Sodagreen proud to have lasted 10 years

SINGAPORE — Oh, how quickly they grow!

Taiwanese indie band Sodagreen are 10 years old this year and — if the six-member outfit is to be trusted — nothing much has changed.

“We are proud of the fact that we’ve lasted 10 years!” the band said in an e-mail interview. “We are still having as much fun playing and performing as we did when we first began.”

But the truth is things have changed for the band, or rather, improved. Sodagreen have seen a meteoric rise in their popularity in the past decade, progressing from a small indie group comprising college students to one of Taiwan’s most popular bands. Their cheery lead vocalist, Wu Tsing-fong, is also one of Mandopop’s most sought-after songwriters.

And at the end of this month, Sodagreen will be bringing their anniversary concert to Singapore — after sold-out shows in cities such as Hong Kong and Shanghai. “We have had a lot to consider while preparing for this concert. Just the process of choosing songs from the albums we have released in the past 10 years alone has been a huge challenge. We hope everyone will be able to feel fully engaged and to leave the concert filled with memories. We are not going to tell you too much about what we plan to do — it’ll be a surprise!”

Q: You’ve performed so many times in the past 10 years. What are some of the most awkward things you’ve done on stage?

A: Sometimes, it’s really awkward when you are so moved that you reveal your true feelings and emotions on stage. And, after the concert, when you think back about what you’ve said and done, it can be really embarrassing. For example, the first time we performed at Taipei Arena, our drummer Wei cried for 20 minutes when it was time for us to talk on stage. That was captured and recorded in our concert DVD. That is one memory we would rather not revisit.

Q: What are your plans for the next 10 years?

A: We’ve always been focused on the present and on coming projects. So now we just hope to be able to visit more places and to have more people join us at our concerts. We will leave our next 10 years to fate.

Q: Who’s the most annoying member of the band?

A: We are all pretty childish. Sometimes when we start becoming rowdy together, I think the people who are in charge of taking care of us find us really annoying!

Q: What does a successful band need?

A: We’ve never thought about this. I guess to us, it’s important that we like one another and get along. We can support one another, in terms of our music. And the songwriting process is also a happy one. I suppose that’s what’s necessary.

Q: Tsing-fong, you are a really fast songwriter. What is your secret?

A: When it comes to songwriting, I think it really depends on fate. It’s not about focus. Sometimes when inspiration strikes, the process becomes quite natural.

Q: Do you have any special talents that we don’t know of?

A: Actually our talents are all pretty out in the open. Like some of us know how to play more than one or two instruments, or Ah Gong’s dance – you can see everything on stage. But I guess Wei is really good at video games…and Jiakai is really good with kids!

Sodagreen Air World Tour is on Aug 30, 7.30pm, Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets from S$88 to S$158 from http://www.sportshubtix.sg