The latest single from one of India’s most acclaimed independent artists will be distributed globally through Saavn’s Artist Originals program.
Mumbai: Saavn, South Asia’s audio and music streaming service, in collaboration with indie artist, Prateek Kuhad, is announcing the release of their newest single, “Tum Jab Paas.” The song, which is now available to stream globally, is the latest for Prateek, who is known for blending minimal sounds with sunny folk arrangements and pop melodies. It is the third original release under Saavn’s Artist Originals (AO) repertoire, a program launched in February to empower artists, songwriters and producers from around the world and connect East-West talent and fans.
Prateek is quickly becoming the international face of Indian indie music. He has performed all over the world, taking the stage at music industry showcases like SXSW, CMW, BIGSOUND, Music Matters and high-profile events like Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix. Earlier this year – in January – he supported Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, Mike Posner on the artist’s three-city India tour.
His first album, the English-language In Tokens and Charms, received rave reviews across India and was picked by iTunes as the Indian Indie Album of the Year. Prateek was also named NPR Music’s 100 Acts to Watch at SXSW 2016, and was awarded Best India Act at the 2016 MTV Europe Music Awards.
At MIDEM 2017 – the world’s leading international business event for the music ecosystem – Prateek will be one of 11 finalists of the Midem Artist Accelerator, an exclusive programme for artists and their teams. He will also perform at Cannes (June 6-9), where he’ll meet and learn from industry leaders.
It’s easy to see why fans fall for Prateek’s warmth and vulnerability, which is reflected not only in his music, but also in his live performances. His shows are purposefully intimate, inviting the audience to deeply connect with the music. Equally adept in writing and performing in English and Hindi, Kuhad’s latest “Tum Jab Paas” demonstrates, yet again, his ear for melody and ease with themes of love and longing. The song tells a universal story about the sweet innocence of love.
“Tum Jab Paas is centred around the pronounced yet conflicting feelings of intimacy and vulnerability, that come with being in love. Hopefully, listening to the song will make one feel something honest and real,” Prateek said.
With “Tum Jab Paas,” Prateek is releasing new music through a streaming service for the first time, having released his previous work independently. “This is my very first time working on a release with Saavn,” Prateek continued. “They’re doing some exciting work with artists around the globe, and Saavn Artist Originals looks like a really promising initiative – one that I’m looking forward to being a part of.”
Following two Artist Originals tracks within the realm of hip-hop and electronic music, this is the first folk-pop original for Saavn, and Prateek is the first singer-songwriter in the program.
“Part of the Artist Originals vision is to be open-minded – and to push the boundaries of what’s considered popular music today,” Neal Sarin, Associate A&R Director for Saavn, said.
“Prateek has a certain authenticity that has attracted a global audience and an incredible amount of success in just two years. We immediately recognized his potential, not only as a musician and a performer, but as a universally-accessible storyteller. It’s an honor to help amplify Prateek’s voice to the world.”
As with all Artist Originals (AO) tracks, Saavn will be promoting and distributing Kuhad’s new track through The Orchard, the leading music distributor across digital and physical channels in 25 global markets.
The news follows Saavn’s initial AO launch with the release of “Azaad Hu Mai,” a track produced with Indian hip-hop star, Naezy, and “No Games,” from Toronto-based, Sickick.
With AO, Saavn has become the first streaming company to conceptualize, produce and distribute new music with independent artists in India.
