Millennials in Singapore got their hearts broken on Monday (May 27) when each of the four members of local band The Sam Willows posted farewell messages on their Instagram accounts, announcing that the beloved band is going on a hiatus.

“What is going on?” “Where are you guys going?” “We need an explanation!” their fans cried on social media. And earlier today (May 28), the band posted a message on their official IG saying that this isn’t goodbye .

Hey Willows fam, thank you for [seven] beautiful years, the group comprising of siblings Benjamin and Narelle Kheng, Jonathan Chua and Sandra Riley Tang wrote. We’ve loved every single moment with you, growing up, singing these songs and making these memories. You’re our all time highs. This isn’t goodbye. we’re taking a break, which has come as abruptly for us. But right now, we need to take a little step back to reflect, to grow, [and] to come back fuller. Keep us close — keep our music going, keep up the silly dancing, and we’ll see you all soon.

The news comes as surprise to many seeing how big the band has grown in recent years. And not just in terms of popularity but influence as well — just last month, the Sam Willows even made it onto the Forbes 30 under 30 Asia list. So what indeed is happening?

“No, no, no. We don’t wanna make a big deal ‘cos we’re not even disbanding! says Jon Chua, 29, over the phone with 8days.sg. It’s like taking leave, but we don’t know when we’ll return.”

“There are a few reasons, actually. We’ve been together for about seven years without a proper break, and I think everyone just wanted to explore their own solo careers and side projects,” says Ben over WhatsApp.

The 28-year-old is arguably the band's most popular member. Not to mention the busiest. He’s currently producing, directing and acting in The BenZi Project, a comedy sketch series on YouTube, and is also involved in an upcoming Toggle series called After Love. On top of that, he’s also “gearing up for a solo music release later this year”.

“I wish I had more drama for you but we’re all still good friends,” Ben laughs. So when should we be expecting The Sam Willows to make a comeback? “Before we’re 40 (laughs),” he jokes.

There may be no definite date for The Sam Willows’ return, but rest assured that their performance at the AIA Glow Festival last weekend isn’t the last you’ll be seeing of them. In fact, Jon doesn’t even consider that their “final show”, because “it’s not like [they’re] not coming back”.

“We just wanted a break from stressing about The Sam Willows. We spent the last few years doing things together as a group of four, so we think now’s the best time for us to develop our own style and focus on creating our own identity, says Jon. Also, it’s not like we’re just gonna disappear from everywhere. Our social media will remain active, and we will still attend events together as a group. We will just not be performing for now.

But will they be performing at this year's National Day Parade since they are involved in the NDP song?

“At this moment, I’m not sure if we are performing at the NDP. Yes, we may be in the video, but nothing’s confirmed. We might, we might not. The rest are probably unsure as well.”

While there are people who think that the band plans everything down to a T”, Jon says that what really happens is that they “all anyhow whack one”.

“We’re unsure, nothing’s decided, that’s why we don’t want to make a big announcement out of our break! (Laughs) What if we come back a few months from now for a shoot? Everyone will scold us!” says Jon.

“Now’s the best time for everyone to go and do what they’ve always wanted to do, adds Jon. Like Ben’s got his own projects and stuff, while the girls have already dropped their own tracks. As for myself, I’ll be going to LA to explore music and pick up different skills. I’ll be writing and producing more songs, might be for myself, or for other people, I don’t really know as well. I’ve also recently expanded my business, Zendyll Productions, which has now three recording studios. I’m also getting married [to Malaysian TV host Amanda Chaang] in July, so it’s kinda an excuse as well,” he jokes.

But what about their die-hard fans? The four of us will always be together, says Jon. We’re the kind of band that can never replace its members, just like S.H.E. If you change one member, it’s no longer the band anymore. Now we're just taking a short break to rediscover ourselves. We want to come back even stronger, and put out music that’s better than before. Wait for us!”