Lion City Rock

You know it's a fun day when Friend of the Pod Isaac Chiew returns to share more thoughts about the Lion City's music scene. How have his experiences working with record labels and youth organisations shaped his mindset? Which Lion City Rockers rock his boat? And when will his band, Cactus Cactus, drop their new album? The answers to all this and more are right here! In this episode! Reall...

We’re so happy to have friend of the pod Patrick Chng, back for another episode! This time, the Oddfather of Singapore Indie Music spills the beans about his new journey into the world busking in the Lion City.  What does it take to be a busker in Singapore? Where are all the hot busking spots? And is it really true that all buskers MUST learn to play John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’? -...

It's punk rock like you've never heard it before! With fans from all over the region, power trio Iman's League have been rocking the stage with their high-energy performances and ballsy bangers. Iman, Bat and Lal got on the pod to share their thoughts about the best and worst gigs, what peeves them most, and where Iman's League will be in 2025! (Europe, anyone?) - - "Lion City...

IT'S ANOTHER BUMPER EPISODE! Lion City Rock legends Henry Chua and Wee Guan tell us the story of "Shanty" , the song that changed the Singapore music landscape. Written by Henry and recorded by The Quests , it was released in Oct 1964 and became the first original composition by a Singapore band to reach No.1 – for 12 weeks! – knocking off The Beatles along the way. Sixty years later,...

It's Part 2 of 60 years of maximum rock and roll! In July, The Beatles caused a minor riot as 3,000 teens flock to the airport to see the Fab Four's... plane. In Oct 1964, The Quests reached #1 with "Shanty", knocking The Beatles off the top spot! That same month, local and international bands took part in a charity concert, called the 8.30 Special, for the benefit of the victims a...

Can you imagine when Singapore wasn't Singapore, but Malaysia? We can't – but luckily, we read history books. In 1964, the Lion City hadn't achieved independence. The geo-political and socio-economic landscapes were still on shaky ground. But the pop scene was already making inroads. The Crescendos were consolidating their position as the top vocal group in the region, while The Quests...

"It's a new dawn comin' round..." And she's right here on our podcast! Our guests are Dawn Parry, host and presenter on newdawn.fm , and Joe Eades, the A&R Coordinator of Jukebox Judgement, a show where some of the top producers in the world give their reviews about new music from around the world. Back in February, Singapore was the first Southeast Asian country they featu...

Back in the 1990s, The Substation was The Place To Be for many musicians, artists, actors, filmmakers, performers and well, just about anyone who was into the arts. But while the building may be gone, it's thanks to people like Yuni Hadi and Kim Dy-Liacco who ensure that The Substation is still A Home For The Arts. They share what The Substation is up to and how they continue championing artis...

How can young musicians develop their brand? Should we follow what's trending in the music scene? What does it mean to "make it" as a musician? Find out the answers to these questions and more with our guest, Club Mild guitarist Tan Peng Sing. Peng Sing has worn many musical hats – not only is he a musician and a champion of local music, he was the music director on radio, the founder...

We're sorry this is so late. The past few weeks have been strange at the Lion City Rock pod. But we're back with this new episode featuring a chat with young singer-songwriter, Benny's . A true music fan, Benny's wears her musical heart on her sleeve and her songs reflect her thoughts about life, the universe, and well, just about everything. Benny's attracted attention sometim...

It's the return of Leo! Yup, Leonard Soosay is back! This time, he's joined by Josh Wei to talk more about their plans for 'Weed - Tumbleweed Studios, that is. The pair started Tumbleweed (conveniently located at The Esplanade) because they felt younger musicians needed a conveniently located jamming studio that's also affordable. And did we say it's conveniently located? * rec...

Chris and Kevin took time to catch up in this episode where they talk about the LCR schedule, money money money, our guitar-toting PM, Chris' new anime fetish – Bocchi The Rock! , and Kevin stacking up his Substack. They prattled on for so long we just had to cut it sho- ****** LINKS The Lion City Rock Playlist Power of Pop Substack Bocchi The Rock! trailer 1 / trailer 2  Bellied Star Spotify...

It's all about Star power! Bellied Star , that is. Young rockers Audrey, Ethan, Marco and Mitch have been making a splash on the scene in the last 18 months with their exuberant rock and energetic live performances. With their debut album, SPUT , just out, Bellied Star is keeping the Lion City rockin' with songs like 'Skinning', 'If You Mind' and 'Perpetual Notion'....

We're a few weeks late with this one, but hey, that's Life. Our guest is returning friend of the pod, Art Fazil, who's back to share more about what's been happening in his life, the Ramadan Moon album he recorded earlier this year, and what it takes for the Singapore scene to get off the ground. Again. *this episode was recorded mid-May ****** LINKS Art Fazil Follow Lion City Rock...

Orchard Road – Singapore's most famous road! – is more than just a shopping belt. Back in the 1960s, it was the home of tea dance venues like the famous Golden Venus. In the 1980s, shopping malls like Far East Plaza and Centrepoint were hubs for scores of teens. And for four years running, Orchard Road was the site of Singapore's biggest street party, Swing Singapore! Those are the stories...

When The Observatory's debut album, Time Of Rebirth , was released in 2004, it was an eye-opening (ear-opening?) experience for listeners. Filled with rhythms and grooves, along with a smattering of the experimentation that the band would go on to do, it was lauded by critics. It was even picked as an album of the year by the media - well, one media outlet. But now, 20 years later, does the al...

Who's that girl who blew up the Internet singing with Crash Adams? Why, that's Shazza, our Lion City Rock guest today! The singer has been making waves in recent times, and she shares all about her music journey so far: dropping her debut album last year, appearing on the Times Square billboard, and getting more than 20mil views online for her collab with Crash Adams. And to think the only...

Anthropologist and author of Sonic City Steve Ferzacca joins us this week to talk about his book and why a Canadian academic (that's Steve, btw) ended up writing about the Singapore music scene. Along the way, he shares his memories of the late Jimmy Appudurai-Chua; gigging with a Straydog in Vietnam; and what money has to do with making music and getting it heard (apparently, a lot!) ****** L...

Everything is Coming Up Roses this week! The band have been busy over the past 12 months: they released a single, 'Utopia Reimagined: These Corners', saw personnel changes, did several gigs to hone their chops, and put together a new eponymous EP, which will drop on 5 April (or has dropped already, depending on when you hear this!). Singer and bassist Emily and guitarist Darius break down...

Back in 1994, Padres , a Singapore indie band - or you could call them a supergroup - released their debut EP, What's Your Story? It was a collection of thoughts about life and love and everything else the youth of Singapore were going through - but with electric guitars, bass and drums. But who were Padres? And what's their story? Only one way to find out... ****** LINKS Listen to  Padres...

Best known as an actor and theatre practitioner, Lim Yu Beng embarking on a new journey as a singer He chats about his debut album, Notes To Self and why he's made the leap into the world of music. Along the way, he also talks about... Why having good friends who support you is important Appearing in Zack Synder's Rebel Moon How not to get caught while singing in the stairwells PLUS!   Lim...

It's a new year and a new series! Kevin and Chris are back with more about what makes the Lion City rock. Recently, there were several entries in the All Things New concert series that emphasised musicians playing original music. But why does it matter? What kind of music do audiences expect? And why is it only seen for music gigs and not others, such as stand-up comedy? PLUS! Lion City Rock R...

Goodbye '23, Hello '24! It's the end of the year as we know it, and we feel... well, this is the episode where we tell you what we thought of 2023. Thanks for making this year such a memorable one! ****** LINKS Follow Lion City Rock  Facebook  and  Instagram   Listen to 4Christmas  and  Kevin Mathews' music Listen to KayMac Music Listen to Rondo Vitale ****** Like, follow and subsc...

It's Christmas, baby! And guess who we have as our Lion City Rock holiday guest? It's RINES , baby! This singer started spreading her wings in recent times with releases like 'Little Bird', 'When You Fall' and 'Clown', but the relative newcomer is an ol' sweet soul when it comes to music. She was bitten by the music bug years and years ago, running around her fa...

From her early days as the lead singer of Allura to a fruitful solo career, Inch Chua hasn't been afraid to shake things up - whether as a musician, an actor, or even a chef (who else would name a dish Sting Tang Tong?). She shares her thoughts about her journey as a creative, what it means to be part of a scene going through its peaks and troughs, and why she has so many things on her metapho...