Shaurav Bhattarai exhibits romantic pop facets in second release from anticipated EP 

By Mannu Shahi

Hailing from the eastern part of Nepal, Shaurav Bhattarai is a singer, song-writer and musician who has been actively creating and publishing music for over two decades. Known for his articulate lyrics and incredible range as a writer, Bhattarai  has not only penned many significant tunes released under his belt. He has contributed to a handful of songs by other independent musicians also. 

Originally from Biratnagar, the singer is currently based in Kathmandu and is busy with the album roll-out of his upcoming EP “Atyadhunik Vikarshan” and a Nepal tour concert series. The title of EP is described by the singer as: Atyadhunik – referring to the state of art; Vikarshan – denoting something that diverts one’s attention from the task at hand. 

During his late-teens, Shaurav was already hustling in the local music scene back in his hometown, with his initial band Okharz. The quartet published their debut EP in 2004 AD and one single from the collection ‘Gaye Mera’ became a massive hit widely circulating amidst the alt-rock playlists of mid-2000s’. Even the video of the song posted from the singer’s official YouTube handle in September 2006, has surpassed over three million streams becoming his most prominent release till date. 

Following the EP, the band called it quits and even Shaurav took a hiatus from music to further explore higher education abroad. However, soon after the singer comprehended his desire to pursue music and upon returning to Biratnagar, formed the prominent alternative/ stoner rock outfit Kush in 2014. The band’s original line-up comprised Shaurav, Yogesh, Sanjip, Balesh and Lav. With a few changes in the line-up the group released around five singles from 2017 to 2020. 

Their prominent tunes gradually formed a cult-like following, emitting the singer and his expressive prowess in radiance. And currently the new line-up of members are all geared-up for their month long Nepal tour starting in Jestha 11 – Asar 15 BS, covering cities like Hile, Biratnagar, Birtamode, Damak, Dang, Butwal, Surkhet, Nepalgunj, Chitwan, Pokhara and Lalitpur. 

And Shaurav continues to focus in his solo ventures at the moment, collaborating with Raunaq Singh Adhikari of The Elements and Brihat Pahari of Paint-box Studios to fabricate his upcoming EP featuring 5 tracks releasing on the first day of each Nepali month starting from Baishak till Bhadra. The first track from the album, ‘Akalpanik Nepal’ was a gem of a tune, exhibiting the singer’s ingenious vocabulary and is also my all-time personal favorite work from the artist. Even the accompanying D.I.Y. video complements the motif so well, further enhancing the already profound nucleus of the song.

And last week Tuesday on Jestha 1, the songster dropped the lyrics video for the second single ‘Nsell Ko Loan’ from his EP. As the title suggests the song is aesthetically influenced from mainstream pop music and the romantic plot in the lyrics only cements this affirmation further. The song features Raunaq Singh Adhikari on arrangement, co-production and guitars; Dipesh Gurung on drums; Brihat Pahari on co-production and mastering; Samundra KC on artwork and Sabin Thebe Limbu on video production.

Although the band was working on building their oeuvre, the singer was simultaneously releasing solo materials like his 2017’s more mainstream sarcastic pop-rock single ‘Maya Maasu Ho’. And the same year, he also formed the post alternative/ grunge rock band Kaagaz. The quartet made up of members Shaurav, Shashank, Binur and Suzen released their debut album “Pahilo Pana” in 2019. They did perform a few gigs post-pandemic but the band isn’t as active these days.  

The tune is commendable in context of its predecessor as it flaunts variety and gamut, since rarely artists’ assemble such contrast within one EP and are able to pull off both the extremes well. So, without hesitation shower support to our genuine artists and contribute to save all sorts of creatives in the Nepali music scene.