PUBLISHED January 13th, 2016 04:00 pm | UPDATED June 13th, 2017 05:18 pm
2015 was an exciting year for the Singapore music scene, with our local artistes putting out new records every month or so. To kick off a brand new year, we’re shining the spotlight on nine completely homegrown acts with a musicality that easily rivals the best from anywhere else in the world.
Who says there’s no good music here on our sunny island?
JAWN
“Exceptionally fervid”, “unassuming elegance”, and “heartbreakingly powerful” are just some of the phrases that have been used to describe the music of Jon Chan (better known by his stage name JAWN). An alumnus of Noise Singapore’s music mentorship programme, the young musician recently launched his eponymous debut EP, offering his insights on the intricacies of love. With a deep and soulful voice, it’s easy to draw comparisons with fellow crooner Charlie Lim, but JAWN definitely has found his own unique style – as can be heard on Fade To Black.
To listen to more JAWN, check out his debut EP on iTunes here.
Linying
Focus heavily on house and electronic music, singer-songwriter Linying‘s sweet and soulful voice will charm the socks off anyone listening. While primarily a solo musician, she has also collaborated with producers like MYRNE and Felix Jaehn, occasionally performing in small local festivals. Her first single Sticky Leaves, released last August, has since garnered plenty of attention, earning Linying a feature on the Spotify Singapore Spotlight 2016.
To listen to more Linying, check out her SoundCloud page here.
Lost Weekend
Comprised of vocalist Rachel, Arif on guitar, Mark on bass, and ZJ on drums, this indie-pop band is all about the chill life, taking long walks on the beach and writing poetry on rainy days, or so they say. Releasing their debut album back last August to wide acclaim, Lost Weekend has since been invited to play at the inaugural Neon Lights, and we’re looking forward to seeing how far they can go.
To listen to more Lost Weekend, check out their Bandcamp page here.
TAJ
An instrumental future-soul fusion trio, TAJ is all about the journey and experience of music-making. With Audrey Tengkey on keys, Teo Jia Rong on drums, and Tim De Cotta on bass, each song is a vision and each composition a story that completes itself when listened to. Their debut two-track EP The Astral Journey, featuring DJ and saxophonist Kaye, was released by Darker Than Wax just last year.
To listen to more TAJ, check out their Bandcamp page here.
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.gif is an experimental electronic duo (made up of Wei Shan and Nurudin Sadali) that combines lush soundscapes with intensely personal and meaningful lyrics. Wei Shan, known better as Weish, provides the introspective Bjork-esque vocals, while Nurudin (Din) supplies the rich electronic backdrop of beats and synthesizers. Drawing inspiration from acts such as Imogen Heap’s Frou Frou, The xx, and Alt-J, the pair have several EPs and singles behind to their name, and recently released their debut album Soma just last month.
To listen to more .gif, check out their Bandcamp page here.
Jaime Wong
For singer-songwriter Jaime Wong, life, death and love (or the lack of it) are the inspiration behind her music. Influenced by the likes of John Mayer and The Beatles, she started off as a regular in the local open mic circle and has gone on to perform at major music events, even collaborating with David Choi at SHINE Festival 2015. Fresh from a sold-out EP back in May (debuting at #2 on the local iTunes chart), Jaime is preparing for a regional tour around Australia, Taiwan, and Malaysia.
To listen to more Jaime Wong, check out her website here.
Mediocre Haircut Crew
On the realisation that they could rhyme words on tempo, three polytechnic mates—omarKENOBI, mickeyLEANO and daniKIDDO—formed Mediocre Haircut Crew: a testament to their mediocre hairdos. Starting with online beats and an inbuilt Macbook mic, the collective started producing hip-hop and rap music and have gone on to release an impressive self-titled debut EP just last month. With some time, we might just be looking at the Odd Future of Singapore.
To listen to more Mediocre Haircut Crew, check out their debut EP on Bandcamp here.
Theodora
At the tender age of 18, singer-songwriter Theodora Lau possesses a sound that already feels fully matured. She’s been making waves in the local music scene, performing at the Noise Singapore Showcase, Baybeats and opening for Joshua Radin at the Esplanade last September. Check out her single Lines, which is off her soon-to-be-released debut EP.
To listen to more Theodora, check out her YouTube page here.
The Steve McQueens
It’s difficult to properly define The Steve McQueens‘ genre — is it soul, jazz, experimental pop, or funk? But then again, good music should never be pigeonholed. The unit (made up of Ginny on vocals, Fabian on Saxophone, Joshua on keyboard, Jase on bass, and Aaron Lee) is all about the groove, drawing influence from artistes like Theolonius Monk, James Brown, and Amy Winehouse. Dropping their debut album SEAMONSTER this year, they’ve already played in Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and in Tokyo. Just a disclaimer before you listen to them: any groove experienced is purely intentional.
To listen to more The Steve McQueens, check out their SoundCloud page here.