On an unremarkable November day in 2024, the algorithm delivered viewers something dazzlingly real: a Los Angeles living room, a half-lit window, a young man hunched over his guitar, and beside him, his mother seated with classic poise. Their cover of Radiohead's 'Creep' was instantly striking—but not in the way viral videos typically are.
It was intimate, even tender: Abhi Pant, known professionally as Avie Sheck, pierced the veil with raw, angsty vocals, while his mother Uma wove a thread of hope with Hindustani raga Bilawal. In a single take, 90s alternative rock was infused with centuries-old Indian melody, and pain was reframed as healing.
Within days, the video had eclipsed 10 million views on Instagram, and the story of Sheck and Uma—child of immigrants and classical vocalist mother—became 2024's feel-good viral fairytale.
Roots and roadblocks: Uma’s long path
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Before their social stardom, music was already the warp and weft of the Pant family life. Uma, who grew up in Uttarakhand, trained for years in Hindustani vocal and dreamed of playback glory. In 2005, director Mala Srivastava approached her to sing for "Megha Aa," the first-ever Kumaoni film, an offer most singers would leap at. Yet traditional family norms intervened: unmarried, Uma was forbidden to travel for her big break. She chose a different path, becoming a music teacher as the family moved from India to Thailand, then Japan, and finally to the US.
Even among routine and regret, Uma never stopped singing—classical practice at sunrise, lullabies at night—and a vow: one day, her son would have the chances she did not.
An American son, a global ear
Avie Sheck, born Abhi Pant, displayed talent and a chameleon's ear from childhood. His first performance at age five, a cover of Michael Jackson's 'Heal The World', was for a school contest, admired from backstage by Uma. Adolescence brought rock, then college ushered in more extreme bands, hip-hop experimentations, and—eventually—a grind of busking, bar gigs, and self-produced tracks across LA's perpetual sprawl.
But with every pivot, Avie brought something of home: those early hours hearing ragas, Uma's harmonium, or the strange, swirling wisdom of Indian scales. “My mom’s music is always in my bones, even when I’m playing something else,” he reflected in one interview.
Setbacks, sobriety, and a new muse
Like many artists, Sheck's journey rarely looked like success. He spent years juggling music and a corporate job, struggling with self-doubt and unhealthy habits. “There was so much sadness in the fact that I’m not doing what I’m meant to do,” he says. It was only after embracing sobriety and quitting his day job a year ago that Avie resolved to forge his own path: full-time music creation, pop covers to build an audience, and, crucially, weekly collaborations with Uma.
The magic was evident on their Instagram. When Uma casually suggested raga Bhairavi over a Tame Impala cover, they jammed, recorded, and posted. Followers swelled. Then came the "Creep" cover—a turning point. Instead of a song of alienation, Uma’s improvisation on Bilawal felt like a mother’s warm arms around her son’s wounds. “It’s like his mom is healing him from his lowest of lows,” a fan commented.
Overnight, decades in the making
The public response was overwhelming:
Label offers poured in.
SpaceX invited them to perform at a rocket launch.
Alt-R&B giant SZA gave them a shoutout.
They released their first original, “Now I Know,” in January 2025, a lush synth-pop ode that weaves East and West.
Their live shows—a rare joint Indian-classical/pop set—now draw packed crowds from Los Angeles to Austin.
Yet Sheck and Uma are quick to dismiss the “overnight” label. “It took us half a lifetime, but we’re finally making it happen,” Avie mused. Their gift is not simply fusion, but the comfort between them: a mother’s hope, a son’s gratitude, and an uncanny ability to bridge generations.
Building bridges, on tour and beyond
With new originals planned, a touring show that marries ragas and synths, and creative freedom as their guide, the duo are demystifying Indian classical music for a global audience. Avie aims to “make America fall in love with Indian classical music—and my mom.” Uma, ever the teacher, sums it up with quiet pride: “I feel so happy when people say they’re healed by our music. That’s all I need.”
