go the distance

by Mark Wong

Photos by Lurgee, Concave Scream and Aging Youth

Just when we thought we’d lost another one of the great ‘90s bands like Sideshow Judy, Livonia and Humpback Oak, Concave Scream (http://www.concavescream.com) emerged from the cold to make a surprise appearance opening for The Observatory at the latter’s Time of Rebirth album launch at the Alliance Française in March 2004. In the two years after, we’ve been treated to a triumphant performance at Baybeats 2005 and a rip charged Monday Session at Bar None last September, amongst other gigs. Releasing their fourth album this month, the boys from Concave Scream sit down with Aging Youth to do a bit of reminiscing even as our favourite daddies have their eyes affixed on the horizon.

So can we call this a comeback?

Sean : I suppose in a way, you can call it that. But comeback always makes it sound like there's something to prove lah… Haha. We don't. (We’re) just happy to be doing this again.

Pann : To me, I just merely took a break to focus on career and family. Technically, we did not leave the scene; (we were) just pretty inactive during that time.

Could you tell us more about the recording process for Horizons including any anecdotes? We noticed, from the pictures on your blog, how much zany fun you seem to be having!

Pann : It was great fun, but that also includes all the stress of meeting the very tight deadlines. But if you ask me, I miss recording, a very rewarding process.

Sean: We were in the studio for a period of two weeks (that’s all that we allowed ourselves due to work commitments) to record and mixdown the album. It may seem like a rush job, but that's not really the case as we'd done our planning much earlier on. We were naturally aware of the fact that every hour spent in the studio increases the production costs, so we were rather disciplined and systematic in our approach to the whole recording process.

Of course things almost always never go according to plan and there were plenty of unforeseen hiccups during this recording. Luckily, we have livewires in our band to keep the morale up whenever shit hits the fan, hence, the pictures you saw on our blog… Haha. Other than a few tracks with effects were added via Protools, we recorded the entire album on 2-inch tape. Mixdown was done via a vintage 1960s Neve 8058 console. (It’s the) same kind used in the Pink Floyd and Beatles era. It was an extremely tiring two weeks but ultimately very, very fulfilling. Already we're having studio withdrawal symptoms. Haha.

Andy: Recording for me was like going back to kindergarten all over again. Because it was my first time. Virgin lah, a bit scared, kaka. The guys in the band and (recording engineer) Philip have been really patient in guiding me through the entire process. Thanks guys.

Horizons seems to be Concave Scream in a very reflective, mid-career kind of mode. Any comments?

Sean : In a way, all our albums have always been reflective of the times and emotional state that we were or are in. So, you'll notice that we've obviously mellowed with time with this album. Don't think it’s a mid-career move lah :) We never really plan for things. It just happens as it is circumstantially, even cosmically! We like to keep our music as honest as possible.

Pann : Of course lah. We are reaching middle age already... ka ka ka.

On the song ‘Go’, there’s a reference to the year 1974: okay, ‘fess up, who was born then? Tell us more about the song.

Sean : Haha, that would be me. I wouldn't go into it in detail ‘cause we like our songs to be open to interpretation. But I can tell you that it's generally about camaraderie and growing up in this country.

Pann : I was born ‘73. Shit, (it’s) not about me...

Dean : Same here.

Andy : Definitely not me. I was born in 1973, one day after Dean.

I read that Sean and Pann were Junior College schoolmates. Which JC was that? What did you study? What kinds of ECAs were you involved in?

Sean : We were from Tampines Junior College. I started with Science in the first three months but changed to Arts stream. I still remember returning my science textbooks to the lecturer in the middle of a lecture and telling him I'm dropping the subject. The whole place started cheering like a rock concert lah! Haha! How come last time like that balz... I took art as an Extra Curriculum Activity (ECA). [Ed: Apparently, it’s known as Co- Curriculum Activity these days. Which shows you how long these guys have been outta school.]

Pann : I was in the Science stream. I dropped out and took up Art stream instead. So a Science stream student doing Art... ka ka failure :) As for ECAs, I took up portrait drawing on chalk pastel.

Back to the whole band: what was each of your involvement in music at that age?

Sean : Back then, we were still in school, Concave Scream was not formed yet. I was just playing (guitar) as a hobby, occasionally taking part in school shows. Haha. I remembered picking up guitar-playing from Victor (The Observatory) during those days as well.

Pann : At that time, I was playing in a death thrash band called Silent Sorrow with Dean.

Dean : Playing around here and there.

Andy : I was trying to play drums and learning to play (my) favourite heavy metal songs on acoustic guitar. That and drawing favourite metal logos.

What was the music of your youth?

Sean : Jesus & Mary Chain, U2, The Cure, Teenage Fanclub, Chapterhouse, Stone Roses, Ride, The Pixies, Cocteau Twins, The Cult, New Order, Depeche Mode to name a few.

Pann : Metal and all sorts: Metallica, Slayer, Kreator, Sepultura, Deicide, Merciless, At The Gates, Paradise Lost, Dismember, Entombed, Desultory, Grave, Atheist, Cynic, Cemetery, Napalm Death, Carnage, New Model Army, New Order, Depeche Mode, Ride, Stone Roses, The Cure, A-Ha, In Flames, U2, Tears for Fears, Beyond... too many to mention.

Dean : Slayer, Metallica, the earlier Iron Maiden, Sepultura, Entombed, Deicide... and blaah blaah angry stuff. For cold winter days, U2, Ride, Radiohead, Beastie Boys, etc.

Andy : Think at that time it's mostly Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, Death, Godflesh, Nine Inch Nails, Sepultura, Wings (Malaysian rock band), Search, Ministry, Jimi Hendrix.

How do you think teenagers have changed since your time?

Sean : I suppose young people get bolder and more self-confident with each passing generation. But overall, teenagers will always be teenagers lah. Angst and love and sex...it’s hormonal! Listen to our old albums and you'll know what I mean. Haha!

Pann : Frankly, I can't comment; (I) don’t know many teenagers these days...

Dean : True... true…

Andy : Don't think they have changed much. Still the same rebellious, can-take-on-the-world attitude.

Your last few gigs have been met with tremendous reception. On one level I sense a lot of nostalgia in audiences, given that with the exception of maybe Force Vomit and Astreal, you guys are probably the only band from the mid-nineties that’s still intact. How do you see it?

Sean : I think the nostalgia is quite real. We also feel that a good half of the audience have actually grown up together with us and our music. So, past the nervousness, there's always this really warm and homely feeling whenever we perform live. :) We really appreciate that! With regards to us being one of the few 'surviving' bands from the ‘90s, it's actually quite strange because we know a lot of friends who were from bands from the ‘90s who are still around, doing great stuff. The only difference is maybe we've stuck to our band name and that certain sound.

Pann : I think we are no different from any other bands here. (We’re) just a small piece that makes up the whole of our Singapore indie scene.

For the record, what do your wives think about the screaming females at your gigs (that Aging Youth editor Lounge Lizard describes as being "pretty cute")?

Pann : My wife knows that I am in for the music, not the chicklets. :) ka ka ka ka.... Quite frankly without the support from my wife, I will not be where I am. She gives me the peace of mind to focus on whatever I do.

Sean: Haha, I think they are the ones screaming the loudest most of the time! Seriously, I think most of the screaming come from our close friends anyways. We not rock star material lah, where got chicklets?

Dean: Same for me wifey. She's been handing me support pillows through the years. On the screaming chicks, wifey's always there to make sure they're screaming inward (concave scream)... So it’s all good lah.

Andy: Eh, how come I never get to see any of them?

Will we ever be able to see you perform songs from your debut album? I really love songs like “Insanity” and “Democracy”, which capture a youthful exuberance that, while somewhat naïve, is also full of an ineffable spirit. Musically I’m also interested in how the early songs, which featured only Sean, Pann and a drum machine, would sound with a four-piece band today.

Sean : Haha. Honestly, I get goosebumps all the time when I listen to our older stuff. But hey, that was who we were back then and it was honest music that came from the heart. We did perform ‘Democracy’ as a four piece before. It definitely sounded different from the drum machine/acoustic version, but it still sounds like us. Some fans will still prefer the CD version I suppose ‘cause it was a really unique juxtaposition of sounds back then. But one we felt could not be sustained forever, that's why we grew to a 4 piece set-up.

Pann : We definitely might revisit the older stuff some day. (I’m) not sure when.

Dean : I, for one, sure enjoy playing them, though we did play ‘Democracy’ before at the launch of Three.

What are some new local bands that you like?

Sean : The Observatory and Throb. Musically, these 2 bands have reached a level that few can come near and they are still constantly pushing the envelope.

Pann : Both are not new though. The Observatory is the champzzzz! Still can't figure how they jam man. :) They are at another level of musicianship, practically unreal if you ask me... and THROB... practically crazy stuff that I will never imagine how to put together a track like that! Cheers to them!

Dean : The Observatory and Throb.

Andy : The Observatory and Throb. They make me want to smash my bass in two and stop playing. Haha...

In a previous interview with Aging Youth, Sean said that “we sounded different in all our different albums” which to a certain extent is true, but then again, there is an undeniable Concave Scream sound which I think is distinguished by Sean’s soaring vocals and Pann’s screaming licks. How would you guys characterise the Concave Scream sound?

Sean : Yah lah… I suppose we can't really avoid sounding like Concave Scream. We have changed musical instruments, introduced a lot more stomp boxes and experimented with impromptu jam sessions. Maybe it's the preference for minor chords, the occasional double vocals, tween guitar solos and some double pedals... But the subtleties are still there. I guess, most importantly, we did not consciously try to sound the same. If it happens that way, then maybe we really do have a trademark sound after all. :)

Pann : Frankly, I find it quite hard to answer this question. Can I pass? :)

Dean : Soft but loud; happy but sad... kakaka…

Andy : The trademark Sean and Pann’s vocal and guitar harmonies and Dean's power drumming. Fwah! Heavy!

So outside of the band, you guys are also colleagues? Can you tell us more about that?

Pann : Sean, Dean and I are colleagues in an advertising firm. As for Andy, he is a full time illustrator.

Please tell us more about your new bass player, Andy.

Sean : Andy's a live wire lah. kaka! He's a really talented individual.

Pann : Andy, please answer this. ka ka ka ka... We love his chest hair :)

Andy : I like art, music and beer. Hehe...

The song ‘High Places’ has a refrain that goes, “Get high/With friends in high places”. Is this song about the 2004 high society cocaine bust in Singapore?

Sean : Haha... That's really quite coincidental. It's basically about the system, about how the world works lah. I won't say more.

Pann : Coincidence la.

Since we’re on the topic, do you know Dinesh Bhatia who was arrested in the cocaine bust? He used to be in the band Kick (along with John Klass) and in fact wrote the band’s hit song “Jane” back in 1993.

Sean : Yup. That's a really high profile case. Kick was a real chick magnet band back in those days. :)

Pann : Of course I've heard of them; they were very popular.

What's the name of the hidden track which happens to be the only acoustic tune on the album?

Sean: There's no name for it and we intend to keep it that way. We just refer to it as a lullaby in general. It's a reflective piece on our little ones lah. ;)

Over the years, I sense a shift in your songs from searing anger, angst and depression on the first two albums, to a large dose of cynicism on Three. Horizons seems to be the most optimistic album in your oeuvre, with an emphasis on redemption and hope for the future. Is this a case of personal evolution and a change in life philosophy, or have things changed for the better in Singapore?

Sean : Yes, this album is our most optimistic to date. You'll find words like “sun” and “flowers” mentioned in it. Haha. Can't rain all the time what... But generally, it's just how we are feeling at this point. Especially with our kids on the way and playing together again after such a long time, there's a sense of goodness, but also uncertainty of what the future holds. That is, by the way, how the title Horizons came about and also why we included a working calendar in our album artwork, to remind us of the fleeting nature of time.

Pann: For me, I guess when we mature, we change. We don’t move as fast, we need more sleep than before, we need to pay more bills, etc. I guess since everything changes, so will the songs.

Dean : Anger's like rain; it just can't happen all the time. For music, it's really important to feel what you're doing.

So tell us more about the kids that are on the horizon! (Gives a new meaning to the "scream" part of your name, eh?)

Pann : I have a two-and-a-half-year-old cheeky son. And one daughter akan datang (Malay for coming soon) by mid-July.

Sean: My baby girl is due in a month’s time. :) Yup, gonna start getting used to the screamin’ alright!

Dean: I have a daughter turning three in May, and if you listen carefully, you might hear "May Day May Day!" being yelled in the distance…

Andy: My boy will be popping out end of April.

After Three and Humpback Oak’s SideASideB, there was talk of collaboration between the two bands. Might we now be able to see something concocted between The Observatory and Concave Scream?

Sean : Yes, there's definitely a high chance of us working together on something in the future ‘cause we're all really good friends. It'll be a great honour to play alongside them as well...but the pressure's huge!

Pann : As Sean said, pressure balz... Haha. :)

Pann : It would be lovely but will really be super pressurising for me… :)

Reliable sources have let us onto the game. Apparently, Pann likes to wear his spectacles upside down. Why lah?

Pann : My specs I bought already 'terbalik' (Malay for upside-down). That's the way I see the world! ka ka ka ka ka

As local music veterans, do you have any advice for young bands?

Sean : Focus on your craft and keep it honest. It's really not about being the most popular or best band in the world. If you can see that, everything you do will be a lot more satisfying and meaningful.

Pann : Stick together. Go through thick, thicker and thickest. Be serious with what you do and play music as a band and not based on individualism. Believe in what you do, and most importantly, be passionate about the craft.

You know, at this rate you’re going to develop a U2-like stature in the history of local music. Already, a song like “Driven” (from Erratic) has that epic feel not unlike U2’s “Where the Streets have No Name”. Where do you see yourselves in ten years time?

Sean : Haha... Please don’t say it like that. We'll really be grossly overrated if you compare us to them! Ten years ago, someone asked the same question. Hopefully in ten years time, someone can still ask us that question. Haha. :) Seriously, we would like to keep writing songs for as long as possible if circumstances allow.

Pann : Please dun use U2 as a comparison. They are not from this planet, ka ka ka… They are music gods :) But seriously, ten years is a long time. We won’t know what will happen. But one thing’s for sure, if I can squeeze in the time, I will carry on. :)