Pahaad Unplugged: Indie artist Pahaad talks about his recent collaboration with music producer Hashbass on his latest mixtape

Before Yogesh Dimri became Pahaad, he was just a kid beatboxing in anonymous internet rooms and scribbling poems. Now, he’s one of Delhi’s rising indie voices. In April, he featured on Mumbai-based bassist-producer Harshit Misra’s mixtape House of Hashbass Vol. 1, lending vocals and lyrics to the dreamy track ‘Pata Nahi.’ He also composed music for the 2025 coming-of-age film Nukkad Natak.

From Discord beatbox duels to indie stages, Pahaad finds his voice

As a young boy, he used to server-hop through Discord beatboxing competitions under random aliases and profile pictures. “Once, I named myself ‘Teri Diwani’ with Kailash Kher’s photo,” he laughs. One day, scrolling through his phone’s gallery, he stumbled on a bunch of mountain photos and thought, “Let’s try ‘Pahaad’ this time.” He won the contest under that name, and thanks to a girl who told him “Pahaad sounds mighty,” the name stuck. Hailing from Badrinath, Uttarakhand—the “mountain zone”—he embraced it.

Though beatboxing was his first love, Pahaad admits it’s no longer his focus. “I do it when I’m alone at home, more out of habit. But I don’t see myself pursuing it seriously anymore.”

“I had no intention of pursuing music whatsoever,” he says. His songwriting journey began unexpectedly after winning a Hindi poetry competition in middle school despite little interest in poetry. By ninth grade, he’d picked up the guitar and began experimenting with writing songs. “I thought, why not try making music?” And he hasn’t stopped since.

Dissecting discography

Fast forward to April, Pahaad featured on a dreamy track titled ‘Pata Nahi’ from Hashbass’s latest mixtape. The song is a playful ode to love, with strong 2000s Indian city pop influences. Pahaad’s vocals float gently, almost dissolving into Hashbass’s textured electronic beats. “Harshit bhai is incredibly talented,” says Pahaad. Their creative synergy came naturally: “It felt like making music with a friend.”

The partnership came through a mutual friend. “Harshit bhai called me, played a few tracks, and said, ‘I think your voice would fit this.’ I was unsure—this kind of pop wasn’t really my thing. But he insisted. And that push worked.” Pahaad wrote the lyrics, which Hashbass helped rearrange. The final track features only rough takes recorded at Pahaad’s home. “I thought we’d re-record in a studio later, but those drafts became the final version,” he says, calling the experience “humbling and honourable.”

Pahaad also wrote and sang several tracks for the coming-of-age film Nukkad Natak by Tanmaya Shekhar, which premiered last weekend at the India Habitat Film Festival 2025. “I wrote five songs for the film,” he says, hinting details are still under wraps.

His music is diverse in style, never confined to one genre—and his 2023 single ‘Premika’, produced with fellow indie musician Samaksh, is a perfect example. The track blends Western and Indian classical elements, retelling Radha and Krishna’s love story, layered with dreamy vocals.

“Samaksh and I met through the Delhi Beatbox Community on Facebook. I’ve been a fan since his Tere Jaisi EP dropped.” The duo brings a divine, devotional tone layered with romance. “Samaksh did the classical arrangement, and I tried singing.”

Similarly, another standout track is ‘Matargashti’ (2022), a chaotic, playful feature with artists Akarsh, Pho, and Vaamanthaeli. “It was meant to be just Akarsh and Pho’s thing, but I jumped in and started writing whatever came to mind,” he laughs. The track’s unpredictable energy reflects their road-performance roots and friendship.

Pahaad reflects on how the past few years shaped his songwriting since his 2020 debut ‘Na Samajh Aankhein.’ He calls that single a major turning point, as well as his 2022 track ‘Aaraam,’ which almost didn’t see the light of day but was accepted widely.

Stories in songwriting

Pahaad considers himself more a songwriter and lyricist than a singer. For him, songwriting is storytelling, not just expressing feelings. Inspired by lyricist-poets like Irshad Kamil, Javed Akhtar, and internationally Damien Rice and Bob Dylan, he seeks to say more with fewer words. “I want my songs to follow a narrative that makes sense—lines should flow and connect.” He credits this love of storytelling to folk and devotional music his family played during road trips to their hometown. “My dad played bhajans on cassettes, and I was struck by how every line built a story.”

This shows in his lyrics: “The simplest things are often the hardest to express. I want to say something both simple and profound that genuinely connects.”

In future

Preparing for a gig at Siyah Music House in Delhi, Pahaad is excited about performing with a full band—bassist, drummer, guitarist—and perfecting his craft. “I bring storytelling to the stage. I want the audience to be intrigued, to listen consciously.”

Looking ahead, Pahaad is busy. “I want to really get comfortable with my sound before diving into more collaborations,” he shares. He’s slated to feature on two tracks in singer Karun’s upcoming album and is also teaming up with Delhi rapper Shauharty. He’s also working on a solo EP in Hindi and Sanskrit. “I’ve been experimenting with writing in multiple languages and pushing my songwriting boundaries in all sorts of ways. No name for the EP yet, but that’s where all my energy is focused.”

Pahaad is set to perform at Siyah Art House, Saket, on May 31, 8pm onwards

This article is by Adithi Reena Ajith