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Few contemporary voices resonate with the weight of tradition while simultaneously dismantling its boundaries quite like Sid Sriram’s. Over the past decade, he has not only redefined what Carnatic music can sound like in a global context but has also carved out a sonic vocabulary uniquely his own, one that oscillates between ancient ragas and contemporary chord progressions, between the improvisational rigour of kutcheris and the atmospheric textures of R&B, soul and pop.
His music feels at once devotional and experimental, steeped in centuries-old discipline yet liberated by a future-facing instinct. For millions across the world, Sriram’s voice has become a portal, a reminder that classical idioms are not archival relics but living, breathing languages capable of infinite reinvention. That resonance reached a historic peak when he became the first South Indian artist to perform at Coachella, cementing his place as the face of a global Carnatic crossover. Let's not forget his performance at the Tiny Desk Concert.
Now, as he prepares to embark on his first-ever multi-city India tour this November, Sriram finds himself at a pivotal juncture. The shows promise both a homecoming and a bold leap forward, a celebration of the journey so far and an unveiling of the next chapter of his artistry. The timing is serendipitous too: his latest track, SOL, has just dropped, offering listeners a glimpse into the expansive sonic landscapes he’s ready to explore, an evocative layering of melody and memory.
Ahead of the tour, he sat down with ELLE to talk about the sense of homecoming it brings, the philosophies that shape his artistry, and the boundaries he’s ready to push further.
When speaking about the tour, Sriram describes it as both intimate and transformative: “It feels like both a homecoming and a step into the next phase of my journey. It's a homecoming in that it'll be a celebration of my journey up until this point. But creatively, the show will be an experience that really brings my fans into the next chapter.”
Even the architecture of his setlist carries the weight of intention. It begins with energy, a kind of tonal scaffolding, from which he constructs an emotional arc that guides the audience. Within that arc, stories surface, atmospheres take shape, and silence itself becomes a compositional tool. “Silence acts as an impactful punctuation,” he reflects, “a moment of respite before you can build the sound back stronger.”
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This philosophy is inseparable from the way he negotiates identity. Having grown up across Chennai, the Bay Area and the wider global stage, Sriram doesn’t see his influences as opposites to be balanced, but as a constellation in orbit around Carnatic music, his constant axis. “There’s a spectrum of lived experience, and mine traverses various geographic spaces. My artistic perspective is grounded in Carnatic music, and all the other influences I’ve acquired over the years are like planets that orbit around it. I’m able to dip into them as I need, sometimes in obvious ways, other times more subtly.”
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There’s also the weight of representation, often placed on the shoulders of South Asian artists. That interplay, between tradition and improvisation, between the intimate alapana and the sweeping crescendo, is what makes his work so singular. “I’m cognisant of being an ambassador of where I come from, and I respect that responsibility deeply. But I don’t think about any of it when I’m creating or performing.”
For Sriram, composition begins in solitude, in dialogue with self, an unfiltered emotion, a passing thought, a spark that gradually evolves into melody. That private honesty is what makes the music resonate publicly. Vulnerability, for him, isn’t a danger; it’s the point. “I’ve never been afraid to release something because it felt too raw. The point of art is to be vulnerable, and I embrace that fully.”
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Of course, inspiration isn’t always obedient. When the current doesn’t flow, he turns to silence again — but this time in life, not just in music. “You can’t beat a song over the head and expect it to give you something honest. When the flow isn’t happening, I step away and enjoy other aspects of life. It always comes back.”
Through all of this, his definition of success has remained unflinching: to evolve constantly, to explore fearlessly, and to offer listeners moments of healing through sound. The next frontier, as he sees it, is about scale — not of fame, but of influence. “I think sounds rooted in Indian and South Asian music are yet to have a truly profound impact on global music. That’s what I wish to achieve with this next phase of my journey.”
And when the conversation drifts towards legacy, his answer distils everything back to its essence: “I wish to be remembered as an artist who put forth honest music, with an unapologetically unique perspective, one grounded, always, in love.”
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