Formula Indie Sessions: Interview with Priyank Shah
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
My earliest and clearest memories are of music. I was around five years old, and I was the lead singer in my school. It wasn’t just a hobby; it was the beginning of my classical vocal training. I distinctly remember the feeling of mastering a complex melody for the first time that feeling of connection and accomplishment is something I’m still chasing today. How did your passion for creating music begin?
It began with performance, through classical singing. For years, that was my entire musical world. The passion for creating music, for production, was ignited much later. I discovered electronic music the energy of artists like Hardwell,Avicii and the spectacle of Tomorrowland. I became obsessed with this new sonic universe. The real turning point was discovering KSHMR. He was fusing the electronic world I was new to with the classical and traditional sounds I had known my whole life. That was the “a-ha” moment; it gave me the blueprint to blend my two worlds and find my own voice.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
My current project is my story. It’s the sound of a classically-trained musician from Gujarat, India, landing in the middle of the London electronic scene. The story is about fusion proving that organic instruments like the nylon guitar and Santoor can live beautifully with cinematic synths and powerful electronic drops. It’s also a story of independence; I handle the entire process from the first melody to the final hybrid analog/digital master, ensuring every track is 100% my vision.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
Imagine taking the soulful, acoustic, guitar-driven melodies of an artist like Teddy Swims,KSHMR and carefully framing them with the precise, high-definition sound design of cinematic electronic music. My sound connects two cultures; you get the warmth and emotional depth of my classical roots, but you also get the sharp clarity and powerful bass end of a track engineered in London. It’s music for emotional release.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music? The most important change was realizing that the melody is the one true non-negotiable. I used to get lost in sound design or drum programming first. Now, my process is completely reversed. Every single track, whether it’s an indie-pop song like “Light” or a dance track like
“Orbit,” begins with an organic instrument usually a nylon guitar or a Santoor. I have to find the core melody, the emotional center, on that one instrument. Only after that melody is strong enough to stand on its own do I begin the electronic production. It changed everything. What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process? My process is a true hybrid. It always starts organically, so my Nylon Guitar and Santoor are my most essential inspiration tools. In the digital world, I’m fluent across multiple DAWs Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Pro Tools, and FL Studio using whichever is best for the task. My
sound design relies heavily on Kontakt for those cinematic and classical libraries, Serum for modern textures, and the U-he Diva synth for that rich, analogue warmth. Finally, my in-house mixing and mastering process combines these plugins with physical analog gear to get the best of both worlds.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
I’ve been deeply inspired by the direction Teddy Swims has been taking. His ability to blend raw soul, pop, and even a touch of country, all while maintaining such an authentic vocal performance, is incredible. I’ve also had the recent Post Malone albums on repeat. The way they are using organic guitars and acoustic elements in a modern pop context is really validating and inspiring for the sound I’m exploring.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision? My music is a direct reflection of my life’s biggest challenges and blessings. The most significant event was losing my father to COVID in 2020. It was a painful, unpredictable time. In the midst of that, my mother and two sisters made an incredible sacrifice: they encouraged me to pursue my dream and move to London, taking over the family business back in India. That single act of support defines my entire artistic vision. It gave me a relentless determination and a profound sense of purpose. I’m not just making music for myself; I’m doing it to honor their faith in me.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work? More than anything, I want listeners to feel a sense of emotional release and connection. My goal is to make music for people who “feel too much and say too little.” Whether it’s the joy of a track like “Light” or the intense passion of “Jealous,” I want my music to be a safe space where listeners can process their own complex emotions. It’s about feeling understood, even without words.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
The most important lesson has been the power of discipline and authenticity. Inspiration is a wonderful, spontaneous visitor, but it’s discipline that daily, focused practice of showing up and doing the work that turns the inspiration into a career. Music has taught me that you can’t chase trends. The only way to build a lasting voice is to be relentlessly authentic to your own story and sound.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Without a doubt, the mainstage at Tomorrowland. That festival is the reason I fell in love with electronic music’s scale and energy. A very close second would be Sunburn Festival in India. Seeing KSHMR perform there with a full orchestra, proving that traditional and classical music had a place on the mainstage, was a complete validation of my entire artistic path. To recreate that moment with my own music would be bringing my journey full circle. If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why? It has to be KSHMR. He is the artist who truly gave me the blueprint for my own sound. His ability to fuse traditional instruments and cinematic textures with powerful electronic production is unparalleled. He’s a master storyteller. To be in a studio with him and see how he bridges those two worlds would be the ultimate masterclass.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website, Spotify, IG, links) The best place to hear the music is on Spotify and Apple Music. My creative process and all
my visual work, including my music videos, are on my YouTube and Instagram. ● Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7bBNau67YiEVLsR0s2iI3z?si=oSPYse25RtqBVVTx3ueG_Q ● Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PRIYANK_.SHAH
● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PriyankMusic
● Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/in/artist/priyank-shah/1327389638
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
My immediate dream is consistency to continue building a strong, high-quality catalogue of dance and pop music. The next major chapter, however, is to officially launch my separate profile as a cinematic and film composer. I’ve built a portfolio of unreleased work for projects like Dune and The Night House, and my dream is to bring that music into the public eye and eventually score a major film or series.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way? I hope they discover the depth and intention behind the music. I hope they hear a track like “Light” and enjoy it as a great pop song, but then listen a second time and discover the layers of hand-played guitar. I hope they hear an electronic track like “Jealous” and feel the classical, melodic structure underneath the synths. I hope they discover that an independent artist, working in-house, can be meticulous about every single detail, from the first melody to the final master.
