Sukha Talks New EP ‘2003’ and the Success of ‘8 Asle’

When you’re a Punjabi artist like Sukha who has delivered songs like “8 Asle” and “Attraction” within a year, there’s understandable pressure to top your work with each next release. The Indo-Canadian artist counts it as “positive pressure,” though.

He tells Rolling Stone India over an email interview, “[It’s the pressure] to outdo ourselves and ensure our audience receives the best music possible from us.”

Working with the likes of his previous go-to collaborators like producer Prodgk, lyricist-singer Chani Nattan and singer Gurlez Akhtar on 2003 EP, Sukha, 20, had released “Sangdi” in May with producer Manni Sandhu that had a laidback loverboy R&B vibe. Sukha says, “I definitely want to explore more romantic songs this year, and ‘Sangdi’ was the perfect start to that.”

It was in November that Sukha released Undisputed EP with songs like the 50 Cent and Jazzy B-inspired “8 Asle,” “Armed” and “Godfather” and counts it as a “blessing” for it to get Canadian Gold certification. Understandably, it’s a “great honor” for this to happen as Sukha had completed his “first full year in the industry.” He adds, “It feels extra special when you see mainstream artists like Drake and Nav receive those same honors. Being right there is meaningful, and it’s great to see Punjabi and South Asian music growing so quickly in North America and the rest of the world.”

He hopes to repeat the success of songs like “8 Asle,” representing a new wave of Punjabi music that resonates globally alongside the likes of Nattan, who had his own hit “Daku” in 2021 with Punjabi artist Inderpal Moga. Sukha says, “Chani possesses a unique talent for understanding precisely what resonates with listeners. He has remarkable versatility.” Staying on “8 Asle,” he also calls it the song which has his favorite lyrics “Munde kalian pughan alay ah.” He says, “This lyric especially when you perform it and the whole crowd screams with immense energy, just makes it significant. To have a lyric that represents young people who look like me and are proud to wear their turbans is a great feeling.”

With songs like “In My Feels” and “Hey Luv” from 2003 EP, Sukha is perhaps digging into the challenge of finding fresher ways to write about themes like love. He says they draw from their “day-to-day experiences or things we’ve seen or felt.” Sukha adds, “Sometimes it’s as simple as telling a story or making music that you can enjoy in your car or at the gym or even while reminiscing. Certain songs like ‘21 Questions’ [from Undisputed EP] draw from personal experiences which give them deep meaning.”

Fresh off a tour that promoted Undisputed to packed houses in North America, Sukha says he put in the work to transition from playback to live performances. He’s looking forward to integrating a live band into shows and “prioritizing more live singing” instead of relying on backing tracks, giving a shoutout to veteran artists like Manmohan Waris’ stage presence and crowd engagement for inspiring his live performances.

Aware of the global spotlight that Punjabi music is enjoying, including international collaborations and wide representation in India as well, Sukha says all this “only means more growth.” With 2003 EP out last week, Sukha says they’re planning “surprise shows in cities that have shown us a lot of love.” He adds, “It’s only up from here. Most importantly I want to focus on making new music for all of our fans who have shown us nothing but love.”