Priyanshi Srivastava – I’m Making Music That Feels Like Home (Singer, Songwriter, 319K Followers)

"Music is more than sound to me—it’s a person. It’s where I find home, healing, and freedom."

Q. Can you take us back to the spark, what first made you need music? And through the inevitable struggles, what became your anchor, was it a person, a mantra, or a moment that refused to let you quit?

Well I belong to a musical family where my grand father, grand mother, my aunty, my father were who I learned music from, all are great classical musicians.

I used to wake up listening to the harmonies of keyboard, harmonium and sounds of tabla as a child. The spark was always there in my blood. I discovered it when I was 7 years old. That was when I actually realied I can sing just like my father.

Q. Your work often touches on forgiveness, of others or yourself. Is there a song that helped you heal a wound p thought would never close?

There is no specific song that i can name. Music, in entirety has been the healing power in my life. I always found home in music where there are no judgements, no expectations.

Music is more like a person to me. I have so many songs in store that fit for every mood but yes there are plenty that also heal me when I feel anxious and hurt. One of them being Tara Rum Pum’s title track by Shreya Ghoshal.

Q. You’ve performed in diverse places like Tanzania and Saudi Arabia each with its own musical heartbeat. How do you adapt your sound or stage presence for such different audiences?

I am lucky to be an Indian artist. Bollywood is so so loved all across the globe that majority of people even outside of India are Bollywood maniacs.

Even then, performing out of India always comes with a bit of challenge because of the kind of selection of songs I have to make in my show track list.

Not all my songs make it up to the final one. I try to mix it with the folk songs, traditional songs and few other songs of their native language, whenever I perform in any other country than India.

Q. India’s indie scene is notoriously tough. What was your lowest point, and what made you keep going?

Indie scene is still growing. It has, certainly, grown a lot and I am quite thankful to god for aligning my career with the current indie times where artists aren’t really dependent on Bollywood to showcase their talent. However, songs and the streaming revenue hasn’t yet been my primary source of income.

Live gigs are, for most of the artists right now. The major challenge is managing finances. Basically, bearing the cost of making the music videos which costs handsome, music production, studio sessions cost, mixing mastering cost, marketing too.

The point is how long can you be in this race of independent music till you reach your peek where your songs click with the audience and now you have back to back hits. That’s when even labels are interested in putting money on artists on their terms and one can earn well, then! I am working hard towards releasing songs that feel like home to my listeners.

Q. Working with Arijit Srivastava and Aviral Kumar for your recent hit Hairatein must have been unique. How did your creative energies blend during the making of this song?

Aviral and Arjit both are my colleagues and it has always been fun to make melodies with them. I got on-board for the vocal part whereas they beautifully composed and wrote it.

We three are also quite same in person hence our energies really matched and we made a song with utmost love and sincerity.

Q. “Dil Ko Samjha Lon Ga” bridges New York and Mumbai through you and Ali Mirza. How did this collaboration begin, and what surprised you about merging your distinct creative worlds?

I received a message on Instagram from Ali Mirza who’s my collaborator on this song. I heard the song and immediately knew I have to do this. The song sounded so soulful and passionate that I dubbed it alone in a room full of darkness so I can feel it more.

Q. Where do you see yourself not just as a musician, but as a storyteller in 5 years?

I see myself really happy and full of love after 5 years. That is really the goal for me even as a musician and a storyteller. This is real luxury for me.

The commercial and materialistic success never comes with a guarantee. I am going to rule the world with love in my heart and voice.

Bio

Born into a family of renowned classical musicians, Priyanshi Srivastava carries melodies in her blood. A trained vocalist with roots in Indian classical music, she blends tradition with contemporary soul—creating songs that feel like coming home.

With a voice that effortlessly transitions from powerful classical renditions to soulful contemporary melodies, Priyanshi has captivated audiences across platforms. Her original compositions showcase her versatility as both a vocalist and songwriter, often exploring themes of love, longing and self-discovery.

Offstage, she’s candid about the hustle of India’s indie scene—the financial strains of self-funded music videos, the patience required for that one song to click. Yet through it all, her mission stays clear: ”I’m going to rule the world with love in my heart and voice.”

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Interviewed by Kaavya Kamalan