Nikhil D’Souza is a guitarist and singer-songwriter from Mumbai, India. Nikhil’s genre and musical style could be loosely defined as eclectic, acoustic, guitar-based pop; his songs have a full melodic quality to them due to his use of alternative tunings, as favored by such artists as Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley. Nikhil is appearing at the One Movement Showcase Music Festival after winning the solo category of South Asian talent search Sutasi; he answered four questions for One Movement Word.

Nikhil, what’s your favourite song this week?

One that seems to keep popping up for some reason is “Pyramid Song” by Radiohead. [live video embedded below]

I just love it, the melody sucks you in, the words so evocative, and the seemingly odd time signature (I spent a while trying to figure it out). Great song. Couldn’t get it out of my head.

What do you hope to gain from the One Movement festival and conference?

My first trip there, playing in front of a completely different audience.. from all i’ve heard about Aussie audiences, I just can’t wait to get there and get on stage. I’d like to just take back with me memories of 30 minutes of moving the heart and soul of an Australian crowd. And looking at the lineup, there’s many acts I’ve never heard of, it’s exciting to be able to see all of them, be a part of it all, see where the music industry’s at, and then some beer.

Which artists’ showcase sets are you most looking forward to watching?

Meiko, Andrew Paul Woodworth, Kate Miller-Heidke, and Joe Echo.

What do you think needs to change in order to unite the music industry with its artists and fans?

I wish I knew. At this stage, I’m only just starting to learn. I’d like to hear what the problems actually are, be better informed, before making any idealistic statements about what the industry needs to do.

Nikhil D’Souza opens the Breakthrough Stage at 12.05pm on Saturday, 17th October (full timetable here). He also plays Asia Sounds industry showcase with fellow Sutasi winners Biuret and Tookoo later that night (details here). Watch Nikhil’s video for ‘Perfect Life’ below.