Musician duo KhoslaRaghu reveal how universality of love and heartbreak helps connect with listeners

Pic/By Special Arrangement

Love, longing, and the ache of what remains unsaid have long been fertile ground for music. With their EP Aarzu, independent artistes Raghu and Khosla, together known as KhoslaRaghu, have traced the whole gamut - from falling in love to heartbreak, then coming to terms with it, and eventually finding hope.

For Raghu, the song Mile Jo Sukoon explores the search for the comfort and peace that used to be associated with someone who is no longer around. "I don't think we're only attracted or attached to people we can't have. Sometimes, the circumstances are such that you really want them in your life, but you can't have them," he said.

Interestingly, the track's emotional core emerged while Raghu was watching the science-fiction epic, Dune. "A particular scene in Dune stayed with me, and more than the scene itself, the feeling stayed with me. Somehow that feeling translated into a melody," he recalled.

While personal experiences often influence songwriting, according to Raghu, imagination is equally important. "My own experiences can inspire a certain emotion, but then imagination and everything else I'm experiencing can shape how that emotion becomes a song."

The duo's catalogue, over their seven-year career so far, has gone beyond romantic yearning to include songs about friendship, travel, and motivation. Yet, it is their love tracks that have found the widest audience. Khosla reflected, "I don't think we consciously keep returning to heartbreak. It's easier to connect with love because almost everyone has experienced love, longing, or heartbreak in some form. So, there is something about heartbreak that sells more!"

Songs in the album

‘Mile Jo Sukoon'
‘Hausle'
‘Bewajah'
‘Naina Saavan'
‘Teri Aadatein'