Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad has debuted new EP Shehron Ke Raaz. The four-track collection includes an acoustic version of Kuhad’s 2020 breakout hit “Kasoor,” and was heralded by singles “Tere Hi Hum” and the EP’s title track. Shehron Ke Raaz is available now on all streaming platforms via Elektra Records.
The artist returns his Indian roots on the project, recording in Bombay and singing in Hindi as he explores the intimate, often hidden worlds that lovers create for themselves. There’s a sweetness to his delivery that transcends language and culture, resulting in a dreamy and profoundly moving body of work that speaks to the kind of fundamentally human desires that bind us all.
“Big cities have countless stories of lovers lost in their own little worlds, and while their particular corner of the city may be small in the grand scheme of things, their emotional universe is large and all-encompassing,” Kuhad explains. “This EP explores love in a very gentle and personal manner. The stories are hidden, and they belong to those who wish to participate in them. The music attempts to represent hope, mystery, and wonder in the most beautiful way possible.”
In October, Prateek announced his signing to Elektra Records, making history as the first solo Indian act to join the storied label. The news was heralded by the re-release of his 2018 breakthrough EP cold / mess, lauded by Atwood Magazine an “an utterly breathtaking, expansive piece of indie folk mastery.” The collection has racked up critical praise from NPR, Vulture, Billboard, Uproxx, and former President Barack Obama, who featured “cold / mess” on his 2019 Songs of the Year playlist. In February, Kuhad shared “cold / mess (on piano),” a stripped-back take of the delicate ballad.
Hailed by Rolling Stone India as “one of the country’s leading singer-songwriters,” Prateek Kuhad has taken the rest of the world by storm in recent years, writing and performing in both Hindi and English and garnering a slew of accolades and honors around the globe with his mesmerizing, cinematic songwriting.
Growing up in the small city of Jaipur, India, Kuhad’s childhood listening diet consisted primarily of the Indian pop and Bollywood soundtracks that filled the local radio dial, as well as his parents’ CD collection, which contained only limited Western music. A move to New York City for college opened Prateek’s eyes to a new world of music, discovering Elliott Smith and inspiring him to seriously pursue his musical ambitions. While Kuhad has long been a household name in his native country (he became one of Spotify India’s most-streamed artists when the service launched there and the cold/mess EP debuted at #1), 2019 proved to be his breakout year in North America, with a star-making turn at SXSW and a cross-country headline run that culminated with three sold out shows in New York City.
Prateek’s debut album In Tokens and Charms was an instant hit ߝ earning the artist an MTV Europe Music Award, Indie Album of the Year honors from iTunes, and the title of Best Pop Artist at the Radio City Freedom Awards. The album’s opening track, “Oh Love,” captured first place in the prestigious International Songwriting Competition, which previously helped launch artists like Gotye and Passenger to global audiences. Kuhad has sold out auditorium and amphitheater dates across India, landed arena support slots with the likes of Alt-J and Mike Posner, and traveled the world for headline and festival performances in the US, UK, Australia, Singapore, Canada, and France.
