Ameya Saraf: 'I Wanted to Do Music for Life the First Time I Picked Up a Guitar'

Los Angeles-based Indian composer and producer worked his way from the rock scene to assisting pop artist Arjun Kanungo at the latter's Promethean Studio in Mumbai

- ANURAG TAGAT

There are a lot of commonalities shared between Mumbai and Los Angeles, as composer-producer Ameya Saraf can attest.

Both cities are widely regarded as entertainment capitals, reflecting multicultural, dream-chasing inhabitants. There’s of course, the great cuisine and the quality of people too. “The major thing that I’ve found in common is both cities have horrible traffic,” Saraf adds with a laugh.

Raised in Mumbai and currently making music for films and T.V. shows in Los Angeles, Saraf moved from being a studio engineer assisting the likes of pop artist Arjun Kanungo (including the song “Aaya Na Tu” from 2018 with Pakistani artist Momina Mustehsan) to study film scoring at UCLA between 2018 and 2020.

Saraf says life in L.A. was initially feeling “like an uphill battle” but things began falling into place after he gained momentum. He says, “It’s very competitive, and there are a lot of talented people here that will inspire you to improve your craft and do better. The access you have to some of the most talented artists here is definitely unparalleled, and it feels surreal working with people who have worked on some of your favorite things when you were growing up.”

Influenced by progressive rock acts like Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree, Saraf says the sub-genre’s sprawling, often dexterous and intricate songwriting was “a great education in the technical aspects of music.” He adds, “I have spent hours figuring out songs on my own and learning a lot from it.”