I desperately want to sing a rock number: Mahalaxmi Iyer

Singer Mahalaxmi Iyer wants a break from soulful numbers and want to experiment with her voice
A Musical Way!
Mahalaxmi, who has also sung various jingles for commercials, is quite happy with the trend of ad gurus coming up with full-fledged songs for ads. “Releasing the entire song of an ad is just another form of marketing for the product. It is interesting to know that music has become the main focus of ads and we have jingles being played in cars and discotheques.The ad industry is growing in that way,” she says.
Let's ROCK!
Singer Mahalaxmi Iyer, who is considered the favourite of music directors like AR Rahman and Shankar Ehsaan Loy, completes two decades in the music industry this year. And though the singer might have sung for almost every music director, she complains of being typecast for a particular kind of songs. “People take my voice for this ‘sweet-soulful’ singer's who can only sing certain kind of songs. Nobody is ready to experiment with my voice. I desperately want to sing a rock number!” says Mahalaxmi, who was recently in Lucknow to perform at a college fest.
My Way!
So, while she misses variety in her repertoire as a playback singer, Iyer has come up with a solution. “I am now planning to come out with a music album. I would not really call it a pop album, but one with a worldwide appeal,” she lets in, adding, “It will include all my work so far. I can’t reveal much about it, but it is definitely going to be an interesting piece of music.” But is releasing an album in an age where people are used to downloading free songs on the internet, a feasible idea, we ask. “Why not? I don’t know why the music industry has been shying away from releasing pop albums. For artistes like us, there is no fear of piracy because our fans – mine, Sonu Nigam or Shreya’s – are not into piracy. They wait for our albums. Plus, for singers like me, an album is a form of self expression rather than a medium for earning money.”
Strings Attached!
Despite her success and skill as a singer, Mahalaxmi hasn't stopped learning. “I am learning to play the guitar for the past two years and soon, I will be doing performing on stage with a guitar in my hand,” she enthuses.