The song was inspired by a family member losing his driver's license because he had gotten too old to drive. What may seem to be a practical change on the surface has a much deeper meaning. Many people who drive day to day may not realize what is lost when they lose the ability to drive a sense of freedom and agency.
Prem Byrne brings that emotional point of view to the music, with a soulful vocal performance and an arrangement that mixes acoustic and electronic elements. The result is lush, moving, and intimate, giving the song enough room for the subject matter to have an impact without being overly dramatic.
The instrumentation also contributes to the track's unique character Byrne (guitar, vocals, bansuri). The song is a fusion of pop, rock, and world music influences. This gives it a slightly more subtle '80s flavor and adds another layer to its sound, helping "How Life Is" carve out its own musical space. The beauty of the single is how it takes something so specific and finds something universal in it. The loss of a driver's license becomes a broader meditation on aging, independence, and the changes that ultimately touch everyone's lives.