Take us back to the beginning—how did music go from something casual to something you took seriously as a songwriter around 10th standard?
My journey with music started in a very casual way. As a kid, I even tried learning from local teachers in my hometown, but I couldn’t quite find what I was looking for—so by around 5th grade, I stepped away from it.
Things began to shift in 8th grade when I started writing a few lines here and there, mostly as a way to express what I was feeling. Then in 9th, I wrote a full song about my mother, and that moment felt genuinely special—it gave me a quiet confidence that I could actually say something meaningful through music.
The real turning point came in 10th when my brother gifted me a ukulele. That’s when my independent journey of singing and songwriting truly started again, and from there I just kept exploring, learning on my own, and slowly getting completely immersed in the art.
What was the first moment that made you think, “Okay, I’m really an independent artist now”?
The first real moment I felt confident calling myself an independent artist was when I released my first song, “Tera Asar.” Before that, I carried a lot of self-doubt—wondering if I was good enough and whether anyone would truly connect with what I was trying to say.
When the song started reaching people and I began getting genuine reactions—messages, shares, and listeners telling me they felt something—it meant everything. Within the first two months of the release, I also received the Rising Star Award by Melo Works for the song, which was incredibly validating.
It wasn’t about numbers as much as it was about feeling seen and heard. That experience made it feel real to me—like I wasn’t just trying anymore, I was actually doing it.
Balancing IIT Mandi and music can’t be easy—what does a realistic “music week” look like for you?
Managing music alongside being a second-year student at IIT Mandi isn’t always easy, so I try to keep my approach simple and consistent. Almost every day, I make sure I’m connected to music in some way—learning something new, practicing an instrument, or writing, even if it’s just a small session.
Weekends are when I go deeper. That’s usually when I create more seriously, or travel for music-related events and opportunities. In February and March, for example, almost every weekend I was in a different city attending conferences, music festivals, and concerts.
Because I don’t have formal training, experiences like these become a huge part of my learning. I get to observe, understand the ecosystem better, and grow as an artist—and I’m especially grateful that some of these trips had my travel and stay fully sponsored, which made them feel even more meaningful.
When someone finishes one of your songs, what do you hope they’re left feeling?
It honestly depends on the song, because each one carries a different emotion and story. Some of my songs talk about love, some about longing, some about memories, and some are quieter reflections of feelings we don’t always say out loud.
Overall, I want listeners to feel something real—comfort, warmth, nostalgia, or even just a sense of calm. I want my songs to feel like a small emotional space where someone can pause for a moment and connect with their own thoughts.
More than anything, I hope they walk away feeling understood—like the song managed to say something they couldn’t quite put into words themselves.
These images capture different sides of you—where were they taken, and what do they reveal about your vibe as an artist?
These photos show two very different sides of my journey. Some are from my hostel room and music room—spaces where I’m quietly rehearsing, writing, and working on songs. Those moments can feel personal and even a little lonely, but they’re the foundation of everything I do.
The other photos are from live performances, where I’m on stage, interacting with people, and singing my heart out. That’s where I become the most extroverted version of myself.
Together, I think they capture who I am as an artist: an introvert in everyday life, but someone who transforms completely the moment it’s time to express.
Walk us through this live performance—what’s the song, where was it filmed, and what story are you telling in it?
This video is a live performance of my song “Khwabon Me Tujhe,” which is also my latest original on Spotify. I performed it at Exodia, the annual cultural festival of IIT Mandi, and I was grateful to win first prize in the Originals category.
The song is about a very real and personal feeling—how someone can enter your life unexpectedly, become incredibly important, and then one day just leave. It holds that mix of love, attachment, and the emptiness that follows.
Performing it live made it even more intense for me, because I could feel the emotions in real time and share them directly with the audience.
We love a raw vocal moment—what emotion were you trying to capture here, and what would you refine later?
In this raw vocal take, I’m singing one of my favorite songs, “Fitoor,” and I was mainly focused on capturing the feeling of passionate love that the song carries. I wasn’t chasing perfection—I just wanted the emotion to come through honestly.
Because it’s raw, there are a few moments where I go slightly off-note, but to me that imperfection also reflects what I was genuinely feeling in that moment.
If I were polishing it later, I’d work on pitch control and consistency, while still trying to keep the same emotional intensity intact.
Looking at these songwriting notes, where was this song in the process—and what changed from your earliest draft?
These notes are from the second-last draft of my first song, “Tera Asar.” At this point, the song was almost complete—it had taken shape both emotionally and lyrically, and I could finally see what it wanted to become.
Compared to the first draft, I refined a lot of the writing rather than rewriting everything. Around 20% of the lyrics changed, mostly to make the expressions clearer, more relatable, and closer to what I truly wanted to say.
For me, it was less about changing the song’s heart and more about polishing the feeling so it could connect more naturally with listeners.
Give us a tour of your current music corner—what gear do you rely on most, and what’s your usual recording flow?
This setup is in my hostel room at IIT Mandi, and it’s where most of my music comes to life. Over time, it’s grown into a space that feels really personal—like a small creative home inside a busy student life.
The tools I use most are my MacBook Air M2, an Arturia Minifuse 2 audio interface, and a Shure SM58 dynamic mic. For instruments, I rotate between a Yamaha PSR-473 keyboard, a Kadence semi-acoustic guitar, an Enya travel-size transacoustic guitar, a Strydom electric guitar, and an Enya concert ukulele—the ukulele is actually where everything began for me.
My process is simple and self-learned: I usually start composing on guitar, add piano elements for depth, and do basic production on my own while I’m still learning. I record raw vocals in my room, then share the draft with my producer friend Shivang Sorout in Delhi, who handles detailed production and the final mix. A lot of my Instagram and YouTube covers are also fully recorded and mixed by me right here. Around 80% of this setup is sponsored by brands, and I’ve built it step by step—so it means a lot to me beyond just the gear.
This “Tera Asar” clip feels like an early chapter—where was it filmed, and why was this moment such a turning point for you?
This “Tera Asar” snippet is from a college event where I performed the song live for the very first time, and that moment stays close to me. Since it was my first original release, it was already special—but performing it face-to-face in front of people brought a completely different kind of vulnerability.
It helped me overcome a lot of fear and self-doubt. Until then, I didn’t know how people would react, and I wasn’t sure if something so personal would translate outside my own head.
Seeing the audience connect with it in real time gave me a new kind of confidence. It made me realize my music could reach people beyond just numbers on a screen—and that shift made everything feel real.
When you listen back to this “Khwabon Me Tujhe” snippet, what’s one upgrade you hear in your writing or delivery compared to your earlier work?
This “Khwabon Me Tujhe” snippet reflects a lot of growth for me. The clearest upgrade I notice is in storytelling—the emotions feel more structured and intentional, instead of being just flowing thoughts.
I’ve also learned how to say more with simplicity, which is something I’ve been consciously working on. On the vocal side, I feel more controlled and confident now because I understand my voice better and can carry emotion without losing myself technically.
Overall, this song feels closer to the artist I’m becoming: still soft and emotional at the core, but more refined and honest in the way it lands.
This behind-the-scenes teaser hints at a new direction—what should listeners pay attention to in the mood or sound details?
This BTS clip is from the time I was recording the final vocals at Shivang’s home studio in Delhi. It’s a very real, behind-the-scenes moment where you can feel the song coming together in a simple, honest way.
The theme is relatable—it’s about how someone can become so important to you that you almost feel lost in them. It carries that “butterflies in the stomach” feeling, where everything feels light, exciting, and a little surreal.
The overall mood is soft, uplifting, and happy—not intense or heavy. I’d want listeners to tune into that sense of lightness in both the sound and emotion, like a gentle breeze that relaxes you while still making you feel something.
Contact and Follow
- Name: Prathmesh Singh
- Email: prathmeshsingh19@gmail.com
- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/prathmeshsinghmusic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prathmeshsinghmusic/?next=%2F
