← Back to Blog

Prateek Kuhad: India's Indie-Folk Voice That Reached the World

Prateek Kuhad is an Indian singer-songwriter and musician recognised for intimate songwriting in both Hindi and English. His music blends indie folk and Americana with tender, cinematic melodies, largely concerned with matters of the heart. From his debut album In Tokens & Charms in 2015 to the global breakthrough of "cold/mess," he has become one of India's most successful independent artists, selling out headline tours in India and North America.

From Jaipur to New York and Back

Born in Jaipur, Kuhad took up the guitar at age sixteen, inspired by artists including Elliott Smith and Bob Dylan to try writing songs while in college. He studied mathematics and economics at New York University, where discovering Elliott Smith's music shaped his artistic direction. After returning to India, he released his first EPs, including an English-language eponymous EP in 2011 and the Hindi EP Raat Raazi in 2013, before his first full-length release, In Tokens & Charms, in 2015.

The cold/mess Breakthrough

Kuhad's popularity surged internationally with his 2016 single "cold/mess," which travelled across continents; by the time the cold/mess EP saw release in 2019, he was selling out club tours in the United States. The song was included on former US President Barack Obama's Favorite Songs playlist, and Kuhad performed at SXSW, completing a headline tour in North America including sold-out shows in New York City. He also won an MTV Europe Music Award for Best India Act.

Films, Series, and Albums

Kuhad collected tens of millions of streams with "Kho Gaye Hum Kahan," an intimate acoustic duet with Jasleen Royal for the film Baar Baar Dekho. His music has appeared in films and series including Made in Heaven and Mismatched. He committed to a sophisticated soft-rock sound on his second album, 2022's all-English The Way That Lovers Do, and his EP cold/mess debuted at number one on Spotify India.

Legacy

Described by Rolling Stone India as one of the country's leading singer-songwriters, Kuhad has shown that an Indian artist writing in both Hindi and English can build a global audience on the strength of honest songwriting alone. He has continued releasing new music, including the Shehron Ke Raaz EP and a stripped-back piano version of "cold/mess." His career is a blueprint for independent artists everywhere.

Apply →