What A Decade Has Made Of Us

The decade-long formation of Singaporean emo/math rock band Forests and Malaysian boy band INSOMNIACKS has witnessed the turning of their teenage dreams into reality — setting a template that has jostled the scene to new, global standards.

- Manfred Lu & Asha Farisha

Forests is a name that is native to Singapore’s music scene. Procuring albums of math rock and emo soundscapes, they are known for applying a more mercurial sensibility to their — sometimes — chaotic yet heartfelt compositions. On their latest album, Get In Losers, We’re Going to Eternal Damnation, the reactions on the band’s Bandcamp include comments akin to “cutest emo on earth” and “this is peak Forests! I absolutely hated it”. The feedback is precisely the reactions the band intends to provoke with their art, having ensured a personality that is never too serious nor uptight. Formed in 2014, what has made the last decade so special for them was their quiet rise thanks to a legion of listeners both in Singapore and overseas, which granted them exposure they were eager to use to their advantage. The band’s main audience mainly comes from listeners from the United States — it is where the genre originates, after all. In April 2023, the band will embark on their first US tour — a two-months journey that has taken them a decade of perseverance to finally achieve.

Let’s start with the basics. How did Forests come about?

Daryl: I met my ex-guitarist when we were both playing in two different metal bands, and we first met each other at a gig. This was back in 2014. I found out that he was really into emo music, and I asked if he wanted to form a band. After which, I found Nikki — our drummer — from soft.sg, a music forum where you could find anything related to music. It’s almost like Craigslist for local music. That is how Forests became the Forests we know today.