Last year he had the honour of being the musical guest for the White House Diwali celebration, hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. He is also an accomplished film and television composer whose current credits include the US comedy series The Neighbors (ABC). And his music has been featured on the global hit TV series How I Met Your Mother to commercials for international brands like Target. He has also written songs for the upcoming Hollywood-Bollywood movie Basmati Blues, starring Donald Sutherland, Brie Larson and Scott Bakula. And if that’s not enough, he has penned songs for other artistes, including pop singer Natalie Imbruglia.

Meet Siddhartha Khosla whose band Goldspot became the first act to play at London’s prestigious O2 Arena in 2007 as support for Bon Jovi. And most importantly, it’s a band that has added the “zing thing” to the global indie music scene.

After reading this t2 interview, you might feel like grabbing a copy of Goldspot’s latest album, Aerogramme (Sony Music India).

Congrats for your nomination at this year’s 100 Pipers Vh1 Sound Nation (Best Global Indian). Though you are based in New York, you and your band have a good following in India...

I grew up listening to the music my parents loved — great Indian singers like Mohd. Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Geeta Dutt, Mukesh and many others. I learnt how to sing by copying their voices and singing their songs. In their time, they performed around the country for thousands of people. And as a kid I dreamt I could do the same. So now, going back to India and performing for our fans is reminder that I am living my dream. And to get a Vh1 nomination for Best Global Indian is really special.

Goldspot released its album Aerogramme last year. How did it come about? Any why this title?

Aerogramme is the story of my parents’ journey from India to the US in the late 1970s. They made the move with just $8 in their pockets and a dream to build a future for their family. But living that dream wasn’t easy. My father, who loved to write, detailed their experiences in letters that he wrote on paper napkins. He planned on sending these letters to his family back in India but never got around to mailing them. A few years ago he shared these letters with me, and I was so taken by the stories that I felt compelled to share them. These “letters on paper napkins” became the basis for Aerogramme. I love the concept of the old aerogrammes as well… the image of a self-contained letter and envelope just felt right in telling these stories.

Between And The Elephant Is Dancing and Aerogramme, there was a gap of four years. Did the band’s sound change in this period?

My albums tend to be conceptual, each has a theme, and the music is created around that particular theme. I want the music to sound like the subject matter, and if the themes change, I feel so should the music. Elephant… was a melancholic love record, and for me the music needed to be laid-back and sweet. We used acoustic instruments like autoharps, acoustic guitars, ghungroos, xylophones and a lot of simple textures to express that love. Aerogramme, however, is much more complex, with stories about my parents leaving their family at the airport in Delhi, to my childhood memories of monkeys on our chhath in Delhi, discovering my mother’s green card, the idea of the geographical borders that define us, and so on. The arrangements on the album are therefore more complex and rich, as I had to paint a picture that reflected those themes. In the process, Aerogramme became the most epic work I’ve ever done.

Which part of the country is your family from?

My parents were born in Delhi. Most of my extended family is still in India –– my Dadi, uncles, aunts and many of my cousins.

The indie music scene in India is looking up. What do you like most about it?

India is rich with a love for music, and there are hundreds of thousands of passionate music lovers, especially among the millennial generation, who are making it possible for Pepsi MTV Indies and NH7 Weekender to exist. With a population so large and passionate, India is the perfect place to bring new and interesting music. Our fan base in India has grown into thousands.

There are Indian elements in your music, be it on Friday or The Border Line. Is it a conscious effort?

When I first started writing music it was a conscious effort but now it feels natural and instinctual for me to bring in the Indian elements. I grew up on ’50s and ’60s Indian music. And Indian music is such a big part of me; it feels as if it’s on a cellular level.... During the struggle, songs like Manna Dey’s Aye mere pyare watan and Mukesh’s Jaane kahan gaye woh din played repeatedly on our cassette decks.

Is the group’s name inspired by the popular 1980s drink Gold Spot?

I spent some of my childhood in India. My cousins and I would drink Gold Spot, Limca and Campa Cola in the summers. Gold Spot has long been discontinued and the name now carries a certain nostalgia for me.

Ina Mina Dika — why did you decide to come up with a version of the classic Kishore Kumar track (Eena Meena Deeka)?

I composed songs for a movie called Today’s Special (in 2009, an independent comedy film) starring Naseeruddin Shah and the talented Aasif Mandvi, and one particular scene called for a ‘goofy’ song. One of the producers suggested doing a remake of the song.

So, what’s the best part about being successful?

I’ve got a long way to go, a lot more to create, and a lot of people less fortunate than me to help out. When I accomplish all of that, maybe then I’ll be truly successful.

Meet SiddharthaA
Age: 37Born in: New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Family from: Delhi
Based in: New York (formerly out of Los Angeles)
Education: University of Pennsylvania (studied history and political science)
Band: Frontman of indie rock band GoldspotBesides Goldspot: First musical director of a capella group Penn Masala