For Ambika Nayak aka Kayan, there is much more to a live performance than just soulful vocals. “The experience that I’m giving my audience,” she says, “is not just my song, it’s everything—it’s the fashion, the lighting, the visuals.”

Kayan, known for her smooth, genre-defying music, views her style as inextricable from her stage persona, but is always sure to allow room for evolution. Her current on-stage aesthetic—often characterised by black knee-high boots and custom-made outfits she describes as “figure hugging,” is remarkably different from her previous style. “I have been performing on stage since 2018,” she explains. “Before I became Kayan, I had a band called Kimochi Youkai. Back then, I was obsessed with Japanese culture and I used to perform in kimonos.” Kayan later formed another band called Nothing Anonymous, and moved on from the Japanese-inspired look, choosing to dress in streetwear for her performances. She says, “I had a thing for wearing sports bras with tracks and boots.”