“My hope is that my songs will stretch and breathe in the meanings that you give them." That sentiment is the driving force behind NY-based singer-songwriter TOTEM’s music. A first generation Indian-American whose parents traveled across the globe to make a home in the United States in the early '80s, TOTEM’s earliest memories were listening to Top 40 radio while waiting for the bus to elementary school in Raleigh, North Carolina. Along with a few choice records from his parent’s collection (The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, ABBA, The Carpenters), 90s Pop & R&B music served as an early musical compass. Inspired by his first CDs, Oasis’ “What’s the Story, Morning Glory,” Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous,” and Boyz II Men’s “II”, music became his ultimate fascination. The first TOTEM songs surfaced online in 2013 to acclaim from music blogs and the industry alike. In those early bedroom-produced tunes, fans discovered an artist finding his voice after years spent struggling to be heard. TOTEM’s three EPs; Pride, Echoes and Picture Perfect and a number of breakout singles including Addicted, Bubblegum, and Aftertaste, have showcased this evolution, transforming into an indie-pop powerhouse, earning rave reviews from Billboard, the Fader and TIME, among others.