I am listening to the Letters to Ubin EP and smiling to myself because I am thinking of how a critic/observer of the local scene slammed iNCH’s music for being ‘soft’ and ‘not edgy’. Fact is that could not be further from the truth. Perhaps that critic was fooled by iNCH’s public persona! Certainly, there are numerous elements of Letters to Ubin that most casual listeners would consider too arty and indulgent — definitely ‘edgy’!
Back in 2011, in a public Facebook note, singer-songwriter iNCH (a.k.a Inch Chua) criticised Singaporean attitudes toward local music. iNCH even moved out of Singapore (to the US) in order to pursue her musical career. Four years later, back in Singapore, as a packed audience demonstrates their hearty approval, iNCH is moved to tears by a post-gig video filled with expressions of congratulations, love, admiration and celebration for the launch of iNCH’s new EP, Letters to Ubin.
Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: iNCH – LETTERS TO UBIN EP LAUNCH
Xiao Zar Bo (“Crazy Women” in the Hokkien dialect) is a bi-annual music initiative fronted by iNCH and Esther Lowless, designed to provide a platform to female singer-songwriters to showcase their own works. The rather stately environs of the Singjazz Club delivered a suitable venue for this sold out ticketed (over 80 pax) premiere event. The audience was appreciative of the efforts of the ‘crazy ladies’ throughout and there was an air of community and collaboration about the performances as performers fronted and backed each other seamlessly.
For the two headliners – iNCH and Esther Lowless – it was an opportunity to share music from upcoming releases in a safe environment. Eschewing the need for a rhythm section, relying more on backing tracks (for iNCH) and copious harmonies and stringed instruments, there was a beatific ambience about the entire proceedings. iNCH went further and shared with the crowd a sensational little secret (which shall remain so till officially announced) and new songs from her much anticipated Letters From Ubin EP. Esther herself played a couple of new songs – “Warpaint” and “Withered Oak Tree” that highlighted the cinematic prog-rock style that distinguishes her music from the rest. Watch out for the new album!
KindaKim (aka violinist Kim Eun Hyung) set out an astonishing live looper performance complemented by what would be described as commercial-alternative pop songs. Her use of a looper was illuminating – taking occasional to speed up her loops which made her songs quite distinctive in the main. Though self-deprecating about her singing, it fit her songwriting perfectly (one of the main rules of songwriting) and overall, her set was an engaging one.
Lisa Haryono opened the night with a enthralling lineup of piano-based originals that hearkened to old-school pop compositions. jazz-pop-soul numbers were thrown out effortlessly as Lisa’s gorgeous voice bounced around the walls and into our collective hearts, sending chills down spines. It’s amazing to think that Lisa is already such an accomplished musician (as a session cellist) as well as fronting one of most promising Singapore bands out there (Enec.e), and to add this other musical persona to the list was simply mind blowing. Please record these soulful gems soon, Lisa!
One of the best local gigs in recent memory left me with mixed feelings somewhat. On the one hand, I appreciated the coziness of the affair and being able to savour the wonder of some of my favourite singer-songwriters up close but on the other hand, I would have loved for 500, 1000 or even 2000 people to have witnessed this! So good! But also, the sight of iNCH’s producer Evan Low in a tight-fitting dress was enough to gain him the accolade of Xiao Zar Bo of the night! See what you missed?
… still there’s more …
I must confess that when I first heard about Bandwagon‘s intention to feature bands in the bus on the way to Urbanscapes, I was skeptical. But after the actual experience, I must admit that they pulled it off, despite my reservations. The road trip itself had quite a few unnecessary delays but probably expected. And yes, that was my only quibble!
The lovely Aarika Lee was the ‘hostess with the mostess’ on my bus (consisting mainly of media folk) and we had a blast there and back. There was quite bit of banter and fun was had with spontaneous open mics where caution was thrown to the wind to make a long coach journey a whole lot of bearable and some.
I must applaud the selection of artists – Pleasantry (above), iNCH (below), .gif and Gentle Bones – and they did themselves and our awesome indie scene proud with intimate performances that were unique (and well improvised), to say the least.
What about the Urbanscapes festival itself? It was a refreshing time in rarified atmosphere of Genting Highlands with scattered showers for good measure. It was definitely excellent weather for music enjoyment and the likes of our very own Cashew Chemists, reformed Lemonheads (Evan Dando even commented on my Flying Burrito Bros tee), Local Natives and Kimbra (pictured at top) providing primo entertainment!
Thanks to Bandwagon for making this all possible. A parting note – check out the video I shot of iNCH performing “Dear Paramour”.
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
I am often asked about how the current Singapore indie music scene compares to what we had in the past. It’s a valid question, of course. Since the 90s revival and subsequent economic depression, the scene has been growing at a steady pace in the last decade or so.
To assess how far we’ve come, we need only look at two factors. First, the improvement of the technical abilities, musicianship and songwriting capabilities of our artists/bands and second, the expansion of the fan base – the increase of awareness, acceptance and approval amongst Singaporeans for local indie music.
As important as the first factor is – aided by the number of music schools that have proliferated across the island – the challenge has always to build up a fan base at home for homegrown music. Whilst still not ideal, there has been a marked improvement in that area.
Back in 2010, I recall kids rushing to the stage when Inch Chua opened at SingFest but then walking away when they realized that she was ‘local’. Contrast that to the generous reception of local bands at music festivals today, where bands like The Sam Willows (above), Gentle Bones and others have the acceptance of the audience. Not only that but many artists/bands have rapturous EP/album launches where pundits actually fork out cash to watch their local heroes.
And what about Inch? She has gone from strength to strength – chasing her dreams in the USA (see above) and elsewhere, and those kids in 2010 are probably cheering her on, whenever she does play back in her hometown.
There is much to be optimistic about but we must not rest on our laurels. We still do not have enough opportunities for indie bands/artists to play on a regular basis.
My wish list for 2015 and beyond?
(1) Venues to have residencies for our bands to develop their own music.
(2) More local bands opening for foreign bands.
(3) A regional touring circuit be established for our bands.
(4) Local bands breaking into overseas markets.
(5) Original music no longer a dirty word to Singaporeans.
There is so much work to be done but these are exciting times for the Singapore indie music scene.
… still there’s more …
Sometimes, as a reviewer, one gets confronted with music that gets so much under one’s skin that it almost becomes nigh impossible for said reviewer to come up with descriptions that will do remote justice to the thoughts and emotions coursing through the synapses.
I have known Inch Chua for about six years now – from back in the day when she fronted indie rock outfit Allura with no small measure of aplomb and dynamism. When the band went on indefinite hiatus, Inch embarked on a solo project which she has pursued aggressively and ambitiously beyond our shores in Los Angeles.
Her sophomore effort – Bumfuzzle (co-produced with Leonard Soosay and Mark John Hariman) – has been percolating through my senses for a couple of months now and in my humble estimation, one of the finest musical works ever produced by Singaporeans.
Continue reading ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY: INCH CHUA – BUMFUZZLE [REVIEW]
Inch Chua releases her amazing new album – Bumfuzzle – in late August but in the meantime, fans can thrill to this enjoyable music video of her first single, “Artful Dodger”.
Download “Artful Dodger” on iTunes:
http://goo.gl/nQDgK
Inch Chua is back! And already new album Bumfuzzle promises to be one of THE releases of 2013 but before we get to that, Inch has issued the delightful “Artful Dodger” as her opening single. Here’s the press release from Riot! Records.
Inch Chua’s Indiegogo campaign supporters were the first to receive her new music. The Los Angeles-‐based Singaporean artist raised $15,510 on the crowd-‐funding site to finance the mixing and mastering of her highly anticipated follow-‐up to Wallflower. “The new album is very different from my last album and ‘Artful Dodger’ is a song on the album that I feel best bridges my old sound with my new musical direction,” confesses Chua. “The lyrics of my songs are birthed from catharsis. You could literally tear a page from my journal and you would get a song like ‘Artful Dodger.” The release of “Artful Dodger” marks a return to Chua’s indie rock roots, evident in the single’s massive drum and aggressive guitar sounds. “It was fun twisting and turning knobs on this song; there are some cool funky sounds in there.”
“Artful Dodger’s” lyrics and music were written by Inch Chua. The record was produced by Chua, Mark John Hariman and Leonard Soosay, and recorded at Snakeweed Studios, Singapore. Assistant Engineers included Hariman, Chua, Mindy Kon and Issa Mel. Mixing was handled by Todd Bergman at Repro-‐Ductions, and mastering conducted by Howie Weinberg at Howie Weinberg Mastering.
Check out the lyric video below.
“Artful Dodger” is now available from iTunes.
You could say that I’ve been following the career of Inch Chua for quite awhile, since 2007, in fact. And it has always been heartening to see the tremendous strides this young, talented, driven lady has made in those five years. Her latest achievement? Hitting the target of her crowd-funding album project with time to spare. I can safely say that I have not been too surprised by any of this – I have always believed that Inch could achieve virtually anything she put her mind to and her hard work and creative enterprise has borne fruit.
Continue reading INCH CHUA & THE METRIC SYSTEM – LIVE AT HOME CLUB
(Press release)
Singaporean singer-‐songwriter Inch Chua has launched an online crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. The campaign, which went live on 3 September, calls on fans and friends to lend a hand in funding the post-‐production stage of her upcoming album Bumfuzzle.
The line-up for this year’s Baybeats Festival (29 June to 1 July at the Esplanade) is decidedly Singapore-focused with 21 (!) local acts sharing the various stages with acts from Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Thailand and Japan. The emphasis on Singapore acts befits the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Esplanade, a venue that has impacted the local music scene in a highly positive manner in the last decade.
So mark your calendars on the above dates and look out for Obedient Wives Club, For This Cycle, King King Jane, Black Diamond Folds, Godzilla, Rudra, Rachael Teo, ANECHOIS, Cashew Chemists, The Fast Colors, Embrace Them Ghosts, Great Spy Experiment, Plainsunset, Deon, MONSTER CAT, Pep Talk, Inch Chua & Metric System, Run Neon Tiger, Cockpit, A Town In Fear & In Each Hand a Cutlass.
An exciting time for the indie music scene beckons…
Power of Pop is proud – yes, proud – to report that Singaporean singer-songwriter Inch Chua has been invited back to the prestigious South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas. Together with her backing band, The Metric System, they will perform multiple showcases from March 10-14, 2012 during SXSW. Following SXSW, Inch will debut at Canadian Music Week (CMW) in Toronto from March 21-22, 2012.
Inch was first featured by Power of Pop in 2007 in an interview as the front person of indie band Allura ahead of its appearance at Baybeats Festival that year. In the five years since, the singer-songwriter has blossomed into a formidable solo artist in her own right. Inch is now signed and represented by Mighty Fresh, an award-winning talent management company based in Santa Monica, California. We wish Inch all the best in North America! If you are in the vicinity, listed below are when and where you can catch Inch Chua & the Metric System.
Los Angeles Dates:
Inch Chua @ Genghis Cohen
Date: March 22, 2012 (Thursday) Venue: Genghis Cohen, 740 N. Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles Time: 10:00 PM
SXSW Tour dates:
Sweet Relief Musician Fund @ The Beacon
Date: March 10, 2012 (Saturday) Venue: Austin Convention Center Time: 3:30pm
Ainjel Emme & Inch Chua
Date: March 12, 2012 (Monday) Venue: Ming’s Café, 2604 Guadalupe St, Austin TX Time: 9:00pm
SXSW Style x Fashion Show
Date: March 17, 2012 (Saturday) Venue: Austin Convention Center Time: 6:30pm
Official SXSW Showcase
Date: March 14, 2012 (Wednesday) Venue: Beale Street Tavern, 214, East 6th Street, Austin TX Time: 9:00 pm
Official CMW Tour Dates:
Official CMW Showcase (Acoustic)
Date: March 21, 2012 (Wednesday) Venue: Free Times Café, 320 College St, Toronto Time: 11:00PM
Official CMW Showcase (Full Band)
Date: March 22, 2012 (Thursday) Venue: Tranzac (Front Room), 292 Brunswick Ave, Toronto Time: 8:00 PM
Lomography, Toronto
Date: March 23, 2012 (Friday) Venue: Lomography Gallery Store, 536 Queen Street West, Toronto Time: 8:00 PM
Back from the US for Christmas, Singaporean rocker Inch Chua celebrates this festive season the only way she knows best: through music.
Bringing a mixture of tunes from her debut album ‘Wallflower’ and songs from her upcoming album ‘The Colour Wheel’, she and her backing band, the Metric System will tear through a setlist of crowd favourites and a selection of festive tunes.
We are still firming up appearances by special guests as well.
If it’s not just the season to be jolly, it’s also Inch’s birthday as well. So come by and have a great night with Inch Chua & The Metric System!
Ticket: S$18 (Limited to 100 seats) Get your tickets at: www.apesnap.com/event/xxiii
Time flies. I cannot believe that it’s already more than three years since I first met a teenaged Inch Chua at the Kopitiam in Novena Square to talk about Allura’s Baybeats debut later that year. In that interview (you can read it in its entirety here), Inch told me how she had since the tender age of 14, been a big follower of the Singaporean indie scene. Two years later, she saw Marchtwelve live and that experience inspired her to sing in a band.
Fast forward to 2010, and Inch is definitely the “IT” girl of the Singapore music scene. She is everywhere – newspapers, magazines, online, TV, on stages all across Singapore – everywhere. I am proud that ultimately, she is still that”indie” kid I met in 2007 and that she achieved her current solo success on her own terms. More power to Inch, is what I say!
And so I decided to dedicate this Sunday morning’s PoPTV to Inch and to wish her more and more success in the years to come. She deserves all the attention she is getting and more… deservedly so. Enjoy…
Well, the night started inauspiciously enough with heavy rain when I left home to meet Rach for dinner. By the time, we ventured out to Zouk after our heavy meal (briyani), the rain had subsided and when we arrived at Zouk, it was rather empty! I guess rubber time prevailed as usual so we met Cheryl Ann Lee (from Amnesty, the event organizers) and she apologized for the delay and so we sauntered off to the Wine Bar to wait for the all clear.
It’s been more than three years since Singapore Day in Central Park – since that first visit to Wala Wala and meeting Kewei for the first time. Now, Kewei has released her debut album and is touring on a regular basis! And she’s not the only one…