A sonic stream of Kerala's soul

TNIE talks to indie band When Chai Met Toast about their latest release, Dreamland — a tribute to Kerala

- RONNIE KURIAKOSE

After nearly a decade of writing songs that radiate warmth, optimism and togetherness, indie pop outfit When Chai Met Toast have circled back to where it all began: home. Their latest release, Dreamland, is both a tribute to Kerala and a glimpse into the band's evolving soundscape.

"We wandered far, with city lights in our eyes and dreams packed in our bags. But the compass always pointed back to you. This land that raised us, loved us, made us," reads the note on their music video released on August 20.

But the idea of home — "every tree, every drop of rain, every spice, every smile" — has been in everything they did. "It's stitched into our soul. In fact, one of our first songs, Joyful Things, was about that," says Ashwin Gopakumar, the band's vocalist. "Now, ten years later, it feels like we've come full circle."

Dreamland is part of their upcoming album, Small Town, Big Love, Little Homes. "In it, we are revisiting those emotions, those memories, and everything that makes home what it is," the band says.

The track emerged during songwriting sessions spread across Kerala, though the spark came thousands of miles away. Touring the US last year, the band found themselves celebrating Onam abroad, missing the familiar rhythms of homeland.