Anirban Jee talks love anthems, creative battles, and staying true to his sound
If silky vocals, timeless grooves, and irresistible charm had a love child, it’d be Anirban Jee.
His latest single, ‘Are We Gonna’, proves once again that he’s not just making music—he’s crafting moods, and if this track is any indication, the future of soul-pop is in very good hands.
The multi-award-winning singer-songwriter has been quietly (and not-so-quietly) conquering the indie and European charts with his lush blend of R&B, funk, and modern pop.
Think Maxwell’s sultry croon meets Bruno Mars’ infectious energy, with a dash of Tom Misch’s jazzy cool.
A proven hitmaker, Jee’s tracks have dominated airplay and climbed the World Independent Music Charts, earning him a rep as an artist who crafts songs that linger—like good whiskey or a slow-burning romance.
Listen to ‘Are We Gonna’ here.
Catch the full interview with Anirban Jee below.
HAPPY: ‘Are We Gonna’ is such an infectious dance-pop track—what was the moment or feeling you wanted to capture when writing it?
Did a real-life spark inspire that rush of new-romantic energy?
ANIRBAN JEE: Thank you! The track ‘Are We Gonna’ is an action-packed dance track to get you in the party mood.
Basically, it brings out the excitement and attraction that a person feels to someone they have just met for the first time and experiences an intense desire to make it a long-lasting connection.
It was a Saturday night keyboard jam session at my home that gave me the ‘Are We Gonna’ hooks and the song title.
I began building on the hooks and worked on the main chorus melody to make it as strong as possible.
Lyrically, I wanted to portray a first time heart to heart connection in a club scene.
I do hope a new-romantic energy sparks up post release of this song!
HAPPY: You worked with producer Tony Cvetkovski—how did his production elevate the track?
Any fun studio anecdotes or ‘aha!’ moments while recording?
ANIRBAN JEE: I have known Tony for many years and he is a highly creative and intuitive individual.
The music industry should be very fortunate to have such a producer here in Australia.
To me, he is a mind reader as he can clearly understand a songwriter’s vision and what I want to portray lyrically and melodically.
Of course, an upbeat tempo was needed for this track but needed to balance it with the smooth R&B style which I’m greatly fond of.
The ‘aha’ moment while recording was while recording the bridge which was really exciting as it takes the song to a whole new dimension before bringing it back to the hooky chorus.
I really enjoy recording at his studio and looking forward to future collaborations.
HAPPY: With multiple #1s under your belt, what’s your secret to crafting songs that stick?
Do you chase trends or trust your gut?
ANIRBAN JEE: A very pertinent question for this day and age.
Chasing trend is very tempting indeed and I’m sure it will pay off for many artists and open up opportunities.
For me, my musical adventure is a soul’s journey and I go with a lot of instinct and gut feeling in the early days of the song development.
However, once majority sections are done, my theoretical songwriting mind kicks in and then I evaluate and challenge the song in terms of lyrics, melody and expected listener impact.
For me, every song is different but this one needed a fine balance between lyrics, melody and production.
I’m very happy with the final outcome and hope the listeners enjoy and relish this song as much as I enjoyed making it.
HAPPY: You’ve cited legends like Elton John, Maxwell, and Sting as influences—how do those classic vibes sneak into your modern pop-R&B sound?
ANIRBAN JEE: Early days of my music pathway, I was influenced by such legends.
Being a keyboardist, I tried playing instrumental versions of those songs and did a deep dive into the melodic compositions and nuances of those hits.
I always had a curious mind and wanted to analyse why some songs are hits and others are not.
What differentiates from a good song to a great song.
This curiosity drove me to dismantle different aspects of those hit songs from legends which I really loved and get inspiration from.
I’m a big fan of cross-genre music and love infusing variety in my yearly release of singles.
I achieve that by mixing contemporary melodic composition with classical R&B vibes.
I use a variety of keyboards until I get the right melody and accompanying lyrics which I’m pleased with even at the quality level of home recording.
My songs have to work very hard to get my stamp of approval for a release otherwise they sit tight on my ‘work in progress’ bench albeit with a long face!
HAPPY: The song nails that electric first-connection tension. What’s your creative process like when making music?
ANIRBAN JEE: Important thing for me is the song title, context, imagery and melodic differentiator.
It’s a fine balancing act.
Rewriting lyrics and redoing original melodies to give my song the best chance of success is a big part of that.
It’s a self learning process and can’t be done in a hurry.
I prefer a controlled approach rather than achieving a targeted number of releases in a year.
HAPPY: What’s your biggest lesson about thriving as an independent artist in today’s music industry?
ANIRBAN JEE: It’s a hard time to make music in today’s music industry.
For an independent artist like me, it’s been a lonely road and often an expensive one too!
If you are lucky enough to perform gigs through an artist management agency or through personal industry contacts then you can possibly get a part of your song investment back in your kitty.
While online platforms can provide a wide access to a large audience base, we have to understand that digital listeners are at the receiving end of an enormous amount of music.
Listeners have to make that choice and a single click in spotify can make you part of their playlist or they can just scroll away.
It’s a hit and miss adventure in my view unless the song is promoted online with an effective strategy and to the right market segment.
But if you love the craft, have a long term strategy behind you, keep getting better at your craft and have a strong resolve to be persistent in this ever changing music industry, then you will love this game!
HAPPY: After winning Songwriter of the Year, do awards motivate you—or is the real reward in the creative process, reception from fans, or something else?
ANIRBAN JEE: For me it’s a mix of everything above.
While songwriting events are a very good benchmark to develop your craft and get professional industry feedback, sincere appreciation from fans or getting aired on radio stations are very much satisfying and exciting.
Writing songs for me is like giving birth to a combination of unique melodic frequencies that never existed before and once they get appreciated by listeners, it’s a great feeling as an artist.
Obviously, a publisher or record label can take the song to the next level with additional investment, worldwide promotion and appealing music videos but until I’m at that stage, I will continue this personal journey of mine for entertaining my fans through this wonderful medium of Australian and international radio stations.
HAPPY: You’ve worked with icons like Simon Cohen—who’s your dream collaborator?
ANIRBAN JEE: Working with Simon was amazing as he can really understand an artist’s strengths and work with it on the song he produces.
He is also a celebrated vocal coach and I learnt a lot from him.
If given an opportunity, I would love to work with Swedish record producer and songwriter, Max Martin, who produced massive hits with legendary pop artists and bands since early 2000s and still continuing to do so.
HAPPY: What’s next? Any teasers about upcoming projects or sounds you’re itching to explore?
ANIRBAN JEE: Yes, my next release later in this year will be a mood changer as it will be a slower track.
However, the song will really connect at a deeper level both lyrically and melodically. Watch this space folks!
HAPPY: Lastly, what makes you happy?
ANIRBAN JEE: Music is the connection to my soul.
The soul is ever happy and not tarnished by the external turbulence of life.
Music is what makes me happy. Music takes me into deeper waters of the ocean where the rough waves lashing on the surface have no impact.
Music is my meditation, my source of pure bliss.
