The Prateek Kuhad interview | 'Great art comes from real, authentic emotions which need to be felt'

Prateek Kuhad's last extended playlist (EP), the 2018 release cold/mess, had a breakthrough success. The EP, consisting of six songs, shot up to number one spot on iTunes India, and even had a Barack Obama intervention with a spot on the former US president's 2019 summer playlist.

While essentially the EP was dubbed as the 'breakup album,' the most striking aspect of these songs – about all his songs, actually – is their simplicity. In his new EP, the singer goes beyond and spins songs about commitment, desire and longing. Titled Shehron Ke Raaz, the EP has four songs, all connected to a single thread of hope and love. While it was not a conscious choice to tide over the remnants of cold/mess, Prateek tells Firstpost he did consciously chose songs that fit into the vaults of 'hopeful love songs.'

“These were the four songs that I really wanted to put out. I wrote 'Shehron Ke Raaz' and 'Tere Hi Hum' very recently. And 'Khone Do' is an older song, which I have been playing live for a while but never released it, but it fits well in that vault of hopeful love songs. So instead of just one song, I found four songs that talk about love in a very similar way. So yes, in a sense, it was a conscious choice to have this vibe in the EP,” says Kuhad.

While the EP attempts to bring a certain optimistic cheer in the isolated pandemic world we are in right now, Kuhad claims it was difficult to pen music during the trying times of lockdown. “It was very tough to draw inspiration. I did not write much throughout the lockdown. And I think it's been different for different artists. Because some people have really thrived during the isolation as it allowed them to focus on their artistry and creative outlets, and were actually able to create more. Whereas there are some who just couldn’t do much. In the beginning, I actually felt I will be able to write more.

It was stressful but I was relieved that I would get ample time because I was touring so much before. But there was too much distress and despair around and it got to me. Nevertheless, I am thankful to have improved in other aspects of my life, I feel I am mentally and physically healthier, I feel more refreshed and ready to get back into the world and deal with all that comes to me now. I feel stronger overall, and I think it almost gave me a bit of time off which I needed, but I wasn’t aware of until now. "

Sorrow and a deep sense of forgone nostalgia is a recurring theme in Kuhad's music. When I ask him, if he believes in the saying of how great art comes from great pain, Kuhad quickly retorts that it comes from real emotions.

"I think great art comes with authenticity and it roots from some sort of emotion, it can be anger towards a system or an authoritarian thing, or it can be sadness of something lost, or it can be the sheer joy of an amazing relationship. It just comes from real emotions, especially when expressed authentically. However, I firmly believe one must feel those emotions first, but a lot of us end up denying feeling them. So it may be pain, joy or even anger. For instance, there are some really phenomenal political songs that come from frustration and anger. It is all about authenticity, really."

A screenshot from the lyric video of Shehron Ke Raaz | YouTube Screenshot

On the subjective nature of art

Kuhad also thinks art, be it in any form, is very subjective in nature. When I tell him about how a friend of mine does not consider 'cold/mess,' a captivating ballad about two lovers whose relationship has hit the rocks, as a breakup song, but in fact just about a different kind of love, the singer nods his head in affirmation.

"That’s one of the reasons I don’t like talking too much about the songs I write. A lot of times, people will ask me in-depth explanations of what this particular song meant. And you know, honestly, on most occasions, even I am not sure because a lot of songs I write come spontaneously; they kind of are built out of your subconscious. Usually, I decipher the meaning of a song six months after it is out. It is then it hits me, 'Oh that is what it meant,' maybe because of a few things I was going through back then. It may give me a bit of clarity emotion-wise. We write songs to emote something, right? However, sometimes words aren't enough to communicate it thoroughly, so we come up with these vague metaphors, which then get lost with our mixed-up feelings."

After a pause of a few seconds, Kuhad laughs, "I hope I am not confusing you." He wasn't, really.

"You see, cold/mess is interestingly kinda like that. There is hope in that song but in little pockets. It is primarily a breakup song, because that’s the major sentiment in that song. But at the same time, no relationship or breakup is that simple. Maybe sometimes they are, held onto a black and white platter. But a lot of times, it is this middle territory you want to part ways with that person but you can’t because there are too many pros and cons to weigh on both sides. That is the kind of situation I felt I was in. And honestly, I feel this aspect of the song wasn’t explored much. I realised it later not when I wrote it. Hence, this is how the video came into being as well, where we wanted to explore that middle ground. People put so many things on the black and white spectrum, either it is a complete breakup or the rainbow, butterflies, and flowery love where everything is perfect. But in reality, things are usually complicated, lying in the middle-territory."

Two years ago, in one of Firstpost's interviews, Kuhad said he would rather prefer to identify as an “independent songwriter” than an “indie artist." However, over the years, the singer-songwriter has branched out to mainstream music and has composed for films and web shows. I ask him if this tag still stands true. Or has he been able to attain a new understanding of himself and his music?

Kuhad hesitates and says, "I still feel I am neither indie nor mainstream. Because indie is very different right now, and I don’t think I can be a part of it. I also don’t think I am mainstream either, I mean, maybe pretty close. But not entirely. I don’t know. It is such a weird question. I don’t really think much of it, you know."

On why we must strive to retain originality in art

In a world, where we are constantly bombarded with new remixes from the '90s, Kuhad claims it is highly important to at least attempt to retain originality in all forms of art.

"Art is such a significant element to grow people’s minds, from everyone to music lovers to film buffs. It helps us to grow as a culture, as a civilisation. And I believe everyone who is in the industry should act as gatekeepers from singers, musicians to composers. We all need to collectively decide on what goes out there, try pushing out more original stuff. And I know, it is hard because it is a thin line, nothing is really original in a way. I am also inspired by so many musicians, even I can't say I am a 100 percent original musician. Nobody really is, but when one puts an extra effort to be themselves, it almost retains their originality. If I am making a song, I am not playing a Michael Jackson song or a Bob Dylan song in the background, and be like yeah I want to do that. I am not looking to mix it, use those elements and put it out as a new song, because that's an easy way to do it. But the harder way to do is to go through some 5,000 songs, absorb them, research, and bring up something intuitively. That is what will help us push boundaries, and build the music culture. Hence, as artists, we should do it, for one it is a lot more fun, and also we kind of have a moral responsibility as well."

Kuhad, whose music has a distinctive uniformity, has established himself as one of the most popular music artists among young crowds. However, with the industry changing its landscape so frequently, Kuhad believes it is paramount for musicians to mould themselves as per the requirement. "I didn't set out to have a distinct voice, let's just start with it. I didn't try to set out to be different, I just set out to be myself. And usually, when you try to yourself, you might up end being rectified. It is different ways of seeing things. Also, maybe sometimes trying to be different may not work out and can be crappy as hell. Hence, I think just be yourself and do whatever you like, figure out your strengths and weaknesses. Try doing what you truly believe in and not get influenced by anyone."

You can listen to Shehron Ke Raaz here.