Easy Wanderlings Deliver Celestial New EP ‘Caught in a Parade’ 

Since their two-track release My Place to You in 2019, Pune soul/easy listening group Easy Wanderlings have had a busy couple of years. The band went on to release a few singles, a live record called The Akkare Tapes and even began teasing tracks from their just-released new five-track EP, Caught in a Parade.  

The act – comprising composer-lyricist Sanyanth Naroth, vocalist Pratika Gopinath, flautist Siya Ragade, violinist Shardul Bapat, bassist Malay Vadalkar, guitarist Sharad Rao, keyboardist Nitin Muralikrishna and drummer Abraham Zachariah – move away from their folk and indie-pop sound heard previously on their 2017 debut album As Written in the Stars and My Place to You, and showcase much more of their modern soul and funk side on Caught in a Parade. Rao says, “The goal for us is to make music without getting caught up in genres; to make music that we genuinely feel in the moment, but still capturing the essence of the Wanderlings. We think this EP is a great first step in that direction.” 

Caught in a Parade opens with the band’s single released previously in 2021, the soft rock offering “Enemy.” The song also appeared in this year’s 2022 Indian romantic drama film Gehraiyaan. Next up is the radiating “Center of the Universe” before we’re treated to a beautiful acoustic-leaning ballad called “Mayflower” for which the Wanderlings call upon Mumbai singer-songwriter Nikhil D’Souza to feature on. Naroth says, “We’ve been an admirer of Nikhil’s work and had a good feeling his voice would suit the song. We sent him the track and before we knew it, we were all in the studio. We love the way it has come out and are very happy to have had him on this special song.” 

The collaboration with D’Souza is followed by the blissful and calming “Castles In The Air.” The EP closes with an upbeat number called “Makin’ My Move” that oozes soul and funk, which the band also released in 2021.  

Overall, Caught in a Parade has a moment for every kind of listener that the band have carefully catered to. There are heartfelt and mellow sections, captivating songwriting, lush vocal textures throughout, clever production nuances, slick musicianship whether it’s a funky bassline, melodic guitar solo, drum grooves adding spice to a song or just controlling dynamics to a tee as well as music to get you off your feet and move. The band have definitely delivered a solid body of work. “Caught in a Parade is a very important mile marker for us as a band,” says Rao.  

With a music video already out for “Mayflower,” the band also embarked on a multi-city tour over the last month across the country to promote the album. With one more show as part of their tour and the group’s hometown gig set to take place later this month at Pune’s antiSOCIAL, the band have also invited Mumbai-based singer-songwriter Raghav Meattle to be part of the lineup. “It’s been three years since our last tour, not to mention that this is our first tour where 90 percent of the performances are ticketed events. For the safety of the audience and the band, we urge anyone attending our shows to wear a mask for what it’s worth,” says Rao.  

Stream ‘Caught In A Parade’ on Spotify below and on other platforms.