Chambalguy

Chambalguy
Birth name	Somanshu Agarwal
Born	October 7, 1991 (age 34); Gwalior, India
Origin	Pune, India
Genres	Indie folk, Acoustic, Rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter; Musician; Product Manager;
Instruments	Vocals; Guitar; Piano; Cajon;
Years active	2015–present
Labels	Independent (via CDBaby)
Website	chambalguy.com

Somanshu Agarwal, known by his creative name Chambalguy, is an Indian indie folk singer-songwriter, musician, and product manager from Gwalior, India. Self-taught, he has been making independent music since 2015. He is best known for his track "Chalein" and his EP yaqeen (2023), which was featured in Rock Street Journal's Best EPs of 2023. His debut full-length album Ufaan was released in June 2025.

Early life and career

Somanshu Agarwal grew up in Gwalior, a city historically known as the birthplace of the classical musician Tansen. He had no formal music training and did not own a guitar growing up. During his B.Tech, he borrowed a guitar from a friend and taught himself to play using YouTube tutorials in his hostel room.

He recorded his first song "Raat" in 2015 while working as a software developer in Pune. He later quit his job to pursue music full-time, an attempt that did not succeed commercially. He subsequently completed an MBA from IMT Nagpur and returned to Pune as a product manager, while continuing to write and release music independently under the name Chambalguy.

His debut EP Tarana was released in 2019, followed by the single "Chalein" the same year. His work gained wider recognition with the release of the EP yaqeen in 2023, which was named one of the best EPs of the year by Rock Street Journal. His debut full-length album Ufaan, a ten-track full band record, was released on 15 June 2025.

Musical style and influences

Chambalguy's music blends indie folk, acoustic, and rock with Hindi and English lyrics. His songwriting is characterised by raw, personal storytelling rooted in experiences of failure, heartbreak, and resilience. He self-funds all his music and describes the project as "a self-funded rebellion."

His work has been described as "brutally honest" (Musicmandir), "intimate, personal, and sounds good" (Rock Street Journal), and "a raw and heartfelt sonic experience" (Punekar News).

Awards and recognition

Featured in Rock Street Journal Best EPs of 2023 for yaqeen
Featured in Homegrown Music Releases on Radar (January 2023)
Featured in Punekar News (June 2025) for album Ufaan
Featured in MusiCulture, IndieCollective, IDAMOSS, and Musicmandir

Discography

Studio Albums

Year	Title	Label
2025	Ufaan	Independent

Extended Plays

Year	Title	Tracks
2019	Tarana	Laut Ke Aunga / Raat / Tarana
2022	3 AM	Peace in the Himalayas / Finding Self / The Hope Party / Sunrise
2023	yaqeen	dil yeh aaj / yun toh / din / yaqeen / dur

Singles

Year	Title
2019	"Chalein"
2021	"Love Me"
2021	"Sun Is Gonna Shine"
2022	"Tum"
2023	"khwab"
2023	"New Place"
2024	"Tonight"
2024	"Manzil"
2024	"Kya Likhun?"
2025	"Manzil (Reprise)"

References

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