Kunwarr: ‘This Journey That I’m On Is for Every Kid Like Me’

Hip-hop/R&B artist Kunwarr talks to us about his 2021 four-track debut EP Excuse My Pain, what he has coming up this year and more. Read below.

According to your Spotify, you’ve been releasing music since 2021, but what can you tell me about yourself as an artist before that and the path you carved for yourself?

I dropped my first single in 2021 but I’ve been doing music ever since I can remember. This is basically all I did all my childhood. The journey has been tough, I had my share of struggles. I moved out of my house at 16 and have been on the move since. My initial years were in Mumbai and then Toronto. I wanted to get my hands on the business side of the industry before dropping any of the music that I make because it’s not just music for me, I put my emotions in MP3 formats, so I knew I needed to know more than just how to drop music.

With an EP and a number of singles under your belt – what’s the last couple of years been like for you?

The last couple of years have been a roller coaster [laughs] to be honest. It all started with me and my business partner Raymon sitting at his house in Surrey and just thinking and knowing that this isn’t just ordinary music that we have in our hands, it’s different, it has a fusion of everything that I grew up listening to and its unique because it’s basically just me being me. Influences from 90s R&B, hip-hop to new age Atlanta trap to Bollywood tunes and Punjabi folk music, you name it and I was listening to it. I think because I grew up on so much different music my sound turned out to be something of its own which was different from everything coming out in the scene. I dropped my EP in 2021, we barely had any guidance and just had a sick project in hand and dropped it on our channel. It charted on the BBC Asia network charts and did amazing for my first EP.

2023 has seen you release three singles so far – what can you tell me about each of those songs?

2023 was a lot of learning, we started working with a new team in Mumbai at BGBNG Music. The last three drops were some fine tracks, basically just sticking to my sound. Got an amazing, amazing response, worked with a lot of brands and had a great time. We have a crazy year ahead and we’re just getting started.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on my second studio EP which I plan on releasing by this year-end If I’m able to complete it. I like to keep it real with my music so really need to go through some stuff to talk about it. I can’t wait for you’ll to hear what I have in the vault. This is the freshest Punjabi music you guys will hear in a while, I can guarantee you that. Have some sick producers involved. We’re recording the whole project in L.A., there are some crazy instrumentalists involved. It’s going to be worth the wait.

What’s next for you and what plans do you have for the rest of the year?

Next is just a lot of music, lots of musical collaborations, lots of brand collaborations and lots of good music. In the end, I’d like to say this journey that I’m on is for every kid like me. I have always felt different wherever I’ve been. I was always less Punjabi in Punjab, I was always too Punjabi in Bombay. I was too desi in Canada and I was too western in India. In the end, I never lost myself. This is me and this has been me. My music is a reflection of my artistic self mixed with my influences. The response this year has been incredibly amazing and I promise you it’s only going to go up from here. So much new music dropping.