Delhi-based singer Prateek Kuhad has quickly become one of the most distinctive voices in the independent music scene. The singer-songwriter has carved a niche for himself in India and abroad by creating songs that explore abstract themes.
His single Tune Kaha’ released in February this year, has emotional lyrics and peppy music helped him garner rave reviews in the music scene.
He recently made his Bollywood debut with Kho Gaye Hum Kahan in Nitya Mehra’s Baar Baar Dekho and is currently in Singapore for Music Matters, which will take place from September 16 to 18.
A man of few words, Kuhad shares with Metrolife about the themes that he likes to make his music on and the struggles that independent musicians face today. Excerpts:
Tell us about your early life.
I grew up in Jaipur till I was 18, and then moved to New York for college. That was quite a drastic move for me, from small town Jaipur to living in New York! I studied math and economics at NYU, and never imagined at the time that a few years later I’d be a full time musician.
How did your journey with music begin?
I have always been a music lover. I was obsessed with Harry Belafonte songs as a child. I started to learn the guitar around the time I was 16, and soon after that the songwriting started.
What about songwriting do you enjoy the most?
Well, all of it. To me songwriting started off as a form of expression. I started writing songs to vent and to use them as a way to deal with my life and issues. It was much later that I honed it into a skill set and decided to start doing it professionally. It is still my favourite thing to do.
What themes are closest to your heart?
Nothing in particular. Like I said I write honestly and organically. So there’s always an instinctive emotional flow that guides me.
What are the struggles that independent musicians face today?
I think in India it’s mostly unprofessional venues and bookers, bad sound vendors, mediocre live sound engineers and lack of state of the art recoding facilities.
I think there is a need for the government to step in and start offering some support.
If you look at the other countries like Australia, Canada, there is so much support from the government for musicians. In India it’s almost as if the government inhibits it sometimes. The entertainment industry needs to be encouraged.
What are you currently working on?
I am trying to put together a release for next year, although things haven’t become concrete yet. I really hope to release something if I can make it happen next year.
