Hear Prakti’s Somber New Song ‘Words’

After releasing her four-track debut EP Why Don’t You Speak in 2019, New Delhi singer-songwriter Prakriti Nanda – who goes by her stage name Prakti– went on to educate herself on being an independent musician in India. She says, “[In terms of] promoting my music, getting better at telling stories and performing.” The artist even toured the country to support the record and grew comfortable playing solo shows while also being inspired by fellow Indian indie artists. “At this point, it’s about preparing myself for the courage it takes to be an independent artist who writes songs about their personal experiences,” says Prakti.

During the early months of the pandemic, the singer-songwriter got down to penning new material when she sat down near a children’s book. “It was titled Words That Do Things,” says the musician. Prakti used that as the opening line to her latest poignant single “Words” and followed it up with the lyrics, “your words do things to me.” She says, “These two lines made me think about how our society emphasizes the importance of grammar and vocabulary but it doesn’t acknowledge enough the emotional impact that our choice of words can have on people.”

The delicate and acoustic song features subtle instrumentation juxtaposed with clever production elements as well as Prakti’s infectious vocals. The singer-songwriter also roped in fellow musician Amartya Ghosh to work on the song. “I was thrilled at the idea of collaborating with him but the experience of actually doing it was even better,” says Prakti. Ghosh recorded his parts at his home studio while Prakti used her cupboard at her house as a makeshift studio to track vocals and her acoustic guitar. The song was then mixed by Ghosh and mastered by Gaurav Chintamani.

Now Prakti is working on her first Hindi song with Ghosh, which will be out early next year. The queer artist even wants to focus on writing more material that integrates her sexuality and gender identity. “Even better if I can do that in Hindi,” she says. The singer-songwriter is looking at collaborating with more Indian musicians too, and top of her wish list is producer duo Anhad + Tanner.

Stream “Words” on Spotify below and on other platforms.