Singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad does not believe in giving into trends; he loves to write intuitively

Sheetal

Advertisement

Life is a movie when his songs are on. Singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad is the man behind the successful song, Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, in Baar Baar Dekho, but it’s his compositions that demand a sure-shot place in your ‘Baar Baar Suno’ playlist.

Kasoor, Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, Cold/Mess, Tum Jab Paas and Tere Hi Hum are some of his most loved songs as per song streaming app Spotify. With every album of his, Prateek has managed to keep his listeners hooked. After his 2022 album, The Way That Lovers Do tour in the US and Europe, he is travelling in 15 cities in India. We manage to have a quick chat ahead of his live performance here in Chandigarh tonight at Forest Hill Golf and Country Club, Mohali.

When did you last visit Chandigarh?

I haven’t performed in Chandigarh for quite a while. I am very excited to be performing here. I was in City Beautiful in 2019 during the Supermoon Winter tour. Also, this one is going to be the my biggest show in Chandigarh.

How does it feel to see a huge crowd coming to listen to you, especially after Covid?

Playing to a large audience is always fun. Although, the pandemic did put a stop to shows, I didn’t take it very hard. I was touring a lot in 2019 and despite Covid, I got a good break. It was relaxing to be at one place and not travel. But after a while, it became uninspiring. The biggest challenge for me was that I couldn’t really write. I wasn’t very productive during that period, and it really got to me. But it is what it is. Cést La vie!

Is there any particular lesson that shaped your artistic journey?

I just stuck to my guns. I continue to believe in myself and the kind of music I make. There are a lot of times, especially early on, when people would tell you to try this or that or something that’s trendy. On the contrary, I stayed true to myself.

Take us through your song-writing process…

I don’t think about things, subjects and issues to write about it. I just kind of write songs. It’s very ‘stream of consciousness’ kind of process for me; very intuitive.

Are you a compulsive writer?

It’s a bit of both. I am a compulsive yet a carefree writer. I have phases. If I am not writing for a while, like few months, then I might put a schedule to it for one or two hours to push myself. But, sometimes I am just free-flowing and naturally writing each day and then I stop putting a schedule.

You have been in the music scene since 2011, and you have done more independent gigs than film music. Is it a conscious decision?

There are only three film songs that I have actually written — Kho Gaye Hum Kahan for Baar Baar Dekho and Saansein and Kadam for Karwaan. Other songs were my existing releases which found their way into films.I am not opposed to the idea of doing film music, but I started doing independent music first. It all happened when I uploaded songs and then they got popular and film projects starting coming to me. I am open to it and I like writing for films.

Do you have any plans to extend yourself beyond music?

No, not really. I will stick to doing music, which I love. Apart from independent gigs and few film songs, I also sometimes work on smaller projects like TV shows, web series and for couple of ads and brands.

Does Prateek Kuhad listen to rap? Your go-to playlist looks like…

I listen to a lot of rap and hip hop. Also, pop music, indie stuff like indie folk music or bands and old folk music. I think all kind of music comes under my playlist.

Which artiste was the biggest influence while growing up?

There are many, but I think one of the firsts during high school days was John Mayor. I still love and listen to him and he is one of my favourite song-writers out there.

Do you think music streaming platforms have spoilt us?

I am on all the music streaming platforms, be it Spotify, Apple Music or good old YouTube. We are spoilt for choice now and there’s so much to listen to that you get confused. But then, that is any day better than having limited options. Earlier, we could listen to what we had and be happy and content with it.