Live music is finally returning to the city-state of Singapore after two long, silent years. As stages light up again and the concert calendar refills, NME Asia and SG MUSO invite artists to take the pulse of Singapore’s music scene and talk candidly about the damage done and the problems that still lie ahead.
For this series “Live music is finally back in Singapore. Now what?”, we spotlight Dean Chew (FUNK BSTRD), a veteran DJ who is the co-founder of the record label Darker Than Wax and the listening bar and restaurant Offtrack, which opened during the pandemic. Dean shares his thoughts on how Singapore can harness the “raw energy” that courses through every society to get live music back up and thriving in the city again.
For this series “Live music is finally back in Singapore. Now what?”, we speak to multi-hyphenate inch, who during the heart of the pandemic hit pause on music to briefly work sanitation in migrant workers’ dormitories. She shares more about the experience and how Singaporeans can support artists by being open-minded and curious about new creative experiences.
For this series “Live music is finally back in Singapore. Now what?”, we speak to singer-songwriter and live performer Daniel Sid Music. After playing some 200 shows at home and abroad in 2019, Daniel had his touring momentum brutally halted by COVID-19. He reflects on how talent has bled out of Singapore’s music community due to the pandemic – and the urgency of cultivating a culture fuelled by enthusiastic supporters of art and music.
This series is a partnership between NME Asia and SGMUSO, a charity that envisions a vibrant and viable Singapore music ecosystem where our music people can improve the lives of Singapore communities. In 2021, SGMUSO began funds to support music people affected by the pandemic to pay off bills and costs of daily living, and to support musicians who lost gig opportunities due to COVID-19. With this series, SGMUSO renews its commitment to sparking conversation and building community among music people.