Forum: Local music scene alive with passion and talent

Recently, I found myself diving into the deep rabbit hole that is our local music scene in Singapore.

It started from discovering soft math-rock band Woes’ newest album, Temporal Dimension, a delicate balance of complex rhythms fused with catchy melody lines.

Having not listened to much local music other than hits from mainstream local artistes such as Benjamin Kheng, I was greatly impressed by the quality of music that these rather undiscovered artistes were putting out.

I went on to discover other bands that have become a mainstay in my daily listens, such as Forests, Sobs, Blush, and Bellied Star. Little did I know that when these bands perform live, droves of loyal, passionate fans show up and rock out to the music.

I realised that the music scene in Singapore is alive with passion, talent and creativity, despite the stereotype that the local scene is lacklustre.

Recent initiatives such as Hear65’s I Play SG Music campaign, along with free performances held at Esplanade’s outdoor theatre, are foundational steps towards promoting the local music scene in Singapore.

I urge Singaporeans to expose themselves to such music, not just to support local talent, but to maybe discover music that they can enjoy, and in the process support some of the aspiring, amazing talent who exist right here in our homeland.

Darrick Chan Ying Jie