Hear Karshni’s New Melancholic Single ‘daddy hates second place’

At the end of last month, Pune singer-songwriter Karshni Nair – who goes by her first name – pleasantly surprised us with a new track in the shape of the hauntingly beautiful “daddy hates second place.” The latest song follows a bunch of releases the musician has been putting out on her SoundCloud since 2019 as well as collaborations with electronic artists such as Three Oscillators and Dropped Out.

Talking about the new song, the young artist says, “It’s more of a gift that I wanted to present to the people who listen to my music for my birthday, specifically those who are on my mailing list.” The track features delicate percussive brushes as well as an emotional piano melody while the singer-songwriter sings magnificently about a father who expects too much from his offspring. “It’s a response, asking him instead, why he wasn’t ever around after creating a space where his own unrealistic expectations have rubbed off on his kid who now has to live with them,” she says.

Karshni tells us that she’s also gone a step further by addressing a larger theme of the song with its accompanying artwork designed by Chetana Bisht. The singer-songwriter says, “She’s been able to capture a really large emotion felt by a really large number of people – the feeling of being burdened by certain flaws in one’s own upbringing and identifying them many years later.”

The musician recorded the track at her home studio and also produced, mixed and mastered it herself. Karshni has also only put the song up on YouTube for streaming and on Bandcamp for folks who want to purchase it. Karshni says, “It’s my first-ever Bandcamp release and I’ve got to say, I’ve never felt more indie than when it went up on Bandcamp.” She adds, “It’s a cute feeling.”

The artist also put out an acoustic-electro track titled “Gurl” under her new moniker babiecinno this past January too. Currently, Karshni is working on new music with a number of other musicians. Although she stays mum about it, for now, the artist does reveal that “it’s a massive record.” She says, “I’ve realized that music is best treated as if it’s a slow-cooked meal, with patience and restraint.” Apart from that, the producer in her is also upping her skills by experimenting with various sounds and techniques. “I’m really excited to share all the music that’s about to come,” says Karshni.

Stream “daddy hates second place” below and purchase the song on Bandcamp.