Varun Das is a musician worth knowing. This New York drummer, composer, and teacher has just released his new single “Childlike.” The song mixes Indian classical music, jazz, and progressive rock into something fresh and moving. As an artist who works with Yamaha, Sabian, and Remo, Varun brings a unique sound that’s both skilled and emotional.
“Childlike” balances complex and approachable elements. The unusual rhythms provide a strong foundation while catchy melodies keep listeners engaged. The song challenges you without pushing you away – a tough balance that Varun handles naturally.
We’re talking with Varun today about creating “Childlike,” the childhood memories behind its nostalgic feel, and how his music has grown from technical skill to emotional storytelling.
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Can you walk us through the writing and recording process for “Childlike”? Did it differ from your previous work?
Yeah, this project was pieced together a little differently. It all began with the guitar part, in fact—the quite distinctive line you hear all over the track. The minute I had that, I knew that was going to be the anchor, the emotional core of the piece.
I just wanted the groove to flutter from there — something spectrally delicate that would sit under everything else without clogging it up. Usually I work with drums first, but in this case I let the mood of the song dictate the rhythm, and not the other way around. That change really opened things up creatively — it felt like I was scoring a feeling, not just a song.
The title “Childlike” is intriguing. What does it represent to you personally or creatively?
To me, being childlike is being open and free. Generally, children are unafraid to imagine, to feel, to try something out without concern for whether it’s “cool” or “correct.” That’s where I wanted to go creatively. I allowed myself to not overthink, to make the kind of music that feels true, even if it’s messy or peculiar. “That, in many ways, is about exploding boxes and limitations.”
Did any specific childhood memories or experiences influence the lyrics or mood of the song?
Definitely. I used to daydream constantly as a kid — create entire worlds inside my head, dork around on drums for hours. The sense of escape is all over the song. And there’s that tension in the song — that kind you feel when you read something trying to hold on to something pure in a world which just won’t stop trying to make you “grow up.” That’s super real to me.
How would you describe the overall sound and vibe of “Childlike” for someone hearing it for the first time?
I would definitely describe the overall sound as emotive and atmospheric; at moments, it’s almost psychedelic. The track is a space rather than a structure. You’re sort of inside the sound, not just hearing it. The guitar is responsible for setting the emotional tone — this hypnotic, looping line that feels like nostalgia and being a little perturbed.
The synths are there to stretch out that space, to make it seem dreamy and indefinite. I intentionally wanted the drum sound very subdued — I wanted them to breathe, to feel like a pulse that’s in the background, not so much pushing things forward.
Were there any new instruments, production techniques, or stylistic influences you experimented with in this track?
Yeah— one of the big changes for me on Childlike was how I used electronic textures. I wasn’t trying to do anything glitchy or abrasive. I didn’t want them to feel that technical at all, but rather almost like a slide guitar — bending, floating, adding this emotional, melodic layer that felt very slippery. It wasn’t there just for the look of things — it was doing some of the storytelling.
I paid a lot of attention to space too — to not being afraid to give room for things to breathe. The drums, for one thing, are super understated — on purpose. I wanted the groove to feel like it was moving under everything else, just giving the track a pulse, without latching onto it. The entire production was about emotional clarity as much as technical flash — everything had to serve a feeling, and not simply fill space.
Is “Childlike” part of a larger project, such as an upcoming EP or album, or is it a standalone single?
It is, in fact, one of the 8 tracks on a full-length album, also titled Childlike. The record takes that idea and extrapolates it in dozens of different emotional and sonic directions. Each track delves into an aspect of what it means to hold onto that childlike view and take it with you into adult life — whether it’s through wonder, confusion, nostalgia or even discomfort. I really wanted the album to be an inward journey, moments that are raw and stripped back and moments that felt more layered and surreal. It’s not a concept album in a traditional sense, but there’s definitely a bigger emotional thread that’s tying everything together.
How do you feel “Childlike” reflects your growth as an artist? Has your creative approach changed over time?
Big time. Early on, certainly as I came up through the modern-jazz world, I was very much focused on technique, technical facility — with drums, with composition. I was involved in sophisticated rhythmic systems and transmission: you’re going to learn a modern jazz vocabulary, you’re going to learn duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, but you’re going to also learn deep Indian classical traditions.
I was always wanting to prove myself — it’s like, “I’m supposed to be here,” you know? And as good as all of that was — the depth and discipline of this rich tradition — I found that I was sometimes losing sight of the Forest for the Trees: What got me into playing music in the first place. Childlike was a turning point for me. Not complexity, not virtuosity — connection. About loving something so passionately that it’s what informs every decision. I gave up trying to impress and concentrated on just being real.
It shows in the song —it’s big, emotional and not afraid to hang in this grey area. I think I’ve developed into someone who’s more open to being vulnerable in the music, more focused on just creating things that people can feel rather than concerned whether they understand all the nuts and bolts of it. That’s been the biggest shift — being true to my identity and my roots, but using the base to become one with people more than I did in the past.
Are there any visuals, like a music video or artwork, accompanying the release of “Childlike”?
Yes, absolutely. The main art for Childlike is a big part of how I wanted the track to make people feel before they even pressed play. It pushes this kid into this surreal, dreamy landscape — magical, sci-fi, a little creepy but full of wonder. That one very much captures the mood of the song, which is the sense that childhood can be timeless and mysterious.
If you could describe “Childlike” in three words, what would they be?
Imaginative. Raw. Transformative.
What’s next for you after the release of “Childlike”? Any upcoming projects or performances we should look out for?
I would like to take this music on the road very soon – first with a US tour and then hopefully bring Childlike to India, a country where so much of my musical formation took place. There’s just something so satisfying about being able to share this music live and for me, to feel the energy in the room, to get to make those amazing moments with a bunch of humans together and bring them into the world of Childlike in real life. But here’s the exciting part — it’s not only about the music.
And in its wake, a short film based on Childlike will hit the screens. It’s a visual narrative that brings the album’s concept to life, threading its themes of wonder, nostalgia and self-discovery in a manner that surpasses sound. The movie incorporates cinematic storytelling with the album’s music, so it’s sure to be an experience that draws audiences into the Childlike world with open eyes.
Additionally, my next project is something really close to home — both musically and personally. It’s been in the works for a while and was recorded across two cities that have deeply shaped me: Mumbai and New York City.
In Mumbai, I had the chance to collaborate with some truly incredible Indian classical musicians — Purbayan on sitar, Rakesh on flute, and Dilshad on sarangi. These sessions captured the spirit and nuance of Indian classical music in a way that felt both rooted and exploratory.
Back in NYC, I brought together another group of amazing musicians — Luis Perdomo on piano, Matt Brewer on bass, Charles Altura on guitar, and myself on drums. The jazz sessions added a different kind of depth and interplay, building on the rhythmic and harmonic language I’ve grown up with here.
This project is essentially a reflection of who I am — drawing from two strong musical lineages that have shaped my identity: Indian classical and jazz. The goal wasn’t just to blend genres for the sake of it, but to find an honest, organic intersection between the two. I tried to include Indian classical elements in a way that goes beyond surface-level fusion — really respecting the depth of both traditions.
It’s not about doing something “new” just to be new, but more about telling my story through sound — a story that naturally spans continents, traditions, and time.
