State of the Creators

State of the Creators is a podcast that explores what it means for creatives to build something out of nothing. Digital creative Tawsif Akkas sits down with talented creatives from Bangladesh to Australia - and around the world - to talk about the process of creating, the struggles of being a creative and explore how to leave a legacy in this fast paced digital world. Through State of the Creators, Tawsif not only aims to deliver a compelling podcast series but also build a creative community to help the next generation of creators flourish. Find out more at www.tawsifakkas.com.

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State of the Creators

How Dameer Builds a Global Community with his Music | State of the Creators 034

July 25, 2023 • Tawsif Akkas

Dameer Khan is an indie-pop singer-songwriter and a producer. At just 22, he has released quite a few singles and an EP, all of which has gained millions of views and streams and has gotten him a niche following. I stumbled upon Dameer’s work first in 2017, and almost instantly became a fan of his work. Beyond his nostalgic tunes, @Dameer 's music videos are cinematic and a joy to watch personally.

In this episode we talked about his journey, his identity as a musician and how he utilises his community to become a better creator. Dameer is big on the use of social media to promote your art - which is always an interesting take these days and we dive deep into that side of things as well.

Just a note that this podcast was recorded in early 2023, and the artwork in the animation was done by none other than the guest of this episode @ahmedfahim.archives

AUDIO: https://stateofthecreators.buzzsprout.com/

00:00 Intro
02:05 A colour for each song
04:27 Who is Dameer?
05:08 Canada
06:44 Dameer's early days
08:38 Dameer's creative family and band "Renaissance"
10:36 Why study Poli-Science?
14:14 Leveraging a uni degree
16:22 Music in 'Bangla Language'
21:13 Malaysia
23:00 The Harmony of Two Languages in Music.
26:04 Was moving out a good decision?
28:30 Writing music in simple lyrics
33:46 Fandom
38:54 Dameer's dream
43:26 Bangladesh through an artist's lens
45:19 Beginning of a music career
47:30 "Amar Jaan"
48:26 Navigating negativity
50:22 Using autotune
52:54 Defining quality music
55:39: Making money as a musician
01:01:09 Tackling memes and criticisms
01:02:22 The Artistic Challenge
01:04:32 Creative routine
01:05:24 Creative ruts
01:05:55 Exploring other music projects
01:06:32 Discovering new music
01:07:49 Dameer's favourite acts
01:12:10 Dameer's ambitions
01:15:03 Advice for aspiring artists
01:18:00 Outro