Ashish Pratap Singh and Mohit Khajuria, our artists for today are based in Delhi. They met at IIT Delhi in 2018 when they were studying there and later started writing songs together. They sent their to music communities that promoted original music and got a lot of good reviews. Soon they were playing in gigs such as Sofar Delhi, Sofar Goa, BalconyTV Delhi, and other popular music venues. After which, they released a 5-song acoustic EP on YouTube under the name ‘MostlyCandid.’
While the 26-year-old Ashish acts as the singer-songwriter and rhythm guitarist for the duo, Mohit plays the lead guitar while mixing and producing the songs. Ashish was brought up in Chhattisgarh and Mohit in Jammu. Jagjit Singh, Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, A R Rahman, John Mayer, and Eric Clapton include some of their influences as artists.
Their latest debut album ‘Tujhe Likhte Hue Thehra Raha,’ is a seven-song album that speaks about the seven different phases of love. The actual title, however, is a little longer than this (‘Tujhe Likhte Hue Thehra Raha, Tere Naam par syahi ka rang Gehra raha’) but was shortened for convenience. Released on the 11th of October, this journey began with the song ‘Baadal’ – the possibility of finding someone who makes us feel at home. Next comes ‘Waqt Bewaqt’ talking about a crush whom you can’t stop thinking about. This is followed by ‘Manzil Meri,’ a song that captures the phase that involves trusting each other, where the depth of the relationship reveals itself. The fourth song ‘Numaish’ talks about a couple resembling the yin and yang, striking the perfect balance. ‘Kuch Keh Rahi Thi Tum,’ the next song addresses the importance of communication and the fact that like all beautiful things, relationships take effort. The fifth song ‘Hai Ye Kaisa Safar’ talks about separation along with the pain and remorse it carries. So, what is the last song about? You might argue saying this is a stupid question, because what else can follow but nostalgia after separation? This is what ‘Mai aksar tumhari tasveer se’ is all about. The album thus ends on this bittersweet tone.
The pop/folk-pop album took about three years for the artists and took about a year to record. It was recorded at Mohit’s place in Jammu where he has a home studio.
The artists wish to collaborate with John Mayer in the future and Savaal wishes them good luck.
