Aakash Rai drops ‘Pahadko Gham’, a sun-soaked ode to the eastern hills

Three years after his breakout EP Sahar, Aakash Rai is heading home. His new single, "Pahadko Gham" (Sunshine of the Hills), was written in a single afternoon at his grandmother's house above Dharan — and you can hear it.

A warmer, looser sound

Where Sahar leaned on reverb-heavy synths and late-night introspection, "Pahadko Gham" is bright and unhurried. Open-tuned acoustic guitars sit on top of a rolling madal pattern played by Dharan percussionist Suman Limbu, while a bansuri line answers every chorus.

"I wanted a song you could hear from the next terrace over. Something that sounds like the morning." — Aakash Rai

Made with friends

The track was recorded live in two takes at a friend's studio in Itahari, then mixed in Kathmandu by producer Bhairav Beats, who kept the room noise in on purpose.

• Release date: out now on all platforms
• Producer: Bhairav Beats
• Featuring: Suman Limbu (madal), Pasang Sherpa (bansuri)

A music video shot across the Bhedetar ridge is due next month.