We Speak Music

How Kanu Chauhan Turned Determination Into Opportunity

Published

5 months ago

June 8, 2026

The music industry is filled with stories of talent, but few demonstrate persistence quite like Kanu Chauhan’s. Her path from a traditional village upbringing in India to building a career across two countries highlights the importance of resilience in an industry where opportunities are rarely handed out. Every step of her journey has been shaped by a willingness to create possibilities where none appeared to exist.

Growing up near Ghaziabad, Chauhan discovered music through school performances and community events. Yet cultural expectations often limited creative ambitions for young women, making a professional music career seem unrealistic. Rather than abandoning her passion, she continued developing her skills independently, treating music as both a creative outlet and a personal source of strength.

A breakthrough arrived through her involvement in the upcoming Bollywood production “Love and War.” While supporting the project behind the scenes, Chauhan’s musical instincts caught the attention of colleagues and producers. Her decision to confidently pitch a title-track concept demonstrated both ambition and belief in her abilities. The opportunity to contribute creatively to the film became a defining moment that validated years of persistence.

Her professional growth accelerated through work with Funky Media and collaborations across Bollywood, Bhojpuri, and South Indian cinema. Exposure to different regional industries provided valuable experience and helped her develop a versatile artistic voice. Working with established performers such as Khesari Lal and Dhanush expanded her understanding of both commercial and creative aspects of the industry.

Relocating to the UK in 2022 introduced a new chapter filled with uncertainty but also opportunity. Building a career from scratch in Birmingham’s creative scene required patience, adaptability, and determination. Through grassroots collaborations and hands-on learning, Chauhan established herself within the local arts community. Her story demonstrates that success is rarely defined by where someone begins, but by the courage to keep moving forward despite obstacles.

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We Speak Music

Akaba Explore The Space Between Guitars And Synthesisers On Wither Without

Published

2 hours ago

October 23, 2026

Music4U

What happens when guitar-led songwriting meets programmed rhythms and layers of synthesisers? On Wither Without, out now via Now Listen, Akaba make that combination central to their second album, building a sound that reaches further into electronic music than their debut, The Rust Within.

The Stockholm trio bring together three distinct contributions. Åsa Carild supplies the vocals and lyrics, Tobias Ljungkvist plays guitar, and Mattias Olsson produces the record. All three share the music credits, giving the nine tracks a collaborative foundation beneath Carild’s personal writing.

The production is particularly important to the album’s character. Synthesised layers and programmed beats sit alongside the guitars rather than simply filling out the arrangements. This gives the songs a different sense of movement, with room for close vocal passages as well as busier, more unsettled sections.

“Go North” offers a clear introduction to the record’s concerns. Its focus on taking another route in life brings questions of departure and belonging into the foreground, without reducing the song to one fixed interpretation.

Across the tracklist, titles such as “Two Rights”, “Mistake” and “Grieve” sit within a wider sequence about a relationship reaching its end. The subject gives the album continuity, while the changing arrangements provide its musical variation.

For Akaba, the shift towards electronic production is more than a change in surface texture. On Wither Without, it becomes an essential part of how the songs communicate, placing the details of the arrangement alongside the writing itself.