Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ) have been making music for nearly 3 decades, and they’re nowhere near calling it quits. This Bangalore-based rock band, formed in 1996, has spent years carving out a unique space in India’s music scene. In their early days, the band dubbed their style "Bangalore Rock", a classic rock foundation infused with an Indian soul. It’s a sound and an attitude that has won them a loyal following.
If the band’s name sounds quirky, that’s because it is. As the story goes, TAAQ stumbled upon “Thermal and a Quarter” in the 90s when they needed a name to register for a college contest. 'The band at that point comprised three Malayalees and one self-described quarter Malayalee. So it became three Malayalees and a quarter Malayalee – Thermal and a Quarter,' the members recall with a laugh. The tongue-in-cheek name stuck, a fitting reflection of the band’s playful yet rooted identity.
Doing It Their Way
In an era when most Indian rock bands were obsessed with covering Western hits, Thermal and a Quarter wrote their songs. From the beginning, the band focused on original music, capturing the “free-spiritedness of an evolving Bengaluru” in their lyrics and sound. 'None of us wanted to [chase formulaic success]. You can tell by the fact that the music is not overly populist – it’s a little left-of-centre and unusual sometimes,' they say. TAAQ quickly earned a reputation as pioneers who bucked trends.
The Secret to Longevity
How does a band stay motivated after almost three decades? For TAAQ, it’s simple: this is who they are. 'It’s not just habit, it’s life. We just keep playing.' There’s no plan B for these musicians, and that passion is shared across the lineup. Getting together to jam, write, and perform still gives them a thrill. 'We have so much pleasure in making music and performing for people… It’s not waning. I feel like it’s grown over the years.'
Drummer Rajeev Rajagopal, guitarist Tony Das, and bassist Leslie Charles – who, along with Bruce, have been the core of the band for over a decade now share a similar outlook. They don’t rest on past laurels; each gig, each song is a fresh challenge. 'Every year is a new year, every album is like starting over,' says Rajagopal. That lack of complacency keeps TAAQ young at heart even as they’ve become elder statesmen of Indian indie music.
Albums as Time Capsules
Unlike the modern strategy of churning out singles, Thermal and a Quarter still believe in the art of the album. Each album, they say, is a snapshot of the world through their eyes at that time. Their 2000 debut, cheekily titled ThermalAndAQuarter.com, dropped at the peak of the dot-com boom – just as the band members were finishing college and figuring out adult life. By 2002’s Jupiter Café, Bangalore was transforming into an IT outsourcing hub, and TAAQ captured the city’s changing landscape and their own evolving identity as 'Indian guys in a South Indian city playing Western rock.' 2005’s Plan B and 2009’s This Is It continued the commentary on societal shifts, while 2012’s 3 Wheels 9 Lives and 2015’s twin releases The Scene and No Wall Too High found the band experimenting with new sounds and concepts.
Then came 2020’s A World Gone Mad. Little did TAAQ know when they laboured over that album for four years that its release date – March 24, 2020 – would coincide with the start of a global pandemic lockdown. Suddenly, songs about a world in chaos felt eerily prophetic. 'A lot of people called that album weirdly prescient,' Bruce notes. 'We had no idea… the world was going to completely change. It was strange that it had as much resonance as it did.' The record struck a chord as reality seemingly caught up with TAAQ’s creative vision. Ten tracks of urgent, edgy rock became the unofficial soundtrack for fans weathering the COVID storm.
Channeling Chaos into New Music
Fast forward to today, and the world hasn’t exactly calmed down – nor has Thermal and a Quarter. The band is currently cooking up their ninth studio album, and if World Gone Mad was intense, this next one might just crank it to eleven. 'This new album is perhaps the closest cousin to World Gone Mad in terms of sonic palette,' Bruce hints. 'It’s going to be heavy, it’s going to be dark, it’s going to be angry in parts… all of these things that we’re feeling right now, looking around at what the world is.'
The past few years have been a whirlwind of misinformation, division, and conflict – fertile ground for TAAQ’s brand of thoughtful, fiery music. 'Everything is amped up right now, much more than we’ve ever seen,' Rajeev observes, citing the post-pandemic surge in global turmoil. The band scrapped an early batch of songs for the new album and started over, determined to push themselves to capture the truth of these tumultuous times. The result, they promise, won’t be for the faint of heart. Longtime listeners might be surprised. 'People who are used to hearing a particular kind of thing from us might not hear much of that here,' Tony says of the work-in-progress, teasing a bold new direction. Of course, certain signature touches will remain – after all, it’s still the same four guys making the music – but TAAQ isn’t interested in retreading old ground. After 30 years, they’re still reinventing.
Old-School Grit in a New Age
As veterans who have witnessed the music industry’s evolution from cassette tapes to streaming algorithms, TAAQ has strong opinions on the current scene. They appreciate how technology has made creating and sharing music easier, yet they caution against losing the human touch. 'You can very easily see through something that’s electronically generated versus something real. Sometimes those imperfections are what make it so beautiful,' Rajagopal points out. In other words, polish is great, but soul is greater. The band encourages younger artists to use all the modern tools – just not as a crutch. Be yourself, they insist, and put in the time to hone your craft. 'At the end of the day, it’s about what you’re trying to say, not just how well it’s presented,” says Rajeev. Frontman Bruce Lee Mani agrees, advising creators to adapt technology to serve art, not vice versa: “There’s never been a better time to use all these tools to express yourself. But try and find the most honest way to do it. If that means using AI, maybe that’s also fine. Be authentic, be genuine to what you want to say.'
After all, authenticity is the thread that runs through Thermal and a Quarter’s storied career. It’s why they’ve survived when so many others faded. They started this band for the love of music, and decades later, that love still burns bright. As they gear up for the next album, Thermal and a Quarter’s journey stands as a testament to staying true to your art and your identity. They’ve caught a few monkeys along the way, but the chase isn’t over – and the rock ‘n’ roll road ahead is wide open.
Words Harita Odedara
8.07.2025
