Punjabi singer-songwriter Talwiinder built a devoted following with his vintage R&B sound and an air of mystery with his signature face paint. Now based in California, he worked behind the counter at Subway before going all-in on music. His career began with cover songs and now stands at nine million monthly Spotify listeners, built on originals such as “Haseen” (298M), “Khayaal” (255M) and “Tu” (121M).
In a conversation with Billboard India, Talwiinder opens up about his new EP Paiinted Feeliings, experimenting with production, and being an industry misfit.
What is the emotion you want to evoke with the new project?
The EP’s name is Paiinted Feeliings. I want people to see this as a canvas of me just expressing myself. Each track is a story on its own: Assay Passay is about how important your surroundings are, the people that you have around you, and how they can make or break you, so that’s a hidden message in it. Mangda Wapis Kyun is a take on a relationship where somebody’s going to come back running someday and you have to think about, “Why did I leave this person?” [in the first place] and so on. Just being the modern therapist for young misfits.
What is life like in California?
I wake up, and I drive five to ten minutes to get my favourite coffee.* I come back and open my laptop, do the rituals [of checking Spotify for Artists, YouTube Studio, Apple Music for Artists, and more], and then, I’ve been producing music. I’ve been having a lot of fun with the keys and going crazy with bass, understanding the producer side of the business, to see the challenges that they go through.
And obviously, I have to make music, or I start getting frustrated. It’s also to keep my pen sharp. And it doesn’t mean I have to sing. That’s why I’ve been into production recently, because it just gives me a chance to work on my craft without disturbing people. Because I need a soundproof room [for recording vocals], which is impossible when you’re at home. So I just lock in with headphones and make simple loops, simple beats – I make my own samples.
*For interested fans: Talwiinder’s favourite coffee is an iced latte with caramel, oat milk, light ice, with cinnamon powder on top.
What are the parts of your life where you still feel like a misfit?
Pretty much everything when it comes to music, singing, my outfits, and the face paint. It’s a misfit all the way. And who cares about fitting in – that’s boring. You’ve got to stand out, especially in this business. I wanted to put myself in a place where you can’t put anybody next to me. And it’s so good to see people are actually noticing that this dude is doing his own thing, and to just watch, and enjoy it.
And it’s a message, right? I don’t want any kids growing up thinking, “Why am I not like this person?” Everybody, as a kid, focuses on insecurities. And just as soon as you put that misfit tag on you, your insecurities become your superpowers. So, I’m a misfit for life.
