AKASH: A NEW STAR ON THE HORIZON

Markham-based singer-songwriter Akash composed his first lyrical melody when he was eight years old. I Have A Dream, often sung with his four-year-old brother, channelled his admiration for John Lennon by dreaming about a world without war or violence.

Fast forward a few years, Akash threw himself into mastering the acoustic and electric guitar, often playing up to 10 hours a day, while dealing with difficult family circumstances.

At the age of 13, Akash broke his arm and, to keep playing, he taught himself the ukulele. While experimenting with this new instrument, he composed his first full song about his primary inspiration, his late grandmother.

Since that time, he has written over 100 songs and has a few thousand melodies saved on his phone. And now, at 24, Akash has released his first song. Aptly titled Number One, it has garnered 25,000 streams in less than a month and a place on dozens of playlists along with many articles from various parts of the world.

On July 14, he released his second single, 99, which elicits nostalgic feelings about the simplicity of life before the turn of the century, inspired by an older friend reminiscing about the past. His third single, Coffee Shop, set to be released this month, is a ballad about shutting out outside noise and pursuing his own path forward. It represents the unconventional road that he’s taken and his musical journey in the face of pressures to follow the desi community’s often singular focus on academic achievements.

Akash’s paternal grandparents came to North America in the 1950s and both obtained PhDs in spite of significant obstacles. His father is a lawyer, and his uncle, an oncologist, while extended family members are in large part doctors, academics, and other professionals who the Indian community typically honours and respects while minimizing music aspirations as hobbies that shouldn’t be on anyone’s career radar. But Akash has never been one to succumb to such pressures. He has always wanted to chart his own course and serve as a different type of inspiration; to demonstrate that true success lies in following your dreams, your passions, your happiness.

Akash wants to exemplify that the youth should not constrain themselves within a box; that they should believe in themselves and be who they are meant to be.

He has also been insistent on supporting and funding his music endeavours by earning a healthy income as a senior consultant with a social media agency. Akash intends to invest everything he has into his musical success. He will be spending time in Los Angeles and other parts of the world to further his chosen career. As his songs continue to roll out once a month, listeners will notice one key characteristic in each one: a distinctive melody.

Akash is not limited to English songs. He wrote a Hindi song in collaboration with a notable Indian vocalist now based in New Zealand. Jaane Do will be released soon and you may just hear it in a Bollywood movie! He strives to create meaningful and memorable songs that have you humming along. If you enjoy pop with soul, find him on Spotify or Apple Music!

A young man to root for – good luck, Akash!

Listen to Akash here.