the hush project.

This is just my thoughts on the article below:

http://newnation.sg/2011/07/frustrated-singapore-musician-moving-out-of-her-homeland/

Okay, fine, you know, some of us may be judged the same way before we get the most wu hua paycheck from the company that hires us. But of course, living on this alone in Singapore is like…super unstable. No matter how hard you try.

Perhaps we have to be like Corrinne May in order to be validated…maybe this is the solution. To just…disappear and do something elsewhere, make a real solid album, and then suddenly people are like “Oh, wow. Must have had lessons from the US!” Or something.

I’ve supported a few great acts here on home ground and recently discovering so much more- like Sixx, for one. Its just truly a shame when you’re in front of their stage and all you see is a crowd less than a quarter of a football field strong. Why is that? Are we fighting for attention and things the like from people who are either apathetic or too busy to even give a damn?

To those who harbor ignorance to these people and saying they’ll never have crowds because they’re local and whatever, you should see them in other countries because they get a lot of better attention and more thoughtful and useful critique.

Oh sure, we’re definitely an arts hub, on our home ground where only the foreign acts will get watered. Leaving us to try hard and survive the heat and wait for rain or wither and die.

Regarding Inch tho, I’ve watched her show like about…5 times I think? The best being the sold out show at Recital Studio. But…really, the show was like…almost full of friends or foreigners, actually you kinda see the same people at her other shows too. This is obviously just me and my observation. 

Oh right! If it makes things look prettier, I own quite a number of local albums. I haven’t regretted buying a single one(okay except one but I’m going to make you guess.) I bought albums from Lunarin, Zero Sequence, Lunarnode, CC Sound Factory, Trella, Great Spy Experiment, Flybar, A Vacant Affair and Corrinne May- and I’m now regretting that I never bought Caracal’s album because they’re really good. 

Do you know any of the acts I mentioned above? Lets not count Corrinne May, because I’ll consider her household. I’ve shared these bands with some of my friends and they always cross compare, I know in terms of various standards that people use, we will always seem inferior- be it the recording quality given that we all survive on our own equipment and try to make the best of it and not be majorly funded by a big record label, be it the quality of the mix because it wasn’t done by Alan Moulder or someone big, be it the fact that we are just local and the scale of our live shows are going to be really budget and quality of our sound and lighting is nothing compared to the international acts you pay  $69 for.

Heck, you’ll just find a reason.  Others around the world may accept it but you, you, and you, yes, those that live and breathe the same air, see the same HDB flats on the way to work or school- do you know the person next to you is actually making a difference to others’ lives around the rest of the world but his/her own country?

Oh yeah, I remember I had a crowd that actually cheered until my ears hurt. But. We…were…doing covers. And thats the only way you’ll notice right? If we…do covers. Sometimes you can see the disappointment in the performer’s heart and face. They’re done putting up a show and doing things just to make others happy. 

We got into this because we want some freedom of expression- and hope you can understand and relate with us. Signing off after so much ranting.