Curtain Blue has been making music for years. This year, more people are tuning in

Name: Abhishek Bhatia aka Curtain Blue

Profession: Musician

Location: Gurugram

Why you should know him: Bhatia has been making music for years, but his single ‘Yeh Duniya’ has sent his popularity into overdrive. Released this August, the song has already clocked 6,40,000 views on YouTube. His intimate, at-home music sessions have also found him a following online (currently at 73.2k on IG), winning over listeners who might recognise his moody aesthetic before they get to know the man behind it. 

And he’s hardly been staying indoors lately: This year, he’s taken his sound to Ākāśa Gathering in Ladakh and Homo Faber in Venice. The artist is currently on tour with Mumbai, Pune, Goa stopovers in the coming months and already spot at Lollapalooza next year.

The real showstopper: Fashion shows are familiar territory for him, he has previously worked with Gaurav Gupta and Rajesh Pratap Singh in 2023 for their live shows. Most recently, he was the star act at Kanika Goyal’s collaboration with The Palace Atelier in Jaipur.

A pianist and guitarist, his sound mixes indie music with electronic beats, and while the harmonium has become part of his visual identity. For someone whose music might make you picture a brooding artist who’d rather be left alone, Bhatia is, by his own admission, a softie who loves meeting people.

On his stage name: “It was the name I gave the first song I ever wrote. There were literally blue curtains in the room where I was writing the music, and I couldn’t think of anything else.”

The architecture years: “I studied architecture at Sushant School of Arts and Architecture in Gurgaon and was quite a nerd. I got a very good all-India rank, which was surprising, because I didn’t really want to pursue it. My father is an architect, so the plan was that I might work with him. But I met interesting people in college, started making music with them, and formed a band (The Circus). 

I did a quick stint in the field [architecture] but realised it wasn’t for me. I still love design and architecture as a subject, though. Architecture taught me to work nonstop. We had submissions where I’d stay up day and night until the work was done, and I think that discipline has helped with music production. I’m not particularly systematic. My laptop is a mess of files with random names, but somehow I manage to tie everything together.”

Finding his voice: “My parents had a great vinyl collection, and I’d play records, sing along and make up my own lyrics. When I was in school, I realised singing was the one thing I could do that made people clap for me. My music teacher once asked me to sing verse in class, and the appreciation gave me the confidence to call myself a singer. I don’t remember which song it was, but I went to a Catholic school, so it must have been one of those Christmas carols. I had no formal training, so it was a big deal.”

His playlist is all over the place: “I listen to all kinds of music, including electronica, but when I want to switch off from being a musician or producer I turn to jazz. I don’t find myself competing with another composer’s or producer’s headspace when I listen to it. It feels almost meditative. I keep returning to Ancient Infinity Orchestra and Fred Again. Radiohead is my go-to when I want to let something play in the background. Flume is another favourite. I think he’s one of the best producers I’ve heard. I also have a Spotify playlist called Mine, where I add anything I like, and I keep returning to it almost every other day.”

On where he finds inspiration: “I’m a big daydreamer. I spend a lot of time in my head, imagining scenarios and making up stories. Sometimes, they’re inspired by people in my life, including my partner, and sometimes they’re entirely fictional.”

The joy of staying in: “I’m a homebody. I get anxious the minute I know I have to step out, so my ideal day is one where I have absolutely nothing to do. I make my own coffee using Lavazza, usually two shots of espresso with a couple of drops of milk foam and a little agave syrup instead of refined sugar. Then I put on an obscure jazz playlist that my friends would probably judge me for and pace around the house without thinking about anything in particular. I really look forward to having that time to myself.”

On dressing differently: “I’ve always enjoyed dressing differently, even in school, where people don’t exactly spare you for looking different. But I decided to own it. I never really wanted to look normal. At one point, I wore flowy purple harem pants with a loose top borrowed from my mother. 

While living in Delhi, I remember overhearing men in the neighbourhood talking about me. In college, I had long hair and wore skin-coloured tops, so I got my share of comments from people in other departments. Interestingly, a few people who were mean to me in school have reached out over the past five or six months to apologise for things they had said. I’d spoken about having a difficult time at school in a few interviews, and I hadn’t realised those stories would reach everyone online. It felt a little awkward, and I had to clarify that I wasn’t referring to anyone in particular. Still, it’s nice to see people grow up and look back on things differently.”

Goth on the moodboard: “I’d love to embrace the gothic aesthetic, because I haven’t really done that yet. There’s a band called Nine Inch Nails, whose frontman, Trent Reznor, had some really interesting looks in his earlier years. What I find really cool is that these are masculine men wearing torn black leather, body-hugging jackets, skirts, and nail paint. They were some of the first artists I was exposed to who made me think that clothes have nothing to do with being a man or a woman. It’s just about style.”

Currently watching: “I’ve been revisiting some of my favourite shows. I’m on my second or third rewatch of Better Call Saul, which I find very comforting. I’m also a Martin Scorsese fan, so I recently started watching some of his older crime films. I finally watched Casino, which I’d somehow never seen before. I’m quite into crime dramas at the moment.”

His comfort read: “I’m not reading anything at the moment, but the last book I read was The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, for the fifth time. I think people often associate it with architecture, but for me it’s more about the characters and how their lives unfold in completely different ways. One character is successful, while the other struggles, and I keep coming back to it for reasons I can’t quite explain. It’s like having a cup of coffee.”

What’s next: “I’m trying to get back into the headspace of finishing my next single. I’m also working on a collaboration with my friend Chintan R Rachh, who’s an actor and poet. We put out a couple of snippets that did pretty well, which gave us the confidence to finish the track as soon as possible. Beyond that, I’m slowly working towards an album I’ve been sitting on. A lot has changed, and I’m adding new ideas to it, so I’m taking my time.”