Hear Singer-Songwriter Gaurav Tophakhane’s Melancholic Love Song ‘Kahaani’

When it comes to finding the right starting point for a song, Pune singer-songwriter Gaurav Tophakhane says he “starves for a good melody first.” It’s perhaps why the frontman of erstwhile prog/alt rock band Skylight Vision strides confidently with his solo ditties, including the latest one “Kahaani.”

Releasing solo material since last year when “Na Jaane Main Na Jaane Tu” came out, Tophakhane has so far dabbled in electronic pop leanings (“Dheere Se”) and now returns to a simple but effective space on “Kahaani.” The song, featuring electronic and acoustic drum work produced by Ashish Kujur, is about “a guy’s emotions post breakup where he is talking about his current condition while holding onto something which is long gone,” according to the artist.

The song is co-composed by Pune-based singer-songwriter Vicky Hajeri, part of duo Vicky & Tejas, who’s become fast friends with Tophakhane. They exchanged voice notes on lyrics and melodies that started off the song, then got on video calls owing to the restriction on movement due to the lockdown. “Writing with him is absolute fun because we have been playing shows together since a few years, so there is that instant connect and understanding.” The whistles that form a delightful hook in the song were contributed by Hajeri’s bandmate Tejas Joshi, who took on backing vocal duties. “I’m going to explore this cowriting bit more now,” Tophakhane says.

There’s more material that is “developing faster than expected” for Tophakhane. His next song is almost ready, with an overarching plan to have regular releases over the next eight months. That includes cowriting with Vicky & Tejas, plus another track with Skylight Vision bandmate, vocalist-guitarist Aniket Ganoo. “I’m aiming at releasing a full-length album by next year end, after my bag full of singles gets empty,” Tophakhane says.

Listen to “Kahaani” below. Stream on more platforms here.