Ankur Tewari: It's important that my numbers trigger an emotion

Vivaan Kapoor, Ankur Tewari, Johan Pais, Gaurav Gupta and Sidd Coutto from the band

Wrapping up a gig back in 2007, Ankur Tewari was dumbfounded with a young couple's confession concerning his track, Sabse Peeche Hum Khade. "We got married because of that song," they told him, says the singer-songwriter who fronts 'Ankur & The Ghalat Family'. "More than the number of views or likes on my social media page, these incidents mark the success of my song. It's important that my numbers trigger an emotion," says the 39-year-old, whose band released the first half of their new album, Side A Side B, yesterday.

It harks back to the mixtape days. "While the older generation cherishes the experience of enjoying a mixtape, today's kids don't understand what it means. This album was spurred by my own affection for them. I'm looking forward to seeing how this generation reacts to it," he says. The carefully curated playlist, which includes 12 soulful tracks, points to certain milestones in his life.

"These songs may seem exclusive as they tap upon a variety of topics, but they're woven together in my head through a common thread, specific incidents from my own life," says the bearded singer.

A lot has changed in independent music since his first album, Jannat, which released six years ago. "The younger generation is extremely talented and deeply passionate about their art. There's so much we can learn from them. We jammed with some of them, and some established musicians, on our tours. They've helped me grow and that will reflect in this album."