In this episode of Talktopia Sessions, hosts Abhijit and Ashish welcome guitarist and songwriter Rohit H. Sivaram, visiting from the United States, to discuss his journey from being born in the US to growing up in Hyderabad, learning guitar through bands and early online lessons, and later moving back to the US to study at Berklee and build his career. Rohit shares key influences from ’80s hard rock and metal to prog, jazz and experimental styles, plus how he balances technical guitar playing with accessible songwriting, including vocals and lyrics on his solo record Unearth Prophecy and Indian-heritage elements like Carnatic ideas. He performs songs including “Pine Cone,” “Na Shara,” and “Snow Globe,” talks about Lollapalooza India highlights, the realities of original music vs cover-band culture, and diversifying income through teaching and clinics, and gives his perspective on AI tools like Suno and why human connection and live music matter.

Hosted by: Abhijit Chanda (  / abhijit.chanda  ) Ashish Ddavidd (  / voiceoverashish  )

Recorded & Mixed by: Anubhav Verma (  / anubhav.music  ) and Ashish Ddavidd (  / voiceoverashish  )

Filmed and edited by: Tushar Gaurav (  / gauravtushar_  ) Aryan Sood (  / aryan_sood49  )

Shot at Talktopia Podcasts, a part of Elf Studios, New Delhi.