PRATEEK KUHAD

It is hard not to fall in love with Prateek Kuhad. His music has become a stand-in for human vulnerability, warmth, and confession outside the Bollywood mold. The uncomplicated frankness of his lyrics, attached to instrumental compositions that are almost immediately enchanting, have made Kuhad’s work instantly recognizable and lovable.

His last album cold/mess established him as someone who understands the mess of human emotions and is unnaturally good at talking about it. Kuhad himself calls it a “quintessential heartbreak album”, but it goes beyond rehashing tired tropes of failed romance. As is his signature, he focuses on the somewhat inherent irrationality (and beauty) of human feeling and does so in a way that reassures the listener that everything will be, eventually, okay.

His songwriting carries the gift of closeness. He conveys stories that feel like home, and the universality of his work was proved when former US president Barrack Obama included “cold/mess” in the list of his favorite music in 2019. With sold-out shows at every turn, Kuhad is one of the most listened to individuals among the lonesome, the pensive and those seeking to make peace with their own longing.

He took a moment with Score to answer questions about how he makes music, how it feels to be known, and how it hasn’t changed who he is.

When you write a song, how do you decide if it goes on an album?Or does every song you write make the cut for release?

I write on a regular basis, whatever the situation may be. Some days, you'll write a song that works, some days you just write. There's no static process to it. In fact, a majority of the songs I write usually just get trashed. The way I have been doing it so far, I write a lot and then usually most of the songs end of being pretty bad. Maybe every 10th song I write – on average – ends up being worth releasing.

How would you describe yourself outside the persona of being a musician?

I consider myself a regular human being. I live a normal, regular life, similar to a lot of other people. I tend to let my music do the talking and keep my persona outside of being a musician only for close family and friends.