WITH A GUITAR ON HIS BACK

As he performs in Delhi this weekend, Nepali singer-songwriter Ankit Shrestha reflects on his journey from Kathmandu to New York, finding his voice on subway platforms in the US, and how his sound is a blend of all his musical lives

- ADITHI REENA AJITH

NEPALI indie singer Ankit Shrestha sings from memory — about home, solitude, cold winters and hailstorms. Shrestha, who has spent much of his life in motion, moving between cities, countries, and musical eras, found music and the guitar to be the one constant since age nine. “Music became my companion even before I knew what that meant,” he says.

The singer-songwriter is currently on his first India tour. Having performed in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Siliguri, and Gangtok, he will conclude his tour in Delhi on November 30 alongside his bandmates Sarin Bajracharya on drums and Aman Karna on keys and guitar — an intimate setup that mirrors the simplicity of his music.

As he prepares for his Delhi debut, his expectations are grounded. “It’s our first time in India. We don’t know how many people will show up,” he says. “Even if it’s just a few, we just want to share our music, connect, meet musicians, and travel.”

The subway years

For Shrestha, music has been less of a profession and more of an anchor. Growing up in Kathmandu, he scribbled songs without showing them to anyone. He played in teenage metal bands, discovered classic rock, and slowly realised he was absorbing sounds faster than he could classify them. “I think music shaped my whole personality,” he says. “It was always there, no matter where I moved. It has always stuck with me.”