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Hanging out with S’pore musician Hanging Up The Moon

SINGAPORE — The name Sean Lam may not ring a bell with too many local indie rock punters, but Lam has been a key player in the Singapore indie music scene for 20 years. First as a key member of rock band Concave Scream (1995 to 2006) and, more recently, fronting his solo project, Hanging Up The Moon. With a little help from his friends — including Leslie Low (of The Observatory) and Victor Low (Affixen) — Lam has released two critically acclaimed albums, the eponymous debut (2011) and The Biggest Lie In The World (2013). With both albums, most of the parts — with the exception of the drum tracks — were recorded from each individual’s respective home studios and shared via the Internet.

SINGAPORE — The name Sean Lam may not ring a bell with too many local indie rock punters, but Lam has been a key player in the Singapore indie music scene for 20 years. First as a key member of rock band Concave Scream (1995 to 2006) and, more recently, fronting his solo project, Hanging Up The Moon. With a little help from his friends — including Leslie Low (of The Observatory) and Victor Low (Affixen) — Lam has released two critically acclaimed albums, the eponymous debut (2011) and The Biggest Lie In The World (2013). With both albums, most of the parts — with the exception of the drum tracks — were recorded from each individual’s respective home studios and shared via the Internet.

Another clear sign that Lam is definitely on the radar of contemporary indie rock scene is the fact that the band will be playing at Laneway Festival at Gardens by the Bay on Saturday. However, Lam said life “pretty much went back to normal for a while” after the release of his last latter album.

“My involvement with music has always been a cyclical affair (so I started) focusing on my day job and doing the school runs,” he said. “In between, I was still writing songs and by February last year, I had enough songs for a third album. The guys — Alexius Cai, Dean Aziz, Leslie and Victor — and I have since been working on it.”

He continued: “We are just about done with the mastering of the third album. It will be a 10-track album and as before, will be released in LP vinyl format with a supporting digital download.”

And for fans who want to know whether the musician will preview any new songs this weekend, Lam said: “We’ll be playing a couple of songs from the current album and previewing some new tunes from the coming one. Our music is kind of mellow, so we’d suggest finding a good spot to sit or lie down and just chill out. Hopefully, we’d get to catch the sunset together.”

Q: Were you surprised to be invited to play at Laneway?

A: Yes I was. I felt honoured to have been invited but, at the same time, a little apprehensive as I wasn’t sure how HUTM’s style of music would fit in. We’re more accustomed to intimate settings, so this will be a totally new experience for us. Having said that, the organisers were super encouraging. Other than Leslie, who performed with The Observatory at last year’s Laneway, this will be the first for the rest of us.

Q: How is the band preparing for Laneway? Who will be supporting you on stage?

A: Due to our conflicting schedules, we were able to meet up for practice only at the beginning of this month. Prior to that, we all did our individual homework. While we have more than enough studio practice time, a real concern for us is there will be no sound check on the day itself, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed for things to go smoothly. HUTM will be performing as a band, so supporting me will be Victor on bass, Dean on drums, Leslie and Alexius on guitars. Everyone’s doing backing vox too.

Q: Concave Scream was formed in the middle of the ’90s indie music boom. How would you compare the current local music scene to that one?

A: It’s a much more diverse musicscape today and things have since moved on quite a fair bit. Looking at where it counts, my observation is that today’s musicians are just as passionate, if not, even more hardworking and determined than ever before. While today’s technology may have added some conveniences and opened new possibilities, the challenges they face are still very much the same and all too real. It’s just different times that’s all.

Q: Would it be a good time for a Concave Scream reunion again?

A: Honestly, I don’t see it happening any time soon. Ever since we put it on hold at a point where we all had to move on with our lives. We had something good and for a long time too but at this point, I’m just happy being HUTM. I know that musically, this is where I want to be now.

Q: What are the best and worst parts of being involved in the local music scene?

A: The best part is I’m still actively making music. The worst is having to answer questions regarding the local music scene.

Seriously, I think musicians should just focus on making music and not care too much about being in any scene or clique. They would still be contributing a great deal just by doing what they do even if they aren’t aware of what’s actually going on in the scene. It’s best to just leave it to music critics and supporters to observe and write history.

The St Jerome’s Laneway Festival Singapore is on Saturday. Tickets at S$165 from EventClique (https://laneway.eventclique.com) and SISTIC (http://www.sistic.com.sg/events/lane0115)

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