Seattle-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist Nikhil Bagga has quickly won over fans and critics alike with his undeniable charm and contagious enthusiasm. Deeply connected with music from a young(er) age, Bagga took up guitar at nine so he could learn to play along with his favorites: AC/DC, Ed Sheeran, Ayron Jones, and Queen. His first public performance was busking in San Diego – on his 10th birthday. Only 12 years old, he is a pre-teen human jukebox. 

Bagga went on to perform at the SMASH Seattle “Songs of Hope” Benefit and the Big Table Benefit supporting restaurant workers impacted by COVID. With a gift for playing by ear and a passion for melodic exploration, he spent the early days of the pandemic sharing a song a day with his fans, covering artists spanning the pop and rock canon. 

Soon, playing covers wasn’t enough to satisfy his passion. Bagga started writing, documenting his daily reality in song. After amassing a catalog of originals, he wanted to find a way to share his music with others. Recorded at Seattle’s London Bridge Studios with producer Eric Lilavois (Macklemore, Death Cab for Cutie), Bagga is poised to release his debut full-length recording Leap of Faith in the spring of 2022. The record features drummer Ben Smith (Heart) and bassist Jeff Rouse (Loaded) in addition to Bagga’s vocals and guitar.

Today Bagga has shared the title track to his album, Leap of Faith.  “I am 12 years old and this was the second song I wrote when I was 10. This song is about letting the past go.  In fact, it was the day that we got our new Dog  Daisy and it’s from her perspective. I recorded it at London Bridge Studios in Seattle. Eric Lilivois was the producer. I had Ben Smith from Heart accompanying me on Drums and Jeff Rouse from Loaded on Bass,” Bagga says.

Leap of Faith is an imminently engaging, effortlessly charming debut from an artist that has a (very) long career ahead of him. No novelty, the record is imbued with the purity and joy that can only be found by embracing and fully inhabiting one’s true passion. A precious thing in its own right, Leap of Faith stands as a reminder that art created for its own sake can be truly freeing and cathartic. Let yourself inhabit Bagga’s musical world and watch the dark clouds drift away.

Photo Courtesy: Bob Bagga