backing up

by Edharob

Photos Courtesy of Backspace

Backspace (http://www.backspacemusic.com/) started as a weekend project somewhere back in 2001. Three friends found themselves cooped up in a small studio in Lavender playing nameless songs with no proper endings or beginnings. The band eventually restructured to its current line-up in June 2005. After playing together for several months, the band decided to head to the studio in November and start work on their debut EP. The EP was recorded in about 2 months and mixed and mastered at Blackisle Studios.

The band named their debut EP The Lavender Room as a footnote to the place where it all began. Aging Youth speaks to vocalist and guitarist Johan Wong about Backspace’s EP, their ambitions and if sex is more important than music.

How long have you guys been playing together?

Johan : As Backspace, we’ve only been playing together since June 2005. So, (it’s) about a year. But Roy and I have been jamming on and off since university. We were trying for the longest time to put a band together but we’ve not been successful until now.

Where do you jam?

Johan : All over the place really. Right at the beginning, we were jamming in a small crummy studio somewhere in Lavender. It was pretty grim. I remember the lights would go off midway through and the air-con was leaky. The place has since been demolished. Then there was Joo Chiat, Swee Lee, Peninsula (Guitar 77) and most recently we’ve started jamming at Soundscape Studios at Lavender. So it’s kinda funny how we’ve ended up back in the area again...

What are your band dynamics like? Do you guys even like each other?

Johan : No, we head butt each other all the time! Actually, we get along great. Roy, Leonard and I stayed in the same hall back in university so we go back quite a long way. And Tong I’ve known since I started working so we’re all “friends first and band members second”.

How does the song-writing process work? Do you suddenly get inspiration for the lyrics/music when you're running or showering or is it, 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration?

Johan : Most of my inspiration comes from listening to other music. Although there was one time when I woke up in the middle of the night with a tune in my head, I scrambled to get the guitar so that I wouldn’t forget the tune in the morning. But usually it’s nothing as dramatic. I tend to write the music first because that comes a lot more naturally for me. Then, I struggle with the words later.

How did you guys get together as a band?

Johan : Right time, right place … Or some might say wrong time, wrong place! When we first got together back in June, we had another friend on bass (Suf). He got posted to Zurich for work so we roped Leonard in to help out. The line-up has pretty much stuck ever since.

How long did you spend working on The Lavender Room EP?

Johan : We wrote most of the songs over a period of 6 months and decided to head to the studio. The recording process took about 2 months. We spent another 3 months or so mixing and mastering the EP. So, it took (us) almost a year. I actually wrote the music for ‘Running Away’ and ‘80’s Poker Queen’ about 5 years back but never took it beyond bedroom demos.

What is your recording set up like?

Johan : Err, I dunno. (I) guess we do whatever the studio tells us? It was our first time recording in a studio so everyone was pretty (confused) about what was happening. It was a great experience though. We’ve done a couple of home recordings with a 4-track cassette recorder but I guess those don’t really count.

What's ‘80's Poker Queen’ about ? Do you happen to be a fan of Texas hold 'em as well?

Johan : It’s actually about a girl whom I had a crush on back in school. More like inspired by her ‘cause in real life I don’t think she’s anything like the person in the song. She kinda lived in the whole 80’s thing though. hence the title. What’s Texas hold em? Haha nope I’m not much of a card player. Give me a PS2 anytime!

Where do you hope to take your music?

Johan : Wherever it takes us, I guess. We don’t have any firm targets. I think we’ll carry on as long as we’re having fun and enjoy playing together. It would be nice to put Backspace on the map. At the moment, I don’t think you can say we’ve broken into the local scene yet cause no one’s really heard of us. Maybe we’ll play Baybeats next year? We’ve also started writing some new material. So hopefully, we can record our second EP at the end of this year.

How do you feel about releasing this EP?

Johan : Happy and relieved but mostly, happy. It’s kind of a small dream come true cause Roy and I have been talking about this since we graduated from university. It’s surely taken us a long time to get here but I guess in a way, that makes it even sweeter. I must say there are a couple of things we probably do differently, given the chance again. But that’s part and parcel of the whole learning experience.

What do you all do when you're not busy making music? For example, does one of you work part-time in a gelato place in Holland V?

Johan : How did you know?? Haha, no, I’m a lawyer by day and struggling musician every other day. Roy is an engineer, Tong is another lawyer and Leonard is a mystery.

Which local bands do you dig?

Johan : Concave Scream. Their sound is amazing! They’ve been a big inspiration. I remember listening to ‘Driven’ back in school and being awestruck. And more recently, highrise. I was browsing in HMV one day and picked up their CD by chance and loved it within the first 30 seconds. Really nice guys, too. The new Astreal album has also been making its rounds in my CD player.

What would you like to see more of in Singapore?

Johan : Hmm, well... How ‘bout more babes spontaneously taking off their tops at gigs?? Haha. Maybe a l’il more open mindedness. We live in a conformist society and it’s frustrating when people constantly try to fit you into some preconceived category or mould. We should forget the labels, close our eyes and start listening to each other.

I think, in terms of music, the local scene is looking pretty healthy at the moment. There’s been a second revival of sorts thanks to bands like Concave Scream, Electrico, Ronin and Lunarin who’ve made local music “cool” again. Plus the record labels and organisers have started to support and promote local bands so there’s a lot more opportunities for bands like us who are starting out. It would also be great if there was a radio station that was dedicated to indie music.

Which part of Singapore do you guys come from?

Johan : All of us are in the East except Tong who’s got a sweet bachelor pad in town. Roy is a Kelantan boy... which makes him a rocker by birth. I’m from PJ but we’ve both been in Singapore for ages. Way too long...

What's more important than music?

Johan : Sex?? I dunno. I can’t imagine life without music but then without life, there would be no music. I think all the intangible stuff like relationships, experiences, feelings and memories are important because they shape and affect the way we listen and create music.