Prateek Kuhad opens up on his musical journey

Believe it or not, Prateek Kuhad, the celebrated singer-songwriter, who studied math and economics at New York University, never envisioned a full-time career in music. His initial EP, the self-titled ‘Prateek Kuhad’ and ‘RaatRaazi’ in 2013, created a stir, but music was always just a passion for him.

“I always saw music as a hobby,” Kuhad shares. “Then one thing led to another. The more I immersed myself in music and wrote songs, the more I realized how much I loved it. After finishing college, I decided to give it a shot in India, thinking I would give it a year and see how it goes. If things went well, I would keep doing it. And then… I never looked back,” says Kuhad, best known for his 2019 album ‘Cold/Mess’.

As he gears up to release his latest single ‘I’m Someone New’ and perform in 10 Indian cities, Kuhad reflects on his journey. He learned to play the guitar at 16 and soon began writing songs. His latest single, written earlier this year in New York with producer and writer Greg Wattenberg, explores the transformative power of love. “Working with Greg was an incredible experience. We wrote the song together and then produced it,” he says. The single, unlike his usual music videos, was performed live with his entire band, offering fans a unique glimpse of the song. Reflecting on his career, Kuhad notes the evolution of India’s independent music scene. “When I started, the independent music culture in India was not this big, and even the concert culture was quite limited,” he recalls. “Today, an entire ecosystem thrives. The fact that I get to perform in countries across the globe, and the audience is always receptive is extremely rewarding. It has been a great decade of putting out and writing music, and I am honestly excited for the next decade now.”

Performing live offers a unique high for Kuhad. He fondly remembers his last long tour in India in 2022 and is excited to return, performing in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Jaipur, Guwahati, Kolkata, Indore, Ahmedabad, and Pune. “It is always an enriching experience visiting different states and meeting people across India. Performing live, one is unfiltered, raw, and honest. The audience has evolved over the past few years; they recognize the effort and reciprocate. The energy at my concerts is pure, and there is always warmth.”

Kuhad, who has also contributed to film projects like ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’ and ‘Karwaan’, admits that his current focus is on his own projects. “Frankly, it is never about the medium as I enjoy writing songs that are personal to me. I have enjoyed the movie projects I did and am happy to do more, but surely writing music for myself gets preference in the scheme of things.”

Reflecting on his hit ‘Cold/Mess’, Kuhad credits it with a significant part of his popularity but acknowledges the contributions of other songs and extensive touring to his success. “A lot of touring and different songs that, while maybe not as big as ‘Cold/Mess’, have been important. Tracks like ‘Tum Jab Paas’, ‘Tune Kaha’ and ‘Oh Love’ built my community and fan base in small ways. But they did,” he emphasizes.

Currently in Los Angeles, Kuhad is working on new music for his next album. “I’m still working on it, and we will see how it goes. Besides that, there’s ‘The Silhouettes Tour’ happening. The US and Canada are done. There is Australia, Europe, the UK, Singapore, Dubai, and then India,” concludes Kuhad, the first Indian artist to be signed by the American record label Elektra Records in 2020.