We had the good fortune of connecting with Prabhu Ragunathan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Prabhu, what matters most to you?
Perseverance matters the most to me. As an artist, I feel that practicing mental fortitude is one of the key elements to pursuing a career in music, just as much as passion and talent. Bluntly speaking, adulthood is exhausting. There are days where I am completely uninspired to pick up the guitar, whether it’s due to some anxiety-inducing event that I ruminate about, or negative internal dialogue and self-doubt. I have actively worked on enduring these moments to still show up for my craft, whether it’s getting in a practice session for a live gig or brainstorming guitar riffs. It’s taught me mindfulness and how to channel my anxiety into positive energy that my future-self will be thankful for.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a guitarist, producer and composer that writes subgenre-agnostic heavy music (ie. all things metal). My music is characterized by fast technical rhythmic guitar work, progressive song structures, and melodic lead guitar work. I am also heavily inspired by video game and movie soundtracks. Although the current landscape of Metal music heavily emphasizes 80s-90s era inspired lead guitar shredding, my guitar work tends to focus on the “modern” rhythm section. I experiment liberally with rhythmic variation, however I place a lot of importance on the “pocket” groove, and I ultimately want people to dance along to my music.

A couple years back nearing the tail end of the pandemic, I found myself uninspired with music and lacking direction. After reaching a point of apathy and hopelessness, one night I decided to work on a metal song that I had started for fun but held no expectations for the final outcome. Ironically, I spent the entire weekend glued to my desk piecing together what would eventually become my single “Slippy Toad”, and developing the key ingredients to my current sound. This experience taught me to focus on writing music that I am genuinely stoked about.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely take them to Deep Ellum, especially on a big show night! I don’t think many city’s have a vibrant music district like Dallas does. I would also take them to all the amazing food spots in Dallas, because let’s be real, Dallas is a place to EAT. There are many places I’d add to the restaurant itinerary, but a couple would be Koryo Korean BBQ, Kuppusamy (or any Indian restaurant in Irving), Velvet Taco, and Uchi sushi in downtown!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My bandmate and colleague, Brandon Burkhalter, has impacted me significantly over the past couple years. Brandon brought me on board as a guitarist for his solo project in 2022, and since then he’s pushed my boundaries as a guitarist and live musician. His mentorship has played a crucial role in my professional development as an artist.

Website: https://bhloommusic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhloomtunes

Youtube: https://Www.youtube.com/@bhloomtunes

Other: Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/038878xcqES9ZWNJ4Ly8hW?si=c3CrCUZBQoaLLLtmPlLUFQ

Image Credits
Zach Burns
Finny John

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.