Prateek Kuhad, the Delhi-based singer-songwriter, is making waves in the world of music after becoming India’s favourite indie artist in just about two years.
His debut album, “In Tokens and Charms”, was adjudged as the best Indian Indie album of 2015 by iTunes. Calling September as one of the most happening month this year, Prateek says, “This month was just crazy. Brisbane, Singapore, Mumbai, Delhi, all of these shows have just been amazing. I am so pumped up for the next gigs to come.”
September saw him performing at big platforms such as the Bigsound music festival at Brisbane, where he was the only Indian artist as well as at Music Matters, Asia’s premier independent festival, in Singapore. Prateek played a special 90-minute set with a bunch of new songs in Mumbai on September 24 and in Delhi on September 28.
“Playing in Brisbane and Singapore was very refreshing. It was different because of the new territory and the crowd was less familiar with me and vice-versa but that was the interesting part and I enjoyed it very much. The rooms were beautiful and very positive and the audience was just so attentive in Singapore, it was lovely.”
Elaborating on the kind of environment he likes to play in, Prateek says, “Every environment has it’s own charm, you know. At a club, you’d be playing for happy tipsy people and there’ll be noise because people have come to just party and not so much for the gig but that’s fun as well. As for concerts and small gigs, where people especially come to attend the band, it’s the best. There’s more attention and understanding. Also, it is such a rewarding environment for the artists when the crowd cheers between the songs. Environment matters but each one has it’s own charm.”
Prateek’s song writing has been appreciated by music enthusiasts all around the country as he captures life’s complexities in a hopeful and passionate voice. “I am constantly writing songs. That is what I love the most. Initially, I was writing songs to deal with emotions but it gradually became a skill and now it’s about harnessing it and controlling it.”
As a song writer he is inspired by many artists including Elliott Smith and Bob Dylan. “For me the main focus is always on the lyrics. It has to be meaningful and honest.”
Happy about India becoming more and more enthusiastic about new artists and appreciating and promoting local artists, Prateek comments: “Indians and people in general are always hungry for entertainment and Indian artists are producing some really insane music. So yes, the music culture is growing because good artists and good music are coming up and people are obviously responding to it.”
