“Still emotional, but braver”: LANDOKMAI unpacks their debut English-language EP 'WHAT EVE?'

Thai dream pop duo LANDOKMAI are no strangers to wistful melodies and heart-on-sleeve storytelling. Since their viral hit ‘First Love Song’ first tugged on Gen Z’s heartstrings, they've built a dreamy sonic world full of vintage lo-fi textures and soft-spoken truths. Now, they’re taking their sound global.

Recently, LANDOKMAI unveiled WHAT EVE?, their first-ever English-language EP. Marking a new chapter in their artistic journey, the five-track record includes collaborations with Korean indie darling Hoseung of SURL and unveils new layers of vulnerability and playfulness in the band's signature dreamy palette.

With songs like ‘Mr. Masterpiece’, ‘Love Me Still’, and ‘Bye Bye Neverland’, the duo explore themes of self-worth, heartbreak, and growing up with poetic honesty — proving that music truly is a universal language. We caught up with LANDOKMAI to talk about stepping out of their comfort zone, collaborating across countries, and the stories behind their most personal songs yet.

Congratulations on WHAT EVE?! What does releasing your first English-language EP mean to you both personally and artistically?

It’s a very big step for us. We were nervous at first, but also excited. Personally, it feels like we are trying to send our message to wider audiences, even if it’s not in our first language. Artistically, we could try new sounds and new words. It’s like drawing with new colors. We just wanted to be honest and have fun with it.

What challenges or surprises did you face while writing and recording in English for the first time?

Sometimes it was hard to say what we feel in English. We had to find simple words that still convey the exact feeling we want to express, which was not easy at all. But eventually, we were surprised that some lyrics came out very naturally and fit very well with our songs.

‘Mr. Masterpiece’ feels like an emotional climax — can you share what inspired that track and why you chose it as the EP closer?

It’s about someone who is too perfect to be yours. You can only look at them, like a "Masterpiece" in a museum. We wrote this song to reflect the emotion of when one is trying to move on from that kind of feeling. We put it at the end because it’s like saying goodbye, but in a soft and kind way.

You’ve collaborated with Hoseung from SURL on ‘Finger Paint’. How did that cross-country collab come about, and what was the creative process like?

We’ve been fans of SURL for a long time, and we thought Hoseung’s voice would fit this song so well. We sent him the demo and lyrics, and he really understood it. Even though we worked from different countries, it felt very smooth — like we were painting the same picture together from far away.

There’s a powerful vulnerability across songs like ‘Love Me Still’ and ‘Bye Bye Neverland’. Were there any specific life moments that sparked these stories?

Yes… ‘Love Me Still’ was actually inspired by the movie Interstellar. There’s a scene that made us think about time, distance, and how sometimes you’re changing so much — or falling apart — while still hoping someone will love you the same. It’s about losing your sense of self, and still begging to be loved.

And ‘Bye Bye Neverland’ is about growing up, saying goodbye to the safe world of childhood. But instead of sadness, it’s more of a proud goodbye. Like saying, “I’ve changed, but I’m still me. And that’s enough.” There’s a part where we have a kid choir singing — your younger self praising who you’ve become, even if you’re not the person you once dreamed to be.

Sonically, the EP blends dream pop with lo-fi textures and nostalgic synths — how do you see your sound evolving through this record compared to All My Purple Feelings?

This EP feels more playful and curious. We still love dreamy sounds, but this time we tried more raw textures. In All My Purple Feelings, the songs were softer and emotional. But WHAT EVE? has more attitude. It feels like us, just growing up a bit — still emotional, but braver.

This EP has been described as a step into the global music scene. What kind of connection are you hoping to build with international listeners through these songs?

We just hope they feel something. Maybe they don’t know every word, but they can feel the emotion. As we all know, music is a universal language — that’s the beautiful thing about it. We want them to feel close to us, even if we are far away.

More broadly speaking, your previous songs have sparked TikTok trends and racked up millions of streams. How do you navigate creating music that’s both personal and widely resonant?

We never plan to go viral. We just try to honestly convey our emotions through our songs. If the song feels real to us, maybe someone out there will feel the same. It’s very special when people can connect with it.

From collaborating with wave to earth to playing at Neon Oasis Festival — how have these recent experiences shaped your view of Asian indie music’s future?

We feel very lucky to be part of this moment. Asian indie is growing so fast, and it’s full of various voices and sounds. When we met artists from other countries, we felt like we understood and connected to each other, even without saying much. It made us feel more hopeful and proud to be part of it.

Now that WHAT EVE? is out in the world, what’s next for LANDOKMAI?

We want to keep writing. Maybe more English songs, maybe Thai again — we’re still exploring. We also hope to perform in more countries. But mostly, we just want to stay honest with our sound and passion. Whatever comes next, we want it to feel true to us! Finally, we hope you guys like our new EP. We hope to meet you guys soon someday. Thank you so much, Bandwagon!