Stories, careers and news from India’s independent creative economy.
Aditya Modak’s path links riyaz, a day job, teaching and a film role—without treating any one of them as a shortcut to the other.
NOV 14, 2026 · 9 MIN READ
Wazir Patar spent years behind the camera and the mixing board — directing music videos, then producing tracks for Sidhu Moose Wala, including one of his final releases — before stepping out as an artist himself. His debut project pairs an EP with a restored 1990 Mercedes. Here's how a producer became a movement.
Hashbass spent over a decade playing bass on other people's records — for Sid Sriram, Divine, Karsh Kale, and dozens more — before he built his own stage. In January 2023, he closed Lollapalooza India's debut edition with a live concept called 'House of Hashbass.' Here's how a session player became a headline name.
Talwiinder left Tarn Taran, Punjab for the San Francisco Bay Area as a kid and built a Punjabi music career from the outside — releasing music since 2018, breaking through with a Hasan Raheem feature, and landing a debut album on Nas's Mass Appeal India. He's done all of it without ever showing his real face.
Akshath Acharya taught himself music production from YouTube tutorials while studying engineering online. Four years later, his single 'Nadaaniyan' had crossed 150 million YouTube views, triggered a 350,000-reel Instagram trend, and put him on Rolling Stone India's Future 25. Here's how it happened.
At 17, Gini turned down offers from Berklee and UNSW, moved to Mumbai with ₹10,000, and started self-producing songs on an iPad. Three years later she's a Spotify Radar artist, a Lollapalooza India performer, and the face of one of Indian indie-pop's most unusual tours.
From Goan trap to Meghalaya rap, a guide to 25 rising Indian artists redefining the country's sound — who they are, what they make, and why they matter now.
Curated dispatches on festival commissions, day rates, and verified credits across India.