For the Love of Anuv

The singer-songwriter's music doesn't all sound the same—and he has got the receipts to prove it.

- Ananya Rai

Anuv Jain's fan base was not built in a day.

Even though he has never really had formal musical training, the Husn singer has been singing for as long as he can remember. The 30-year-old picked up the guitar and began songwriting at 16. “I always imagined this to be a hobby, because I did not think that a singer-songwriter was really required in India, or that I could make it big,” he says over a phone call. Jain released his first single Baarishein in 2016, but it wasn't until after the pandemic that he decided to quit his job at the family business in his native Ludhiana and take up music full-time.

Born in Mumbai and brought up in Ludhiana, Jain relocated to Mumbai earlier this year after having spent three college years in the city. His creative process, though, has always been a family affair. “I call my mom my bouncing board,” he says, with a laugh. “I'll play her something or tell her a bunch of ideas for a new song, and she'll tell me what works and what doesn't. Sometimes, when my sister's visiting, she throws in her two cents too,” he adds.

If one were to characterise Jain's music, they would call it simple but intricate. He amuses himself by how easily he can “deceive” people, and often uses the word “complicated” while describing his songs. Jain composes all of his songs on the guitar. “I don't really have a band—it's just me with my guitar, my notebook, and my mom,” he explains.