Shweta Harve: Music with Purpose, Compassion, and a Global Message

My career in the entertainment industry has enabled me to work with a diverse range of talent.
Through my years of experience, I've recognized two essential aspects.
Industry professionals, whether famous stars or behind-the-scenes staff, have fascinating stories to tell.
Secondly, audiences are eager to listen to these stories, which offer a glimpse into their lives and the evolution of their life stories.
This podcast aims to share these narratives, providing information on how they evolved into their chosen career.
We will delve into their journey to stardom, discuss their struggles and successes, and hear from people who help them achieve their goals.
Get ready for intriguing behind-the-scenes stories and insights into the fascinating world of entertainment.
Hi, I'm Tony Mantor.
Welcome to Almost Live Nashville.
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Thanks for being here.
Joining us today is Shredder Harvey.
Her music isn't just something you listen to, it's something you feel.
There's a tone, an atmosphere, and a kind of emotional honesty that draws you in before you even realize it.
It's reflective, it's global, and it carries a sense of identity and storytelling that speaks to people no matter where they're from.
As an independent artist, she's built her sound and her voice in a way that stays true to who she is while still reaching listeners across the world.
And that balance isn't easy to achieve.
Today we're not talking just about her top 40 records.
We're talking about the journey behind it, the emotion within it, and the connection it creates.
Thanks for joining us today.
Pleasure is all mine.
Let's start this off with a little history about what you're doing.
So, singer songwriter.
I've had five singles now, to my credit.
I have been collaborating with this Italian composer Dario.
He isn't out of Italy.
The two of us have been making music now for a good uh two and a half years or so, with the goal of making music and writing songs that are relatable for the most part.
Has a story, has a theme that most people can relate to, tapping into socially conscious topics that most people, you know, deal with on a day-to-day basis.
Sure.
Either have it concealed, can talk about it, or maybe we do talk about it.
Okay.
Maybe not in the form of music or a song.
So, right, you know, so stuff we see and we experience, just being that voice to the voiceless, that is our goal.
Uh-huh.
I do the singing and the songwriting.
Dario does the composing.
The two of us together do the composing.
And then we have a mixing engineer that sits out of Ukraine.
It's crazy because so many times he's mixed music for us while the shelling was on.
Oh wow.
So we have some stories uh about that too.
And so it's uh I think we're a great team, very varied backgrounds, but I think we're able to click and able to bring the kind of music we want to put in front of the audience, and I'm happy about that.
Now you've had a couple of those songs that hit the top 40 on Billboard, is that correct?
Yes.
What the troll.
What the troll hit billboard top 40, and it was top 30 media base.
Okay, good.
Yeah, that's real good.
Now I believe that you are originally from India.
Originally from India, yes.
How long have you been in the US?
It will be um 16 years now.
So where you are originally from India, living here in the US now, has that had any influence on the songs that you are currently writing and releasing?
Um, I can't say for sure.
Yeah, I mean, from the writing perspective, yeah, there could be experiences that tie back to my time back in India.
Sure.
When I was much younger, you know, I grew up.
Some of my teenage years were in India, and then I've spent most of my adulthood here.
Not to say I'm very old.
But yeah, there is a fair bit of experience that I'm probably using um from, you know, my my time there.
And maybe some musical influences.
Again, you know, our team is so um diverse at this point.
We have all these varied uh musical influences that we're bringing to our music, so from that perspective, yes.
It's amazing you bring up Ukraine.
I've had a band that toured in the Ukraine, so it's amazing the stories that you can hear, and I'm sure you've heard as well.
Now you've worked with people from around the world.
I'm curious, how has their input influenced you or has it in any way that has shaped the sound that you're doing now?
I think it's fascinating and it's very fun.
Again, you know, um having different perspectives brought to table when you're trying to make music to your song, sending out a message is so important, right?
So think about it, somebody sitting in Italy, and there's another sitting in Ukraine, and here I am in the US with my background in India.
Yes.
We are bringing all our varied experiences, very varied, you know, influences, and trying to make something that tells a story, which is what we've done with our last five singles, right?
Each one has a story, right?
We started out with who are you, which kind of questions the existence and the identity of humans beyond what you can see and perceive.
Are you really what you see and perceive?
So who are you?
Right.
It's really an introspective song.
And then we went on to tap into why so busy.
Why so busy talks about the madness with a busyness and productivity, right?
Right.
Where uh we don't have time for simple things, you know, you're sitting in front of your partner on a table having dinner, but yet you're on your phone, you know, again questioning all the digitized world that we're in.
And then we went on to make some more, like what the troll.
Trolling is big in this digital world, you know, with teenagers and a lot of the youngsters heavily influenced by trolling and even, you know, going as extreme as taking their own lives with bullying and, you know, the um the digital uh trolling.
Now, our latest song, Have You Loved Like a Tree, uses tree as a metaphor to talk about unconditional love in all walks of life.
So it's all these influences that coming from all these diverse backgrounds, helping us express ourselves better, I think.
Absolutely.
Now, I've got two podcasts, one that focuses on autism and mental health, and of course, this one that is all about music.
I have the opportunity to speak with people from all over the world.
I've spoken with people in Europe, India, the UK, and of course here in the US.
The one thing that we all have in common, no matter if I'm talking with them about music or overall well-being and health.
Everyone wants to have a job, safe place to live, a nice house, food, family, all of those things.
How do all these things intertwine in your music?
Not only in just hitting the charts, but hitting all the things with people in different countries and different cultures can relate to with the music that you're releasing around the world.
Absolutely.
The relatability really comes down to what you just said, so very well explained.
Everybody is trying for a peaceful life.
You know, you have so many things that you're distracted by these days.
Yeah.
There's so much hate everywhere.
So, how can you find a place of peace and love?
Create an environment, you know, that you're surrounded by that peace and love.
There is so much going on, you know.
We're living in crazy times.
Everything's so uncertain, right?
Yeah.
So I think with our music, we're trying to tap into that place of peace.
You turn on music, whether it's lyrics or you know, the melody itself, something people can tap into to just relax and just be by themselves, you know, like be a little bit more introspective than be buried in their devices or, you know, reading the news, which is not so great, unfortunately, these days.
Just some place to get away.
That's what we're trying to bring with our music.
Right on different topics that has very high relatability and something that people can truly introspect and even maybe, you know, action in their daily lives.
We can even change one or two lives, and if we can make a difference to even one or two lives with our music, I would say our goal is accomplished.
Yeah.
Music or anything we hear has a lot of impact.
What we see, what we hear, the more positive reinforcement, the better as such for the person as a whole, as it relates to, you know, inner peace and la, everything we're looking for.
With all this said and what you're trying to do, and of course you're putting positive music out there.
Have you had a listener reach out to you or listeners reach out to you to tell you how one or all of your songs have impacted their lives and helped them?
Almost always.
So I was just reading through some uh comments I got on our latest song, Have You Love Like a Tree.
Okay.
We have a very so our the music video for this uh shows different ways how tree, just the trees, right, our trees around us, right, care for us and just stand there through storm and through all the different seasons and just love us unconditionally.
Right.
This person apparently loves fries.
He's from Brazil and he wrote and she sent a comment, he posted a comment on the music video in her language.
Oh wow.
Had to actually look up the translation that she was so moved by our song's music video, she had tears in her eyes.
Nice.
And she went and hugged not only her tree that she interacts with on a daily basis because she's into gardening, but she also went and hugged her human trees.
Okay.
You know, the trees and there are the human trees.
There are humans around us that are like our trees.
They could be our parents, they could be our partners, they could be our friends.
Right.
A lot of times we fail to acknowledge, you know, their contributions, you know.
Right.
And we may be forgetting to tell them how much they mean to us.
Same with our with the trees around us.
How many times do we go and just sit under the shade of a tree, just hug it, kiss it?
It's like, thank you.
You know, thank you for just being there, you know, giving us the character we need, right?
So I've had comments like those come through, and it feels extremely gratifying.
If somebody's telling you your song brought tears to their eyes, you know, it means a lot, right?
So a positive connotation.
But I've had many people say that to me.
You know, in music and really the industry as a whole, there's such a strong push toward what success is supposed to look like.
Global reach, big numbers, financial milestones, massive audiences.
Sometimes success shows up in much quieter, more meaningful ways, like knowing a song you wrote connected with someone, or helped them through something.
So for you, how do you personally define success?
And has that definition changed as your journey has evolved?
It's definitely not in the numbers.
It's definitely not in the fame.
That's what I thought you'd say.
That's very clear for me.
So from that perspective, I'm sorted, right?
Right.
I'm not chasing the fandom and I'm not chasing that kind of glory.
That's good.
Yes.
To me, you asked me this in the last question, but these kind of comments, like if I've had even one or two people listen to the song, and if it's made a difference to them, I know my goal is accomplished.
That's a win.
Now, if along the way, if it does hit uh, you know, a chart number and billboard, it's great.
It's a bonus.
Absolutely.
But that's not what I'm chasing, and it's really trying to touch people's lives, make a difference, and maybe spread positivity in the society, like have people listen to more uplifting music.
You know, you're not chasing the glitz or the glamour.
You're writing songs that carry meaning, that tell real stories, that can genuinely impact people's lives.
Along the way, you're growing, you're moving forward, evolving, but in many ways, you're also staying grounded in who you are.
So when people see you that way, when they connect with your authenticity more than the spotlight, how does that feel for you at the end of the day?
How do you balance that growth with staying true to yourself?
Well, uh staying extremely grounded, right?
Right.
That's the key to it, I guess.
Not letting whatever you think as success or whatever it is that might be happening out in the outside world, not letting it get to your head.
Right.
You're who you are.
I mean, I don't even I mean, I'm still uncovering who I am, to be right, you know.
Yeah.
So it's beyond these identities, beyond the names, beyond the titles, beyond what the world sees and perceives of you.
Right.
We're beyond that.
And I guess I'm pretty clear about that.
None of this really quite hits me the way it normally should.
Yeah.
So from that perspective, I'm just doing what I want to do and I'm passionate about it and I'm enjoying it, I'm enjoying the process.
And once it's released, whatever it might be the results, you know, I'm very grateful because I put in my best effort.
Yeah, because at the end of the day, all you can really do is put your heart into what you create and hope that people don't just hear it, but actually relate to it, absorb it, maybe even live in it for a moment.
And when that starts happening, it feels like something bigger begins to form.
Almost like a grassroots kind of growth, not just for you, but for the people listening to.
So do you ever notice your listeners starting to connect with each other through your music and realize that what you've created has become more than just a song, it's become a community.
Yeah, we're essentially growing a community of people.
Yeah, yeah.
That appreciate the same kind of music, that appreciate a world that is more of uplifting, right?
That wants the same kind of things, want to write or say or feel or express the same kind of things.
So we're really building a community.
It's fair to want to build a community that is more of uplifting for the future generation.
I think every one of us has that responsibility, right?
Right.
Whatever talent has been bestowed on us, we must use that.
Sure, absolutely.
For that very purpose, right?
So if I have a talent in singing and playing the guitar or making music, I have to use that to uplift the society for the future generation.
And that's then let's recite what I'm set out to do.
Your sound is growing and it really feels like it's starting to carve out a place in this world.
Now that your music is gaining attention, what do you hope it ultimately accomplishes?
Not just for you, but for the people who are listening and experiencing it.
I would love a world where there is more compassion, less hate, more compassion.
I think what we're lacking is empathy and compassion as people, that's what I'm seeing happen more and more.
And I'd love to see more empathy and compassion around.
Now you've got three people in three different parts of the world that's working on your music and your sound.
How do you build it?
Do you start with an idea and then work with your co-writer?
Or do you come up with lyrics and a melody and then talk with your co-writer?
What's that process look like for you?
Sure.
I typically write the songs, the lyrics.
Right.
And the lyricist, an idea would come uh into my head and I would write the song, then I would think of some rough melodies for it, and then I would run it by Dario.
Okay.
Then he would build out the instrumentation for it, put together the melody and the tracks.
Right.
Then once that's built out, I record my voice.
I have a home studio.
So I my voice on top of all the tracks, and then kind of bring it together, and then we send it to Surti, who is in Ukraine, to mix, and then he does the magic, right?
So he does the mixing magic.
And then the final output, obviously, I take care of most of the um marketing and stuff myself.
I'm an indie artist, uh basically putting it out on the various channels, platforms, and then you're getting from there.
And then, of course, I work with different creators.
That's another thing I'm doing is work with budding artists that would like to feature in our music video.
And then, you know, also if I'm supposed to be in the music video based on the script, I would then shoot my portions and then bring it all together.
So it's it's very fascinating from start to end, right?
Because there's the audio portion of it and then there's the video portion of it.
You know, there's something really powerful about being independent.
It gives you the freedom to move at your own pace, to build your sound the way that you want to build it without being compromised.
Of course, you don't have the big major label machine behind you, but in a lot of ways, that also protects your authenticity.
So when you look at your music from when you first started to where it is now, how has your sound evolved?
Are you happy with that evolution, or do you still feel like you're growing into something even bigger?
We have come a long way.
I kid you not.
My first song I recorded in my closet.
Okay, all right.
I didn't have a home studio.
Well, I could go to a studio, but I tried a couple of times.
I just needed the time that would allow me to, you know, record and re-record and just do it in parts.
And that a studio doesn't allow, you know.
Again, all this is self-funded, right?
So given all that in mind, I was like, okay, you know what?
I'm gonna make a space for myself in this closet here and gonna record.
So from there to having the studio built out within our house, yeah, we've come a long way.
I think we've come a long way as far as recording is concerned.
Just, you know, melodies and the overall song structure.
I think we've come a long way.
Okay, where do you see yourself in three to five years?
What's your plans?
What's your goals?
We're gonna continue to write more about what we see and hear.
Right.
Everything that's going on.
I think we have a pretty good baseline.
We just have to continue to make more music and continue to write and continue to just tap into, you know, everything that that needs to be said.
If someone was to say to you, I think your music sounds like, what would they finish that sentence with?
I've had people tell me it it's pee.
Some songs have been very peaceful and introspective.
Okay, I think that's great.
What's a place in the world that totally inspires your sound?
Place in the world you got me to hear.
Well, it's like um I'd say um say US.
I don't know.
Yeah, the Western, I guess for the most part, because we're king pop rock rock kind of.
When you're in the studio recording, how do you tap into your emotions in a way that translates into the song so that when people hear it, they don't just listen, they actually feel it.
Totally.
That's uh that's really how a song can be most relatable, right?
You have to be able to feel the emotions.
That's right.
Well, I'm the one that writes the song, the lyrics.
So I know exactly how I want to sing it and from what place it's coming, and so obviously that emotion is gonna show.
Right.
So yeah, I just use the emotion that's gone into writing it.
Okay.
Use that as the inspiration to emote it while I'm singing.
Okay.
So I think if you will have heard any of my songs, you will hear the frustration and why so busy versus you know the the peace and the love when I sing Have You Loved Like a Tree.
If you sit back, close your eyes, and listen to your music, do you hear it differently now than you did when you first recorded it?
I do.
Every single time I hear it, I do hear things I probably didn't when I first made it.
Sure.
Sometimes I also wonder, hey, I could have done that better.
Yeah, we all say that.
But that's part of uh being a self-critique.
Yep.
But which is which is healthy.
Absolutely.
But yes, I do listen to things that I didn't quite notice when I first recorded.
Now, is there a part of you that is unspoken?
It only comes out in your music and nowhere else.
Absolutely.
100%.
Yeah, that's not surprising at all.
So how does the music itself help you transfer your emotions?
What is it about the melody, the sound, or even the space within a song that allows people to actually feel what you're feeling?
It's a release.
Right.
It's a healthy release, a productive healthy release.
It's a way of expressing yourself.
When the lyrics are beautifully written, you're finding a place to release something in a beautiful way, and that's really dope.
Yeah, yeah.
Now, when you make your music, you record it, you do all the tweaks, you do everything you can, then it gets mixed, it comes back, you listen to it.
Then you make any subtle little tweaks you need to do just to refine it.
Have you been in a situation where you've done all this, then you're listening to the final mix, then you hear it in a completely different way than you ever thought about while you was writing it.
This last one, Have You Love Like the Tree, we've probably gone back and forth 15 plus iterations, trying to mix it in 15 different ways.
Okay.
And then uh me trying to add some additional harmonies that weren't planned in the original composition, because I just thought that would make it a little bit better, you know.
These kind of things happen all the time.
Right.
You know, it's very hard to say done done.
Yeah, on any creative form, right?
Whether it's painting or any art form, the done done is where um, you know, you really have to kind of put down and be like, okay, now we're done.
One day before the release and out.
Yeah, I totally agree.
Have you ever felt like your music understands you more than you might understand yourself?
I think so.
Yes.
Have you ever had times in music where you're creating and then suddenly something just comes through you?
It flows out almost effortlessly, and you find yourself wondering where did that even come from?
Right.
I kid you not.
When I go back and see the music videos, because I do a l most of the direction for the music videos, the script is coming from me.
Again, you know, the idea, the creativity behind what that music and the lyrics.
Right.
You know, I talk to my husband sometimes, I'm like, did I really write this song?
Yeah.
You know, like so where while there is this self-critiquing part of him, the other part of him is also, I'm like, in awe of what I just produced, right?
And yeah, so that happens.
Now, is there a sound or even a tone or just complete silence in your music that you think defines you?
Yes, it does.
In most of my music, I try to use in some parts uh bready vocals, like that defines and it's uh it's intentional.
Yeah, and I do that when I want to s maybe ha have a certain mood, so that kind of defines from what I can tell.
That has kind of been the defining factor so far.
When you're in the process of creating a song, going back and forth as a writer, as a singer, working with a co-writer, working with an engineer, is there ever a moment where you stop and realize this is more honest, more real than I ever expected it to be?
Have you ever experienced that kind of moment that just seemed to be like that magical moment?
All the time.
All the time, yes.
Good.
Like I said, you know, sometimes I wonder, wow, this is something I I really, you know, I wonder I really wrote this and and how it turns out to be, you know, when when the music video comes through again, you know, the scripting and the the tying together of what that story needs to be, all that again gets me thinking about, wow, how did it get to this?
When everything is stripped away, no production, no layers, no extra textures, and it's just your voice and the core of the song.
If you was to let people hear that as a release, what would you hope that they would hear that would define you as an artist?
Oh, um, I really hope that people can take away the message.
It's all in the message.
Yeah.
You know, right.
The content that I'm putting out there, people are able to make sense out of it.
It's not so much about me, it's about the message and the content that I'm trying to portray.
Yeah, that totally makes sense.
Now, how do people find you?
Well, we have we're on all the DSPs, so Shredder Harvey.
Uh, you look me up on Spotify, Apple, just by my name, Shredder Harvey, and YouTube.
Okay.
And uh every other DSP.
Well, that sounds great.
Well, it's conversations like this that reminds us why music matters and how it connects all of us.
I really appreciate you taking the time to join us today.
Thank you so much.
I really appreciate your time and I'm very grateful that I was able to speak speak with you.
And wow, what questions.
You got me thinking, and I really appreciate that.
So thank you so much.
Oh, it's my pleasure.
Thanks again.
Thanks for joining us today.
We hope you enjoyed the show.
This has been a Tony Mantor Production.
For more information, contact media at plateau music.com.