Mumbai/Pune singer-songwriter and multidisciplinary artist Aarifah’s rise within the Indian independent music industry has been a steady one. From her time being part of a number of bands such as Ladies Compartment, Lawntuba, Nookie Jar and Toycatcher to releasing her debut solo single “Now She Knows” in 2022, Aarifah has gained plenty of experience as an artist and performer through the years.

 

In 2019, Aarifah was also named as one of the Top 24 contestants on the nationwide talent hunt NEXA Music, with whom her song “Hey Good Evening” was released. Aarifah has also worked alongside artists such as Zain Calcuttawala aka Bulli Bainbridge as co-producer on songs, with Sanaya Ardeshir aka Sandunes as a part of Red Bull’s Searching for Sound series, played drums for Madame Gandhi on her India tour and performed for and alongside Yo-Yo Ma on his tour in India in 2019. 

 

Aarifah marked her Hindi debut in 2023 with the song “Jahaan Pe Dil Hain” in collaboration with composer Kanishk Seth, which went on to amass over 50,000 streams in the first week of its release. She’s also supported prominent artists at live shows which include Prateek Kuhad and Parekh & Singh. For the new Coke Studio Bharat, Aarifah handled drums and percussion duties for Achint Thakkar and Sanjith Hegde’s band. 

 

As a live performer, Aarifah’s blissful and atmospheric soundscapes have been heard at festivals across India such as Orange Festival, Control ALT Delete and Bacardi NH7 Weekender. Her music has also been featured on Balcony TV, Ennui.Bomb’s 10th Anniversary special Stupiditties compilation, National Geographic’s Chasing the Sun Moment as well as on media outlets such as Rolling Stone India, TLC, Grazia, Maed in India and BuzzFeed. 

 

Away from music, Aarifah is also an actor and model and has worked with American clothing company Levi’s on their television commercial starring Deepika Padukone. She’s also seen supporting Shop.Without for their campaign of turning plastic waste into recycled sunglasses. 

 

Currently, Aarifah is a member of a new post-punk/shoegaze band called Long Distances and is even a music educator teaching drums to make music more accessible to others.