal arranger and singer and someone who has studied music in both Indian and Western traditions, I always start my preparation with emotional alignment. I always allow myself to engage with the musicality of the language--its tone, its playfulness, nuances and phrasing, lyrical memorization, phonetics coaching and vocal colour modulation. Each language embodies its own spirit, and I take my job very seriously. Knowing emotionally what I was grounding myself to was crucial; because it isn't just a film about cricket, it's a film about India. It helped to make the multi-lingual effort not just a technical one, it was a personal choice and a talent I proudly portray including various cultures of India in my musical journey.

You have contributed to Hollywood projects like MUFASA and Snowwhite. How different is the creative process when working on international films compared to Bollywood?

The creative center is still universal—to serve the story—but the methodology and the projects are completely different. Hollywood projects relied heavily on pre-visualization and a detailed vocal character brief to prepare for a voice that stands alongside the integrity of a character. When I sang Young Rafiki’s song in Hindi, “We Go Together” in Disney's "Mufasa: The Lion King”, I sang along with Shaan, Meiyang Chang and other brilliant vocalists which was truly an honor. I really appreciated being chosen among so many talents in India and it's great to work on a song in which sensibility in rhythm, tone, emotion and sync is needed to deal with the complexity of the character, as an artist to contribute to the integrity of the narrative and the character onscreen. Bollywood works mainly on emotion and instinct. Directors like Pritam, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Shankar Ehsaan Loy expect you to embrace the instinct to be authentic behind the studio microphone and express one’s musical identity to bring out a unique approach, feel to the song and to enhance the emotions and soul in melodies. I enjoy shifting between both spaces; it develops my craft and allows me to expand my creative singing repertoire and emotional vocabulary.

As someone who mentors upcoming talent, what do you think today’s budding singers need most – technique, originality, or resilience?

Resilience, for sure. You can learn technique, and you can develop your originality; but the ability to get up every time you fall, that’s what makes one strong, prepared, willing to excel in one’s craft and make a successful career. I had no industry godfather, I was self taught in R&B, and then became a certified western vocalist (8th grade level). I have experienced the need to stay on course. Through my label ThroanOf Art Music, I work with diverse voices from regional India and provide industry mentorship. I tell every artist: “Your story and uniqueness is your superpower. Refine your skill, but never compromise on your voice—both literally and metaphorically.”

With such a wide repertoire across genres, languages, and formats — what keeps you creatively inspired and grounded?

Curiosity and purpose. Whether it's curating IP's across digital content, live events, music and other platforms, performing at the 2023 World Cup with my ensemble act TAC Choir (Thomson Andrews Collective), singing for Brand Ad Jingles, Animated and Bollywood films, composing indie tracks, or mentoring artists—every initiative is tied to making an impact. I’m creatively fed by global cultures, Indian roots, and people’s stories. What grounds me is gratitude—knowing I started with nothing but a voice and faith. I am excited for my upcoming new singles coming out very soon; off which in July we launch my single "One Thing You Do”, followed by some - ‘never heard before’ self-composed and written Hindi songs in several genres that I have curated with so much love and passion, focusing on song themes and styles that are dear to me. I’m still that boy from Mumbai who believes the next big masterpiece is just an idea away and can be achieved by acting on your vision. That hunger never fades—it evolves.