You’ve spoken about growing up between Kerala and Bengaluru, and about early studio experiences via your father. How do your Malayali roots — in language, melody, rhythm or storytelling — continue to inform or complicate your identity as an R&B / pop artist in India today?
I grew up singing styles that were heavily influenced by Indian classical music — that’s really the base of what my voice is today. I had some amazing teachers, both in and out of school, who helped me build confidence in my voice. So in that sense, my roots definitely shaped my vocal ability and training.
That said, my taste in music has always been super wide. I mostly listen to R&B and hip hop, but I also love electronic music and African genres like Amapiano and Afrobeats. I don’t really care what language a song is in — if it makes me feel something, it’s on my playlist.
In school, I wasn’t the most enthusiastic about structured classical training — I’d get bored easily! But I had this one amazing teacher, Shanti, who trained us for school youth festivals. I don’t know if you’re familiar with Margam Kali? It’s a devotional, rhythmic dance form from Kerala, where performers stand around a lamp and stamp their feet on a wooden stage. I was the singer for our group, and because we had to practise so much, I ended up singing for hours. That’s really where my stamina and vocal projection developed.
Growing up, I was hardly ever in class — I was always training. That foundation really gave me the ability I have today.
Your single ‘Good Girl’ is described as exploring the dance between power and vulnerability, and your earlier tracks often lean into deeply personal emotional spaces. How do you decide how much of your real self to expose in a song? And is there ever a risk that the more ‘vulnerable’ songs get misunderstood or underappreciated in the mainstream?
I don’t think I mind being interpreted differently — at the end of the day, it’s art, right? We all bring our own stories to it. One time I made a song that was very direct, with no room for interpretation, and I showed it to my mom. She told me, “It’s art — you can afford to be more vague. That actually adds to its beauty, because it leaves space for others to find their own meaning.” That really stuck with me.
Of course, a lot of my writing is drawn from personal experience. But when you write a lot, you eventually run out of just your own stories. So I try to step into other people’s shoes — maybe a friend vents to me, and I write from that emotion. Or I’m watching a guilty-pleasure show, and I imagine what a character is going through.
I’m very emotional by nature — I cry over silly things all the time — so it’s easy for me to tap into different feelings and perspectives when I write.
Being the first Indian artist selected for Jameson Distilled Sounds and mentored by Anderson .Paak must have been transformative. What was the biggest shift — mental, musical or emotional — that you experienced from that mentorship, and how is it showing up in your new work?
Actually, I wasn’t the first! Siddharth went from India the year before me. But still — it felt amazing to be chosen and flown out to Ireland. I’d never been there before, and I didn’t travel much as a kid, so almost everywhere I’ve been — even within India — has been because of music.
Ireland was literally the third country I’ve ever been to, and it was overwhelming in the best way. Just to be in the same room as Anderson .Paak was surreal. When I met him, I went straight up to him and said, “I’m not gonna act too cool for this — I know your entire NPR Tiny Desk setlist by heart.” And he laughed and asked, “Even the dialogues between songs?” I was like, “Yeah, probably!”
It felt like a dream — like, “Am I really here?” But also, it made me feel like I’m doing something right.
Your recent remix of Craig David’s ‘Commitment’ (ft. Tiwa Savage) — and your appearance on DJ AG Session — suggest you’re actively positioning yourself on the global map. How do you navigate the tension between making music that’s globally resonant versus music that stays rooted in your personal / regional world? What’s your filter for which collaborations to accept or shape?
I’m definitely a child of the internet. I had unlimited internet growing up, and my parents would only be home in the evenings. So I’d spend my days exploring music online, doing karaoke alone, watching YouTubers from around the world — and that really shaped my worldview. I never thought of myself as having to appeal only to a “regional” crowd. It’s always felt like the world is accessible.
Still, when something global actually happens, I have to take a moment — like, “Wait, this is real?” When Craig David started supporting me on Instagram — liking posts, leaving comments — I was just stunned. Then he sent me this beautiful message, and his energy was just… golden. So positive and warm.
It all lined up perfectly — I was already planning a UK trip. We met in person and initially had a different song in mind, but later that same day, the team pivoted to “Commitment.” I wrote my part in the car on the way to the studio. There were two sessions that day, and even though things changed last minute, I didn’t feel anxious. I felt excited. That’s how I usually feel at the start of something new.
You’ve steadily built a devoted audience through social media, independent releases, and live shows — vs following a conventional label trajectory. Over the next 5–10 years, where do you see your music evolving, and what footprints or impact do you hope to leave — for Indian R&B / indie music, for younger artists, and for yourself as an artist?
When I performed for DJ AG Sessions, that moment really made me realise — this is real. I get to connect with people in different parts of the world through my music. And over the next few years, I want to keep building on that — growing my listenership globally, deepening those connections, and letting people in.
I’ve been making a lot of music lately — and I just want to release it all. Right now, most of it lives on my laptop or within my team. But it doesn’t feel *real* until it’s out in the world.
So yes — definitely more releases, some albums, and we’ll see where that takes me. I’m very optimistic. I truly believe good things are coming.