Anand Wilder: Indie Rocker and Dad on Raising Bicultural City-Kids Who Aren't Afraid of Spice 🌶️

We sit down with Anand Wilder—musician, songwriter, former Yeasayer frontman, and devoted dad—to explore how his bicultural Indian-American upbringing, family life, and passion for music intertwine in the kitchen, at home, and in his community. Anand talks about being joyfully unconcerned with “authenticity” in cuisine, raising kids who are proud of their heritage (and skilled at counting the chili peppers in their meal), and the influence of his mother, a former culinary instructor who shaped his love for cooking. He reflects on how his approach to food mirrors his eclectic musical career and shares what it’s like to juggle life as the primary parent while rebuilding his artistry. He offers a perspective that’s unpretentious, upbeat, and refreshingly candid.

We also talk about:

• 🎸 Delicate Steve – the genre-bending guitarist Anand first “discovered”
• 📚 Masala Lab by Krish Ashok - Anand’s recommended primer on learning to cook Indian food at home
• 🎶 Anand’s NEW Solo Album: Psychic Lessons
• 🐕 Dosa My Honey – Zazie’s track (Anand’s daughter): listen here!

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Credits

• Produced: Dinner Last Night & REP Studio
• Edited: REP Studio
• Music by: ⁣Emerson ‘Longstory’ Bartlett, lyricist/songwriter/philosophizer
• Saxophone: Drew Martin