Listen Up

With the advent of social media and digital music streaming platforms, the nascent local alt-rock scene has experienced an uptick of talent and audiences. Here, four young bands to look out for.

- Joie Goh

Disco Hue

“YOUTHFULNESS WITH A dash of danger”, “fun, energetic and really colourful”, “tongue-in-cheek and glitzy” and “like kids with coloured glocks” are what the members of throwback synth-pop band Disco Hue describe their music. “It’s a nod at the cheesy but completely iconic sounds and visuals of the 1980s,” explains vocalist Sherlyn Leo.

Founder and keyboardist Auzaie Zie credits his love for bands like Panic! At the Disco and Dear Disco (which also inspired the band’s name) for the creation of Disco Hue. A graduate of Singapore Polytechnic’s Diploma in Music and Audio, Zie recalls recruiting several classmates and course juniors into the band, such as current guitarist Rush Ang and drummer Billy Chua. The band found early success winning band competitions, but it wasn’t until finalising the lineup several years after graduation and National Service when Disco Hue officially debuted with an album, “Arcade”, in 2016.

Their second EP, launching this year, will feature a slight departure in sound from the original, and is inspired by the music of Bobby Brown, Boyz II Men and Backstreet Boys. “Our sound has definitely shifted as we’ve been experimenting with genres old and new to come up with something that best represents us,” says Leo. Adds Ang: “We wrote our slowest song yet in this album.”

Signed with Warner Music, the band has toured internationally and performed alongside the likes of Sigur Ros, Foals and Blood Orange. They are currently working on a full-length album, slated for a mid-2019 launch, and will be collaborating with other local artistes as well as shooting new music videos.