When Chai Met Toast
When Chai Met Toast | |
|---|---|
 From left to right— Pai Sailesh (Drummer), Achyuth Jaigopal (Guitarist), Palee Francis (Keyboard), Ashwin Gopakumar (Vocalist) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Kochi, Kerala, India |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Members |
|
| Website | whenchaimettoast |
When Chai Met Toast is a multilingual indie-folk alternative band[1] formed in Kochi in 2016. The band's lineup comprises lead vocalist Ashwin Gopakumar, guitarist Achyuth Jaigopal, keyboardist Palee Francis, and drummer Pai Sailesh. The band is known for their happy and lighthearted music which they create in English and Hindi, sometimes featuring Tamil and Malayalam lyrics.[2]
Having released two EPs and several singles, the band has been recognized as a rising artist in Spotify’s RADAR program.[3] The video of their single Break Free was chosen as one of VH1 India's top 50 hit videos. They have also developed the tracks for comedian Kenny Sebastian’s 2018 web series Die Trying.[4]
When Chai Met Toast frequently performs at live events and music festivals in India, including Bacardi NH7 Weekender, SulaFest, OnePlus Music festival and Red Bull Tour Bus. In August 2021, their music was featured in the trailer of Farhan Akhtar’s upcoming Bollywood film Jee Le Zaraa.[5]
Band members
- Ashwin Gopakumar – Vocals
- Achyuth Jaigopal – Guitar and Banjo[6]
- Palee Francis – Keyboard and producer
- Pai Sailesh – Drums
| When Chai Met Toast discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 1 |
| EPs | 2 |
| Singles | 3 |
| Music videos | 3 |
| Nature Tapes | 3 |
History
Early years
When Chai Met Toast was originally formed in 2014 by Ashwin and Achytuth, both of whom were independently working on their own music slightly different in genre. Ashwin had made his debut as a playback singer with Home in the movie Jacobinte Swargarajyam,[7] and Payye Veeshum in the movie Aanandam[8] while Achyuth had created his debut track Sound of Memory for the movie Humans of Someone.[9] The duo met at Springr, a music café in Fort Kochi,[10] when Achyuth asked Ashwin to do the vocals for his music. They decided to collaborate and named themselves When Chai Met Toast, to represent the Indian and Western influences in their music. They were soon joined by a friend Ricky on keyboard, who along with Ashwin left the country to study further later. At this time, When Chai Met Toast was on hiatus, Achyuth joined and toured with Raghu Dixit who is the frontman for the Raghu Dixit Project, a multilingual folk music band[11] as their lead guitarist.[12] In 2016, Achyuth and Ashwin returned to Kochi and were joined by Palee and Sailesh to form the new and current version of When Chai Met Toast. The first single they released was Firefly in 2016.
Discography
| Year | Type | Title | Number of Songs | Songs | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Single | Joy of Little Things[13] | 3 |
|
English | |
| 2018 | Single | Run Closer | 1 | Run Closer | English | |
| 2018 | EP | Believe | 4 |
|
English, Tamil, Hindi | |
| 2019 | Single | 'Hop Stomp' | 1 | 'Hop Stomp' | English | |
| 2019 | Single | Nee Aara[14] | 1 | Nee Aara | Malayalam | |
| 2019 | Single | Karam (Equals Sessions) | 1 | Karam (Equals Sessions) | English, Hindi | Collaborated with Rangala Sardar |
| 2020 | Single | Maybe I Can Fly | 1 | Maybe I Can Fly | English | |
| 2020 | Single | When We Feel Young | 1 | When We Feel Young | English,Hindi | |
| 2020 | Single | Kahaani[15] | 1 | Kahaani | Hindi | |
| 2020 | Single | Ocean Tide | 1 | Ocean Tide | English | |
| 2021 | Single | Break Free | 1 | Break Free | English | |
| 2021 | Single | Kahaani (Duet) | 1 | Kahaani – Duet | Hindi | Female Vocals by Pavithra Chari |
| 2021 | Single | Yellow Paper Daisy | 1 | Yellow Paper Daisy | English | |
| 2021 | Album | When We Feel Young[16] | 7 |
|
English, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil | |
| 2022 | Single | Nee Aara – Red Cable Sessions | 1 | Nee Aara – Red Cable Sessions | English | |
| 2022 | Single | Lovin' U | 1 | Lovin' U | English | Released this single as a part of Instagram's #1MinMusic |
References
- ^ Prabhan, Pooja (5 September 2017). "'Chai'vinists and proud!". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ^ "Asia Spotlight: India's When Chai Met Toast on sparking joy with their indie folk tunes". Asia Spotlight: India's When Chai Met Toast on sparking joy with their indie folk tunes | Bandwagon | Music media championing and spotlighting music in Asia. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ^ "Anna Ben appears in When Chai Met Toast's new video". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ^ "Life of a struggling musician". Deccan Herald. 28 February 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ^ "From Shirley Setia to Ritviz... Independent music is scoring the charts amid the pandemic". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ^ Upadhye, Aishwarya (13 December 2019). "Here's the story of how chai met toast". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ "Independent Musician Interview". Offbeat, unusual, unconventional & interesting career interviews. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ^ "Independent Musician Interview". Offbeat, unusual, unconventional & interesting career interviews. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ^ "Tunemasters turn toast of town". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ^ "When Chai Met Toast: 'We Want People to Listen to Happy Music' -". My Site. 9 March 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ^ Vivek Surendran (25 September 2015). "The Raghu Dixit Project enthrall audience at the Global Goals #LightTheWay event". India Today. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ^ "Alumni Stories: Achyuth Jaigopal". Green School Bali. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ^ Tagat, Anurag (27 October 2018). "When Chai Met Toast on their new album Believe, finding their footing — and a growing following". Firstpost. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ^ KP, Gopika (2 August 2019). "With an ode to Kerala floods, 'When Chai Met Toast' says good morning to Malayalam". Onmanorama. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ^ "Anna Ben appears in When Chai Met Toast's new video". The New Indian Express. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ^ Akundi, Sweta (23 September 2020). "When Chai Met Toast's debut album will make you feel young". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 September 2021.