From desi to country
Brunch|April 15, 2023
What's an Indian doing on a country music reality show? He's showing the world that the Nashville genre is really a state of mind
Karishma Kuenzang
From desi to country

It all started one winter night in 2021, when Dhruv Visvanath, 31, received an email with bright red letters spelling out the words "This is not spam".

The Delhi musician thanks God for that. Because he almost deleted the email that informed him he had been selected to audition for Apple TV's new competitive music show, My Kind of Country, with musicians Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton and Orville Peck as the judges or scouts.

"It was in the middle of the pandemic," says Visvanath, who would head to Nashville, Tennessee, the home of country music, in January 2022. "It was 11 pm and I just screamed before telling my mom."

A major key

Visvanath, a fingerstyle guitarist and musician, was seven years old when his mother enrolled him for piano lessons. As a teen, he taught himself the guitar. In 2015, he quit his job and became a full-time musician, releasing his debut album, Orion, followed by The Lost Cause in 2018.

In his near decade-long music career, Visvanath rarely auditioned for competitions. This opportunity felt right. My Kind of Country was being made by Reese Witherspoon's studio Hello Sunshine, which had made The Morning Show, Daisy Jones and the Six and other popular series.

"What was really important was being heard and seen," says Visvanath. "I wanted to be seen by world and I wanted the world to see what I am capable of. When I met the producers, it felt like the right opportunity.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BRUNCHView all
Let's tri all the angles
Brunch

Let's tri all the angles

BFFs falling for the same girl, kidnap twists, murders, bromances. These 10 three-way love stories play with geometry and our feelings

time-read
3 mins  |
November 09, 2024
Should you Q up for this?
Brunch

Should you Q up for this?

Audi's luxury SUV, the Q8, has had a refresh. But a sleeker grille and headlight tech don't make up for what's still missing

time-read
2 mins  |
November 09, 2024
How to plan a great escape
Brunch

How to plan a great escape

It's getting colder. It's already hard to breathe. Why not plan a winter vacation that's a world away but not too far away?

time-read
2 mins  |
November 09, 2024
Kababs, yes, but khandvi too
Brunch

Kababs, yes, but khandvi too

Mughlai cuisine has as many vegetarian dishes as meaty ones. A new translation of a 16th century manuscript shows how we ate, and why modern labels are pointless

time-read
3 mins  |
November 09, 2024
I can be your hero
Brunch

I can be your hero

Gurfateh Pirzada, only afewroles old, is the green flag we didn't know we needed. He's learning from women. He wants to be more thana lover and a fighter. He's hoping we all do better. No wonder everyone's crushing on him

time-read
4 mins  |
November 09, 2024
Meet the export experts
Brunch

Meet the export experts

Khadi crop-tops in Spain, faux-leather hoodies in London, fairytale wedding gowns in the UAE. See how some desi labels are killing it on foreign shores

time-read
3 mins  |
November 09, 2024
Why we're all feeling Blue
Brunch

Why we're all feeling Blue

Coco Mellors's new novel is about grief, sisterhood, and of course, addiction and unlikeable women. How does she make it work?

time-read
4 mins  |
November 09, 2024
This week, we're...
Brunch

This week, we're...

Changing the momo game, listening to kids, starting a new business, and supporting pro waxxers

time-read
2 mins  |
November 09, 2024
Rohit Chawla
Brunch

Rohit Chawla

Photographer, artist, @RohitChawlaPhotography_

time-read
1 min  |
November 02, 2024
Congratulations, it's a goal
Brunch

Congratulations, it's a goal

Lakeside vows, pastel palettes, bayous, backyards and boats. These celeb weddings are what modern fairytales are made of

time-read
2 mins  |
November 02, 2024