Having spent a major part of the year touring, the Kochi alt-folk quartet of When Chai Met Toast speak about their journey on the road, future plans and their latest EP, Love you the same
The band’s India tour is spread across eight cities, including Mumbai
It is a busy afternoon as we catch up with Achyuth Jaigopal over the phone. He is still chatting with Palee Francis. “It is just the two of us,” the guitarist sheepishly admits, adding that vocalist Ashwin Gopakumar’s engagement marks another key point in their journey this year. The trio, along with drummer Pai Sailesh, has been on tour since May 2022, covering the UK, the US and now, India, on a marathon trail.
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“Usually May and June are the off season for us. That’s when monsoon begins and gigs slow down,” Jaigopal reveals. The statement might have been true when the Kochi-based quartet first began in 2016. In the last few years, however, they have broken into the big leagues. Their recent UK tour saw them sell out The Garage, as well as perform to sold-out shows in Birmingham and Glasgow. “It was a thrill to perform at Glasgow [King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut], a venue where bands we admire, such as The 1975 and Coldplay, have held shows,” the guitarist remarked.
Achyuth Jaigopal
It is the latest evolution in the band’s journey. Jaigopal admits as much, saying, “The year before last we did our first UK Tour. Since then, it has been a busy few years. It was completely new for us to tour outside the country and put ourselves out there. Quite challenging, but also a very rewarding experience in the end,” he says.
The first tour introduced them to Richard Wilkinson, producer and collaborator on their latest EP, Love you the same, which was released in May 2023. “It has been a dream for us to work on a project overseas,” shares drummer Sailesh. It was smooth sailing, he recalls, “Richard was a fantastic collaborator with great insight. We managed to record all four tracks within 30 to 35 days on the tour.”
The EP shows a remarkable evolution with beautiful melodies, combinations and arrangements that show a sophisticated production. The signature style of the band stands out, and is enhanced by soaring vocals, piano melodies and subtle percussion. For this writer, Sushi song remains the pick, followed by the finale of Love you the same.
“We can’t pick favourites. Each track has a distinctive connection to every member in the band,” Sailesh notes. “The entire EP was written with the narrative in mind. The theme is built around love and heartbreak — something everyone in the band has gone through. It was personal in many ways,” Jaigopal points out.
The personal connection meant they spent almost a year working on the tracks, fine-tuning them before their eventual release. The EP was recorded the year before last, he shares. Sailesh adds, “Each one of us had a connection to the lyrics and the songs. So, we spent a lot of time structuring and arranging it before arriving on the final form.”
The band has certainly been busy. Their latest work — Mazey mein, a track from the Babil Khan-led film, Friday Night Plan — released on September 3. “We have another Bollywood project lined up for later this year,” Jaigopal reveals, while refusing to add anything more. But music production is currently taking a backseat. The only jamming they get to do, Sailesh admits, is between sets. “It is fun, and always free,” he notes.
“This year, the focus is primarily on the tour. The India tour will go on till October. We have a few more shows in Bangladesh and Singapore to follow the India tour. Then, there are plans to play at some cool music festivals,” the guitarist remarks. Among them is the Mumbai event of SpxceJxm in November that will feature headline acts Bastille and Kodaline. “Right now, the calendar looks packed with shows,” he signs off.
On: September 16; 7 pm onwards
At: Dublin Square, Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla West.
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