30/08/2026
FROM UNLIKELY BEGINNINGS TO THREE DECADES OF ROCK: SARAD SHRESTHA’S JOURNEY THROUGH NEPAL’S MUSIC HISTORY
The veteran guitarist who turned passion into a 30-year musical legacy
KATHMANDU — When Sarad Shrestha was a child, he never imagined that music would one day become the defining journey of his life. He had no grand plan of becoming a professional musician, let alone one of Nepal’s most prolific and respected guitarists.
Three decades later, however, Shrestha has become a familiar and influential name in Nepal’s rock music fraternity.
At 50, his longevity in the music industry is itself a rare achievement. In a country where many musicians struggle to sustain long-term careers, Shrestha has remained active across generations, continuously evolving his sound while working with artists and bands representing different musical genres.
For Shrestha, the explanation is surprisingly simple: passion.
He has repeatedly attributed his three-decade-long musical journey to his deep love for music—a passion that has allowed him to keep learning, experimenting and reinventing himself rather than becoming confined to one particular sound.
THE GUITAR FOUND HIM
Shrestha's relationship with music began during his childhood, when he became fascinated by guitars and the musicians around him. What began as curiosity gradually developed into a serious interest.
After completing his SLC, he began pursuing the guitar more seriously and eventually became involved with bands during the formative years of Nepal's modern rock movement.
His early musical journey included Black Wizard and The Sound Mill, before he became associated with one of Nepal's most influential rock bands, The Axe Band.
THE AXE BAND: THE YEARS THAT BUILT HIS NAME
Shrestha's association with The Axe Band became one of the defining chapters of his career.
At a time when Nepali rock was gradually moving from underground stages into the mainstream, The Axe Band emerged as one of the country's prominent rock acts.
Shrestha's guitar work became an important part of the band's musical identity. His playing on songs such as “Thado Jane Ukalo,” “Timro Najarle” and “Euta Chitti” helped establish him as a guitarist capable of combining technical skill with memorable musical expression.
For a generation of young Nepali musicians, Shrestha was more than a band member.
He was an inspiration to pick up the guitar.
LEAVING SUCCESS TO SEARCH FOR SOMETHING NEW
But Shrestha was never content with simply repeating what had already worked.
After years with The Axe Band, he eventually moved on, seeking greater freedom to explore different musical styles.
His departure marked the beginning of another important phase in his life.
He travelled to Hong Kong, where he became involved with different musical projects and cover bands and gained experience performing in a more diverse musical environment.
Among the projects associated with this period were Doctor X and Intellectual Morons, while his wider musical journey also included collaborations and performances across different places and genres.
The experience broadened his musical horizons and reinforced an idea that would become central to his career:
A musician must continue to evolve.
TUMBLEWEED INC.: A NEW MUSICAL IDENTITY
In 2012, Shrestha returned to Nepal and founded Tumbleweed Inc., opening another major chapter in his career.
This time, he moved away from the conventional rock sound for which many listeners knew him.
Tumbleweed explored a combination of rap-rock, funk rock, funk metal, alternative rock and heavier sounds, drawing inspiration from international bands including Rage Against the Machine, Primus, Snot and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The band's debut album, Parichaya, was released in 2014 and featured tracks including “Geda,” “Badlido Samaj,” “Local Thito” and “Mr. President.”
The band followed it with Anyol in 2017.
Tumbleweed's music demonstrated another side of Shrestha—a musician willing to experiment even when the sound did not fit neatly into the mainstream.
FROM GUITARIST TO FRONTMAN
Shrestha's musical evolution continued with Shree 3, a project formed in 2016.
With Shree 3, he ventured deeper into grunge, stoner rock, sludge, hard rock and experimental heavy music.
But this project brought another significant change.
The guitarist who had spent much of his career behind the instrument also stepped forward as a vocalist and frontman.
It was yet another example of Shrestha refusing to allow his musical identity to become fixed.
Shree 3's work, including albums such as Drabya Dharma and Rust in Dust, explored heavier sounds while also addressing themes of society, money, mortality and human existence.
30 YEARS AND STILL EVOLVING
Shrestha's career is remarkable not simply because it has lasted three decades, but because it has continued to change throughout those years.
From the early days of Kathmandu's rock scene to The Axe Band's rise, from Hong Kong's music circuit to Tumbleweed Inc.'s rap-rock and funk-metal experiments, and from there to the heavier world of Shree 3, his career reflects an artist who has consistently refused to stand still.
He has worked across genres, collaborated with different generations of musicians and continued to challenge himself creatively.
In an industry where longevity is difficult to achieve, his ability to remain relevant for 30 years is a story in itself.
PASSION OVER FAME
For Shrestha, however, the numbers appear less important than the music itself.
He has credited his endurance to his passion for music—the same passion that kept him playing, learning and experimenting through different phases of his life.
That passion has carried him through changing musical trends, changing audiences and changing generations.
And perhaps that is why his career has lasted when many others have faded from the scene.
Sarad Shrestha never set out as a child to become a celebrated musician.
But somewhere along the way, the guitar became more than an instrument.
It became his language.
Three decades later, his riffs, compositions and performances remain woven into the story of Nepal's rock movement.
From The Axe Band to Tumbleweed Inc. and Shree 3, Sarad Shrestha's journey is ultimately the story of a musician who never stopped searching for the next sound.
Thirty years on, he is still playing. Still experimenting. Still evolving.
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