F  L  A  U  N  T

 Photo Credit: Josh Stadlen Khushi’s debut album took him, in his estimation, ten years to finish. Titled _Strange Seasons,_ the early 2020 release might have been left on the cutting room floor if not for the prodding of his collaborators, James Blake and Josh Stadlen, who encouraged Khushi to finally complete the record. Looking back on it, the writer/producer admits he might have gone a little too far: “It was not a sustainable way to make music.” But _Strange Seasons_ was worth the wait. With standouts like the eclectic, IDM leaning “This Is, Pt. I & II,” and the folky album-closer “Like a City,” _Strange Seasons_ proves that Khushi’s obsessive process was not in vain. “I think perfectionism is good,” he reflects, pointing to examples of ‘perfect’ music like Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” to bolster his argument. “We get to enjoy that song forever now, so I’m glad Queen agonized over it.” But by the release of _Strange Seasons,_ London-born Khushi decided it was time to try a new approach to writing, “I think there’s a lot of strength and power in just letting ideas flow out of you as naturally as possible,” he says. When he describes the process of making latest effort, _INSTINCTS,_ Khushi often repeats the word “freedom.” Written over the course of a single week with longtime songwriting partner Josh Stadlen and some help from James Blake and Swavay, “freedom” became the songwriter’s mantra—an excuse to let himself write whatever he wanted to without consequence—but at first, the idea of writing a record in one week felt like more of a dare than it was a realistic goal. He notes, “We didn’t worry about the quality, just the completion at first. We could go back and edit later.” While half of the songs they wrote were ultimately, as he jokingly puts it, “not fit for human consumption,” he also created a few of his favorite songs to date, all of which did not need much editing.  A four track work, _INSTINCTS_ plainly shows the go-with-your-gut mentality Khushi adopted during its creation. Though the songs are anchored by weighty synths and dark bass throughout, his voice is light, weaving in and out of falsetto and singing of faulty love. Even when its subjects are somewhat serious, the EP does not dwell for too long. Khushi appears empathetic and well-adjusted on _INSTINCTS_ and more confident than ever before, and according to him, that came when he overcame his fear of releasing his work. “Now, I love releasing music. People’s responses pour energy back into me. It inspires me,” he says.  Battling his private nature and perfectionistic tendencies has been a longtime struggle for the artist, and something he has only recently conquered with _INSTINCTS_. Back in his early university days, Khushi was not keen to share his music at all and even considered grad school over life as a musician. “I was quite insular back then,” the artist notes. After the dissolution of the indie rock group he formed as a teen, Khushi found himself writing songs in a forgotten practice room on campus by himself. Though he considers himself more of a guitarist, he enjoyed the solitude of playing the practice room’s old piano and rarely shared his music with anyone.  “I think many creative people don’t initially have that promotional instinct. Music was very private and personal to me,” Khushi says. Soon, his friend and now-manager heard his work and convinced him to pursue his music professionally, a choice that, years later, prompted his move to Los Angeles and his signing to Warner Records. Once “too stubbornly British” to consider an LA move, Khushi finally decided to join his closest collaborators and fellow London transplants James Blake and Josh Stadlen who had also immigrated. Since his relocation, Khushi has been credited as a producer on James Blake’s GRAMMY-nominated album _Assume Form_ and released the long-awaited _Strange Seasons,_ along with _INSTINCTS,_ including standout tracks like “Blame Game” and “I Know.” While “Blame Game” is led by deep, punchy synths and shows Khushi at his most commanding, “I Know” is its balance, adding a quiet, more compassionate message to end the record. Sung over lulling piano, written by Stadlen, its instrumental was originally meant for Adele, but when the singer did not use Stadlen’s work, Khushi was grateful to accept her leftovers. “Hey, one man’s scraps are another man’s treasure, or however that saying goes,” he laughs.  Although _INSTINCTS_ was written within a week, his entire career has led up to its conception. The culmination of years of meticulous work and relationships built, _INSTINCTS_ is a new beginning for an artist who is ready to trust himself. “I’m finding the balance between perfectionism and freedom now,” he says, “I’m grateful for that.”