We’re back with the second edition of There & Back Again, our intimate live music series celebrating the voices shaping the future of the independent music scene. This time, we’re thrilled to host Aarifah, a singer-songwriter whose deeply personal sound melds raw vulnerability with intricate, syncopated melodies. Joining her is Shreyas Iyengar on saxophone and upright bass duties. 

Aarifah is a Mumbai/Pune-based artist whose work—whether musical or visual—is defined by raw emotion and quiet intensity. She began her recording journey in 2019 with Hey Good Evening, produced by Clinton Cerejo and mentored by A. R. Rahman, but her self-produced debut single Now She Knows (2022) truly marked her arrival. Her work has since been featured on National Geographic, Rolling Stone, TLC, Grazia and Harpers Bazaar.

She’s performed at NH7, Kala Ghoda Fest and Sula Fest, collaborated with platforms like Coke Studio, artists like Sandunes, Madame Gandhi, and Kanishk Seth, and was part of an artist residency for Yo-Yo Ma’s The Bach Project. Most recently, she received the Serendipity Arts Production Grant (2024). Aarifah is also the frontwoman of the band Long Distances who's performed at Lollapalooza and Independence Rock. 

Let’s gather, listen, and lose ourselves—just for a moment—in music that takes us there and brings us back again.