MUMBAI: Singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad’s music an arresting blend that combines organic folk intimacy and lush pop appeal has made him a global, bilingual phenomenon.

Splitting his time between New York and New Delhi, Kuhad has quickly risen to become one of the most highly-regarded independent artists in India and is well on his way to becoming a truly global artist with a global fan-base.

His six-track EP, cold/mess – recorded and produced in Nashville – hit #1 on iTunes India Charts upon release in July 2018 and has been streamed by millions of fans around the world. Today, the Indian singer-songwriter releases the video for “cold/mess," the title track off his 2018 EP through JioSaavn Artist Originals (AO), a music streaming label that promotes South Asian talent from around the world.

From his U.S. debut at SXSW 2016 – where NPR spotlighted him as an artist to watch – to a sold-out debut North American tour earlier this year, Kuhad will return in March 2019 for a 15-date tour across the U.S. and Canada, his first major tour in the market.

The video and upcoming tour follow a slew of international accolades and honors since hitting the scene in 2015. Kuhad took home an MTV Europe Music Award in 2016, earned Indie Album of the Year honors from iTunes, was crowned Best Pop Artist at the Radio City Freedom Awards, and captured first place in the prestigious International Songwriting Competition, which helped launch artists like Gotye and Passenger to global audiences. He's sold out auditoriums and amphitheaters and has supported artists like Alt-J and Mike Posner on tour.

Equally adept at writing and performing in English and Hindi, Kuhad’s vulnerable charm and poignant self-reflection have attracted fans on both sides of the Atlantic, with fans singalongs in both languages a common sight on his recent U.S. tour.

Fans have embraced Kuhad for his deeply emotional lyrics and humble charm, which extends to the video for ‘cold/mess,’ shot and directed in Mumbai by Ukrainian filmmaker, Dar Gai. The video is perhaps best described as a short film, taking the viewer through the bittersweet journey of a love that is equally intoxicating as it is toxic.

“Prateek’s music is easy to listen to. Yet behind the melody, the lyrics dig deep at a broken heart, loneliness and a level of raw honesty which can sometimes leave you, for a lack of better word, uncomfortable. Uncomfortable because it’s honest,” Gai says.

Gai’s decision to use 16mm film adds to the romantic quality of the video. “Not only does the format evoke nostalgia and intimacy but the actual process and tender attentiveness of shooting, developing the film, and then waiting a day later to see your rushes, mirrored the nature of a relationship,” Gai continues. 

Prateek says about the video and his process, "The concept for the video stemmed from the album artwork – two lovers in a warm, deep embrace, yet underwater. Deep in love, but suffocating. I write my songs with straightforwardness and honesty, and the visual focus was to express it in the same way exactly how it is.”

Kuhad’s next chapter will take him from Los Angeles to Brooklyn, Vancouver to Quebec for his upcoming North American tour. A list of 2019 tour dates are below, with more world tour dates to be announced in the coming months.

(Source: IANS)