Roger K Perspective on Its My Life

Who am I
Hey guys, I’m Roger K — an independent artist, composer, producer, and engineer creating music across a wide range of styles. While the genres may change, my focus always stays the same: music built on strong foundations, meaningful storytelling, and a polished sound designed to make your day a little better.

What do I do
As an independent artist, I write, produce, and release my own music, along with visual content to support each track. From songwriting and sound design through to mixing and mastering, I build every song from the ground up with the goal of creating music that connects emotionally while still keeping people moving. After 15 years of performing live, this marks my first real opportunity to step forward as a solo artist, and I’m excited to see where the journey goes.

After spending around 15 years performing live and working behind the scenes in music, It’s My Life reflects a lot of that journey. When you’ve been involved in music for that long, you go through a lot of different phases—learning, experimenting, supporting other projects, and figuring out your own voice. The song captures that moment where you decide to take ownership of your path and step forward as an artist in your own right.

For me, it’s about recognising that time moves quickly and that sometimes you just have to take the leap and create the music you truly want to make. It’s My Life is a reflection of that mindset: embracing the journey, backing yourself, and putting your story into the music.

My earliest memories of music are playing and singing with my dad, surrounded by cousins, family, and friends. Music was always something that brought everyone together. My father taught me everything he knew—he was an incredible musician and one of those unsung heroes who spent a lot of his time supporting other people’s ambitions while quietly continuing to pursue his own path.

I always took a lot of pride in that, and it shaped how I see music today. Now, in this new chapter, I’m looking to carve out my own path while carrying forward the passion and love for music that he passed down to me. 🎶

I was singing in a band all the way back in high school. We made a lot of music together and even performed a few shows, and those early experiences really sparked my love for creating and performing. As life moved on, those days slowly faded for a while.

Later on, I found my way back into music through a Sri Lankan band called Mystery. Being part of that group taught me so much about what it means to be a musician. The band leaders, Nalin and Dulip, had a big influence on me—they helped me understand the discipline behind music, what it takes to craft your sound, and the responsibility that comes with performing.

As I got older, I started to realise that this was something I had always wanted to pursue. At that point I decided I needed to give it a real shot. For me, success as an artist isn’t about a Hollywood contract or fame. It’s about creating something meaningful—something where someone comes back and says, “Wow, that made my day.” That’s the reason I do this.

I have a very strong latin vibe, but this one in particular sits very well in Alternative Pop or Indie Pop. It's different, but cool :)

SInce joining the band mystery, my style has gone from RnB to a strange Latin crossover vibe. I didn't even realise it until I started producing again lol I love a latin off beat, the whack of the rim shot and the stranger grooves, there is so much soul to be told in that vibe. 

A lot of my music sits around the idea of rediscovery — losing yourself for a while and then finding your way back. Life has a way of pulling you in different directions, and I think most people have moments where they feel disconnected from who they really are. My songs tend to explore that space between struggle and clarity — redemption, self-ownership, and the moment you decide to take your life back. At the end of the day, I want people to feel like they’re not alone in those experiences.

But also, don't be surprised if you see some stupid fun surprises. Sometimes life is just about kicking back and enjoying things as they come. 

Michael Jackson without a doubt. The level of artistry, performance, and cultural impact he had was on another level entirely. From the music to the choreography to the sheer presence he had on stage, it wasn’t just a concert — it was an experience. Being in the crowd for something like that would have been unforgettable.

I'm also a big fan jamiroquai, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Wyclef Jean.....yeah i'm eclectic! IYKYK

So many great artists out there man. Pink would be amazing. Eric Bibb is fantastic. The Ushers, Ginuwine's of the world, that's my jam. But also some new blood like Kendrick, but no A minor...

I’d describe it as emotional pop and R&B that sits somewhere between vulnerability and reflection. A lot of my songs explore moments where you feel lost, disconnected, or like life has pulled you away from who you really are — and then the process of finding your way back. Sonically I like music that feels modern and atmospheric, but the heart of it is always the story. I want people to feel something when they hear it, whether that’s recognition, comfort, or motivation to take their life back.

Honestly, however people want to hear it. Streaming platforms make it easy for people to discover music wherever they are, so I try to make my music available everywhere. I also enjoy experimenting with YouTube and AI-assisted visual videos because music today is as much a visual experience as it is an audio one. At the end of the day, the platform doesn’t matter as much as the connection. If someone hears the song and it resonates with them, that’s the win.

Success for me isn’t really about the money. Everyone enjoys making a bit of coin of course, but that’s not what keeps me going. What really means something is when someone messages you, leaves a comment, or tells you that a song connected with them in some way. Those moments remind me that the music is reaching people. The feedback from listeners and the small community that forms around the songs — that’s the real reward. I use submithub a lot to work on getting feedback before a release, I use AI to help me better understand mixing and mastering and then I manually try to master myself; rarely I use an external engineer. Cause I want to learn. And I put a lot of time into crafting my visuals, testing the aesthetic and making sure it all connects. At the end, it all pays off. 

I didn't think I would have an answer to this but actually I do, and it's about honest music. 
I think we’re entering an interesting moment in music with the rise of AI. Very soon there will be real conversations about what is “real” in music and what isn’t. Traditionally, artists had to master a huge number of different skills to create and promote their music, and the people who could do all of that well were incredibly rare. And if you couldn't do that, you had to invest HUGE amounts of money in other people and resources to do it for you, so you could be successful. AI is starting to break down some of those barriers by turning certain technical skills into a different kind of skill. Now, as long as you can communicate ideas clearly and creatively, the AI can develop your idea for you. No longer do you need different sets of skills, just need to master communication and the limits of your creativity are only limited by your mind. 

For me, that opens up possibilities rather than replacing creativity. I use the skills I have, and where I need help I’m not afraid to use AI as a tool. But the intention, the ideas, and the emotional core still come from me. My skills in music, skills in singing are still all me, and remain, but I'm not afraid to use AI visuals, because cinematography is not me.

I also think that as AI becomes more common, the things we used to call "imperfections" in music may start to feel more human and more real again. Too much mid here, too much mudiness here, too much echo in the side chain or blurriness your upper register - Guys this is real life we should be capturing on our tracks. In real life, nobody sings perfectly all the time. The amount of autotune out there now is crazy and I'm not saying don't pitch correct or autotune - but there comes a point where you lose reality. In real life, there are little flaws and character in the voice - that's an expression of who you are.

I hope that as the landscape changes, music that feels genuine and human will stand out even more.

Oh brother. So far Smile at fear has been a personal pride of mine. It's really taken off organically, and if people tune into my music it's usually cause of that song. I personally really love Ghost Mode, just a certain aura to the song, and I know what the song means. But It's my life it also a banger, and there are some more bangers to follow :)

One of my songs fruit salad, someone responded to me in all caps how awesome it was and all they wanted to do was take off all their clothes and run through the city naked. That's about as wild as it gets. To the person that said that....double dare you haha

Geez there has been a few. I think when I thought I had this music thing figured out I had to learn quickly what botting, click farming and all the negative things that happen in the industry are. If that happens to you it can really hurt your growth. I had some really hard lessons, and it was a bit embrassing because you just don't know these things when you kick off. But now i'm sharper and know how to grow better.

Retail, Office, Forklift driver, waiter. Worked in many facets of life :)

Constantly. Practice and perfection come with every take and also with the band whenever I need to gig I'm practicing.

I love collaborations! If there are any artists out there that wanna collab just hit me up https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575001594043

Bono once said his songs helped explain what someone might be feeling if they looked out the window on a rainy day. It's kind of the same for me, i just want people to feel something and have a connection to the art form.

Tear down spotify. Create a number of agencies at the top of the food chain, promote competition. With the influx of AI, improve the tools to identify this, and distribute more royalties to those people who have more skills to support the work beyond the use of AI.

I still think AI opens up huge opportunities for creativity, but people who organically have the skills to do it on their own, should get paid more for good work.