Mellow Does it…

"It feels like a coming-of-age film, " notes bassist Malay Vadalkar of Straightforward Wanderlings after his recent performance in Delhi.

Key points

• Their music has additionally entered conversations beyond entertainment, featuring at COP26 Glasgow, the Outrage + Optimism climate podcast and the World Federation for Mental Health's Global Mental Health Festival.
• The band was formed in 2015 when a bunch of college students decided to start making music together.
• Talking regarding their journey, founder and songwriter Sanyanth Naroth states that initially they chose anonymity.
• Their session itself had the quality of chance, inspiring the title of their debut album, As Written in the Stars.
• Soft songs, and the cosy ambience adds to the feel of their songs and the values their music stands for, notes Vadalkar.

Notably, the band was formed in 2015 when a bunch of college students decided to start making music together. From the college corridors in Pune to major cities of India, they have, besides making music, additionally learned lessons of friendship along the way.

They are at present on their nationwide tour titled 'Ten Years on the Map', that traces a journey beginning at The Piano Man in Delhi and winds through Gurugram, Jaipur, Navi Mumbai, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Goa, Kochi, Angamaly, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The venues are as much a part of the experience as the songs, reflecting a band that has always discovered inspiration in travel and human connection.

Soft songs, and the cosy ambience adds to the feel of their songs and the values their music stands for, notes Vadalkar. From museums to rooftop art hubs, the band has specifically chosen venues that allow the audience to connect with their story rather than passively consume it.

For context, the music could be from anywhere in the world. It is influenced by Western instruments with particularly light Indian touch. They are original songs written in the English language. Hence, they describe themselves as global musicians devoid of any borders hindering the reach of their songs. Their influences stretch throughout folk, soul and soft rock, with artists such as Simon & Garfunkel, Kings of Convenience, Bread, Aretha Franklin and Etta James finding a place in their musical vocabulary.

Talking regarding their journey, founder and songwriter Sanyanth Naroth states that initially they chose anonymity. For their first two years, the members concealed their faces and names, allowing their music to exist without the usual trappings of a band identity. "We didn't want the band to have geographical barriers. It was not a publicity gimmick but a philosophy – let the songs speak first, " he notes.

Their session itself had the quality of chance, inspiring the title of their debut album, As Written in the Stars. A decade afterwards, the same eight musicians remain together. "Interestingly, our mothers are equally involved in the journey as we are. They are our biggest cheerleaders and have even formed a WhatsApp group, " Naroth adds.

Notably, the band members have become a major family now. "We came into each other's lives at the right time. The right members coming together was like a breeze, " he notes.

Their quiet, introspective sound has travelled far beyond the independent music circuit. Their EP Caught in a Parade was named Best Indian EP of the Year by Rolling Stone India. Songs such as 'Mayflower' and 'Enemy' discovered wider audiences, with 'Enemy' featuring in Amazon Prime Video's Gehraiyaan. The band has appeared at Lollapalooza India, NH7 Weekender, VH1 Supersonic and Echoes of the Earth; toured the UK and Europe; and opened for international acts including The Lumineers and Tinariwen.

Yet, their first recordings emerged from makeshift home studios, assembled with borrowed instruments and whatever equipment they could find. When they appeared at NH7 Weekender in their early days, they did not even own guitars-such things never became an obstacle.

They are now looking forward to their next chapter. Their forthcoming album, due in 2027, will be preceded by Mellow, a collaboration with singer-songwriter Mali. Published on August 13, the track unfolds through soft acoustic textures, delicate harmonies and a gliding flugelhorn melody – music that feels deliberately unhurried. That pace is central to the anniversary tour.

Naroth notes the band's songs have travelled with listeners on road trips, through weddings and lonely days, quietly becoming part of their lives.

Meanwhile, the tour, then, is a way of returning to those listeners – and to the places that create listening feel intimate again. "Every member's perspective contributes to the final sound, creating an organic dynamic that carries from rehearsals into recordings and live performances, " the duo remarked.

As Straightforward Wanderlings cross the country, they will additionally document its individuals, food, landscapes and local cultures, turning the tour itself into a visual diary. Ten years on, the band is still wandering. They say, only now, the map is theirs to share.

For now, mellow Does it. Remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.