Zain Ali is a self-taught musician who honed his skills as a teenager by recreating the music he would listen to. Zain would listen for the feeling that was being created by a soundscape and imitate it in his work, a process that now informs his music production. His musical inclinations varied with age, starting with western pop, to metal and, now, jazz and world music. Despite these western interests, Zain believes that the foundation of his musical learning was established at a much younger age, with the Pakistani and Indian music he heard at home.

Part of the progressive jazz band Red Blood Cat, Zain made waves on the indie music scene when he released the track Sarak Sarak, featuring Mai Dhai, and has played with mainstream acts like Atif Aslam and Zeb Bangash. This season, Zain brings his skills as an electric guitarist to the canvas of Coke Studio, fusing his understanding of Eastern tonalities with his love for experimental music.