Pune Singer-Songwriter Prateek Bhaduri to Release Multilingual Debut EP

Prateek Bhaduri. Photo: Aalap Dabhi

Earlier in March this year, Pune-based singer-songwriter Prateek Bhaduri did what every independent artist does at some point, usually to pay bills ”“ play classic rock covers with a backing band to a bunch of suits. Bhaduri adds that the crowd was yelling out Hindi film song requests. Says Bhaduri, who has previously been a part of prog rock/metal band Infidels of Sanity and also handles vocals for Pune alt rock band What Plough?, “Being a crowd reaction-phobic frontman, I couldn’t take it. Midway through a song I switched into singing Hindi [songs] and guess what? The crowd was at our feet.” Bhaduri says when he slowly eased back towards playing classic rock covers, the crowd was convinced about them.

The show convinced Bhaduri that singing in multiple languages was an upside to singing just in English. For the last year, the singer has been writing songs in Hindi, English and Bengali. Bhaduri, who released his first single in July, will launch his debut EP Different Shades of Me in September. In addition to his solo work, Bhaduri is also working on new material with What Plough? ”“ a band he joined just last month. Although he first saw them at several college competitions where he was a judge, he bumped into the band at Pune’s Refractor Studios, run by experimental metal band Noiseware’s guitarist and producer Adhiraj Singh. With a minimal acoustic guitar by guitarist Boiha Fanai for accompaniment, Bhaduri’s vocal melodies are similar to singers such as John Mayer, but he is yet to release material in other languages.

Slated to perform in Pune this week, Bhaduri’s set will include new material from his upcoming EP and a few covers. Bhaduri adds about his next release, “My next single is a Hindi song and very different sounding from ”˜Drift Deeper’.”

Prateek Bhaduri performs at The High Spirits, Pune on August 22nd, 2014.

Watch the video for “Drift Deeper” here