Every time someone tells me they hate the rain, I wonder how bankrupt their playlist is. Because of there's one thing that goes with stormy evenings in India , after pakodas of course, is music. The monsoon sets the perfect stage for long, comfy listening sessions at home with endless time and a cup of something hot (or a glass of wine if it’s the weekend).
This is the season for finding music that either resonates with where you are or speaks to where you’d rather. I haven't seen the sun in days but I have also have a massive liked list on Spotify so I'm set. So here’s a playlist just for you, featuring some of the coolest artists making music across India right now:
Chris Cobain’s new alt-rock track navigates the friction between personal ambition and inherited obligation — the push-pull between chasing your dreams and carrying the weight of expectation in a country where survival often takes precedence over self-expression. “It’s about convincing your parents to let you follow what you want, rather than what society wants you to do,” Chris explains. The hand-drawn, stop-motion music video is inspired by the children of Bastar and the systemic abuse they go through. It serves as an allegory for all working-class kids forced to navigate trauma, labour, and resistance on their path to freedom.
Mammoth, a debut EP from Bangalore-based ERGO featuring Ronak Devadiga, Rahul Srikrishna, and Prince Philip, is a culmination of over a decade of sonic exploration, growth, and reinvention. Influenced by artists as diverse as Opeth and Steely Dan, their music is genre-fluid with a unique interplay of rhythm, harmony, and emotion, often described as “an interesting overlap between prog rock and alternative rock.” That sound comes through prominently on Magnificent, the most brooding and dynamic track on the record.
Kala is a razor-sharp reflection of pride, pain, and poetry straight from the streets of Srinagar. The track positions the pen as a blade, cutting through the noise with intent. It’s the latest release from Straight Outta Srinagar (SOS), a hip-hop duo made up of Aatankki and Tufail Nazir. Drawing from artists like Kendrick Lamar and Immortal Technique, their music is shaped by sharp lyricism, daily struggle, and the lived realities of their community.
Thaalam is a dark, cinematic and modern hip-hop hymn built on eerie, distorted 808s and a thumping mridangam–tabla bounce crafted by whoisavi. In the track, GVND’s verses move through self-doubt and spiritual chaos, delivered via an absolutely sinister flow as he searches for redemption through rhythm. The track brings together the two members of 3ill — GVND, the bilingual rapper, lyricist and producer from Dubai/Kochi and producer whoisavi, whose work blends Malayalam lyricism, heavy basslines, and immersive textures to carve out a distinct, culturally rooted sonic and visual identity.
Kavya’s Stolen Games is a meditative, slow-burning track that drifts between memory and longing, laced with whispered confrontations and dreamlike vulnerability. Originally written in 2016, the song unfolds like a private reckoning. It forms part of her upcoming EP HYPERREAL, a speculative, time-bending project where past and future collapse into something strange, intimate and surreal.
Kayan’s debut EP Is Love Enough? unpacks the full spectrum of love — desire, devotion, loss, and self-recovery, across five genre-blending tracks. Written and composed by Kayan, the EP moves fluidly through amapiano, R&B pop, electronic textures, and Indian sonic references, with production from val and lil help. On Hold Me Down, she leans into bold empowerment, layering rhythmic percussion and synth-forward production. The track draws from her Bharatanatyam background, both in terms of sound as well as via its music video, tying personal heritage to a sound that feels modern, assertive, and original. This is an album that's truly her own.
Outlaw on the Run is a western-inspired track about a fugitive’s final sprint toward freedom and love, only to be betrayed at the end — a nod to classic Bollywood chase scenes and old-school cowboy tales. Musically, Winston Balman blends country rock storytelling with an unexpected mix of Turkish saz, heavy drums, and bass-driven production. The result is a textured, genre-bending sound that fuses Eastern instrumentation with rock dynamics, creating a track that’s both cinematic and rhythmically bold.
Avantika’s debut EP Moody Koyal is a two-track distillation of her distinct sonic world — where Indian classical roots, rock vocals, and global electronic influences collide. Known for her genre-blurring sets and live vocals, Avantika brings a deeply personal yet expansive energy to the dance floor, drawing from Afro, tribal, Middle Eastern, and Indian textures. On the title track Moody Koyal, she builds a charged soundscape of bird calls, basslines, and percussion as a tribute to India's wildlife that’s as club-ready as it is untamed.
Zoya’s latest track is a slow-burning reflection on love, loneliness, and the passage of time. Set against cinematic, synth-heavy production, the track captures the feeling of watching a version of your life end in real time — in this case, it's a Paris night that marks the end of her twenties. The track is a part of her upcoming album, The Human Era Is Over (The I/O), which unpacks the friction between emotional reality and digital noise. The single resonates with the larger album's themes. It's a mile-a-minute chaotic dance between romance, heartbreak, sex, and anger, and the fantasy of connection.
Bhaktaaa’s Bahane/Nishaane, a bold, two-part track produced by the genre-bending Devonian. It's split into two distinct halves that are both emotionally charged but are also polar opposites in terms of energy and message. Bahane is moody and introspective, with Bhaktaaa unpacking his internal struggles and the excuses he makes to avoid people and confrontation. In contrast, Nishaane erupts with ruthless energy and clarity; a warning shot delivered with explosive beats.
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