The critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad has announced his signing to Elektra Records (released via Parlophone Records in the UK). The news is heralded by the re-release of his 2018 breakthrough EP ‘cold / mess’, which is available now on all streaming platforms and is accompanied by a powerful new visual for the EP’s title track.
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 honours around the globe with his mesmerising, cinematic songwriting. The singer-songwriter has been described as “Simon and Garfunkel by way of Damian Rice” and has racked up critical praise from NPR, Vulture, Billboard and former President Barack Obama, who featured ‘cold / mess’ on his 2019 Songs of the Year playlist.
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 local radio, as well as his parents’ CD collection, which contained only limited Western music. A move to New York City for college opened his 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.
His debut album ‘In Tokens and Charms’ was an instant hit, earning the artist an MTV Europe Music Award, Indie Album of the Year from iTunes, and 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 amphitheatre dates across India, landed arena support slots with the likes of alt-J and Mike Posner, and travelled the world for headline and festival performances in the US, UK, Australia, Singapore, Canada and France. He wrapped 2019 with a 30 date tour across eight countries and three continents, which culminated with a 9,000 capacity show in New Delhi.
‘cold / mess’ EP tracklist:
- ‘with you/for you’
- ‘did you/fall apart’
- ‘cold/mess’
- ‘for your time’
- ‘fighter’
- ‘100 words’
- ‘cold/mess’ (edit)
