If 2011 was anything to go by, the local music scene is slowly but surely sparking along. So what will 2012 bring? Well, we've picked a few artistes you might want to check out. Some have been around the block, some are fairly new, but all have the potential to be leading lights in the local music scene.



Cheating Sons

They released their debut album, Masters, Wives, Daughter, and rocked audiences not just in Singapore but in China and Korea, too. Musically, they are probably one of the brightest lights in the local music scene, with singer Renyi Wang's vocal style ably supported by the band. The latest word is that the band are recording a new album and you can expect to hear new music from them on March 30 when they play their first headlining gig at the Esplanade Recital Studio. 2012 could be the year that the Sons actually establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Visit https://www.facebook.com/cheatingsons for updates and videos.



Siti Zahidah

Siti Zahidah is best known for the slightly cutesy The Make-Up Song, but as she showed throughout her performances in 2011, she's no one-trick pony. She won the The Next Big Thing competition organised by MediaCorp Radio's 987FM (earning herself an ambassadorship with Maestro, and the S$10,000 prize money), and we're all looking forward to seeing what fruits she'll bear. Could she really be the next big thing? We hope so. Hear more at www.youtube.com/user/pcdlovesg.





Seyra

What we like about Seyra - who performs with Trip Circle - is that while she performs somewhat cutesy folky pop songs, there's also a depth to her performances that others lack. "It's exciting to not know where the melody will take me," she writes on her Facebook page. "And I'm here to tell you that I am truly committed to continually search for that source of inspiration, that moment in between moments, the wrong notes at the right time, and to share it with everyone - that shall be my dream and my New Year's resolution." We can't wait. Visit www.facebook.com/Seyratune for more updates.



Amanda Tee

Amanda Tee has been around for a bit, but she's somehow always found herself on the fringes of the musical radar, rather than right smack in the centre of it. Her performance on her album Take It Or Leave It isn't quite award-winning material just yet, but it's a great start, and we'd love to hear and see more of her in 2012. "The rawness of these tracks paired with somewhat quirky songwriting styles will definitely make you want to listen more closely," she said. We agree. Hear more at http://amandatee.com.



Shimona Kee

One of the more outstanding finalists of the Next Big Thing competition, Shimona Kee, only returned to Singapore last year after six years abroad. She has since been a regular musical fixture in the live music circuit and is currently putting the final touches to her first full-length album of original music slated for release in early 2012. She has already released a song, Sweet Company, which you can find at Bandcamp (http://shimona.bandcamp.com). Hear more at http://tdy.sg/shimonaurl.



Jonathan Leong

He's a Singapore Idol alum currently starring in Voyage De La Vie, as well as a Political Science graduate and ex-national fencer. And late last year, Jonathan Leong released his first album, Mysterious Hero. "(The album) is my work, so it does have a lot of me in it, but I'm not saying that this is me and that's all. Everyone evolves as you go through experiences and you change - hopefully for the better." It's taken a while for Leong to get to this point and the album does show a different side of Leong. For starters, it's in Mandarin, and writing songs in Mandarin was a process that Leong described as "an uphill climb". (For the record, half of the songs were co-written with actress Rui En.) And he can't wait to do more. "I guess (my songs are) one aspect of who I am," he said, "and I hope to have a career long enough to explore all the other aspects and bring it to the public." Check out more at www.jonleong.com.



Obedient Wives Club

It is said on their Facebook page that Obedient Wives Club - YinQi Lee, Keith Tan, Lennat Mak and Sulaiman Supian - intends to "bring fuzzed out girl group indie pop that is missing from the Singapore indie scene". The band was formed last year because "I've always wanted to play the music I love, which is fuzz pop meets (Phil) Spector", said guitarist Tan. They have released a self-titled four-track EP, which, according to Tan, was recorded in three weeks and is "very unorthodox both in recording and mixing". Well, if tracks like the infectious This Is It and That Boy are anything to go by, they've definitely achieved their goal. Hear more at www.youtube.com/user/ObedientWivesClub.



ShiGGa Shay

Rapper ShiGGa Shay first came to our collective consciousness on the TV series Live And Loaded in 2009. But his journey into the world of hip-hop and rap started when he was nine years old. Since then, he has been performing at club showcases, as well as at the National Day Parade 2010, and has collaborated with the likes of Electrico, Sylvia Ratonel and acapella group Budak Pantai. He was also featured on the popular hip-hop site, WorldStarHipHop, as the "Unsigned Talent Of The Week" for his music video, On My Grind. (Incidentally, the video received over 100,000 views.) In Oct 2011, ShiGGa released his single, Let's Roll, and expects to drop his upcoming album, They Call Me ShiGGa, early this year. Hear more at www.youtube.com/user/ShiGGaShay.



Catalogue V

Despite being fairly new - the band's full line-up was only completed last year - Catalogue V has managed to carve some impressive notches on their post, not least being in the finals of the 2011 Asia Beat competition held in Seoul, with bassist Mal and drummer Matt edging out other players from Asia to win the Best Bassist and Best Drummer awards, respectively. Said singer Razil Razil Razil: "We had been told that the Korean crowd was hard to please, but they actually stood up and danced and sang along during our performance. At the time we thought that the crowd was … going to do the same for the other bands, but they only did it for us!" Sure, the Koreans dug 'em, but the band isn't about to rest on its laurels. "I think we are going to promote Catalogue V as a product globally and locally. We are currently going to studios to work on our stuff," said guitarist Hans. Check them out at www.facebook.com/cataloguev.



Thunder Rock School

Thunder Rock School has been going from strength to strength ever since it opened its doors last year. Sure, they're not a band, but with the likes of Amanda Ling (In Each Hand A Cutlass), Martin Kong (Caracal), Brandon Khoo (The UnXpected), Deon Toh and Ian Toh (Flybar), Esther Low (Monster Cat) and David Tang (The Synth Experience) within their ranks, they might as well be. Thunder Rock School opened a second branch late last year in Upper Thomson Road, and the plan is to have more schools rockin' to the Thunder beat in the future. "There will be at least two more … but at the moment we are trying our best to concentrate on the Thomson side," said Toh. They're also equipping to become a full-fledged music store, and producer Leonard Soosay and Snakeweed Studios have also set up a small recording space in the school. Find out more at www.thunderrockschool.com.