Charlie Lim, Gentle Bones and more local acts to perform in London

A handful of local acts will be taking their music to London and playing sets at established music store Rough Trade East and/or outdoor space Brick Lane Yard from June 24-28. 

They include singer-songwriters Gentle Bones and Charlie Lim, indie band Pleasantry and electronic duo .gif. 

Gentle Bones, Lim and Pleasantry will be performing as part of SGMUSO Live Showcase, a collaborative move by the The Music Society, Singapore (SGMUSO) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

Previously, contemporary ethnic group SA trio and indie pop outfit Take Two flew to Beijing and performed a series of shows as part of the showcase.

The initiative, which offers support and opportunities for local talent to explore various music markets overseas, will next bring selected acts to New York in September. 

In addition, electronic acts .gif and Nada as well as DJs Cherry Chan and Kiat with visual artists Brandon Tay and FROMPAMM were picked by local audiovisual collective Syndicate.

Both overseas initiatives are part of travelling showcase Singapore: Inside Out.

Led by STB in light of Singapore’s Jubilee Year celebrations, it celebrates homegrown talents across multiple disciplines.

Several of these acts have also clinched additional gigs on their own.

Who are these acts?

We introduce you to some of Singapore’s finest music talents.

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CHARLIE LIM 

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Earlier this month, the velvety-voiced crooner-guitarist captivated a near sold-out crowd at Esplanade Concert Hall where he launched his EP, Time/Space.

The show, called House of Riot, saw a triple bill that also included rock act The Great Spy Experiment and singer Inch Chua.

If his charming wit and mesmerising vocals aren’t enough to win you over, this is proof the 26-year-old is one to watch out for — Time/Space hit No. 1 on iTunes within an hour of its release.

 

 

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GENTLE BONES 

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Joel Tan, better known as Gentle Bones, has accomplished a lot since he broke into the music scene in 2011.

 

 

He clinched a “360-degree deal” — this includes recording and publishing rights, events, endorsements and merchandise — with Universal Music Singapore and is the first local act to have done so.

Tan, 21, topped the local iTunes album chart last year when he released his debut self-titled EP and has been crowned the iTunes Singapore Best New Artist of 2014.

He has also opened for popular YouTube stars Alex Goot and Against The Current as well as Vine breakout stars Us The Duo.

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PLEASANTRY

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Fresh off their show at Canadian Music Weekand subsequent North American tour in May, the indie pop-rock quintet is set to take London by storm.

They released their critically-aclaimed debut album Synapses last year to rave reviews and have since released a split EP with San Francisco-based indie pop quintet Starry Eyed Cadet.

 

 

Pleasantry have played plenty of notable gigs on home ground, including The Gathering festival which also saw foreign acts like Belle and Sebastian and Caribou as part of its line-up.

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.gif 

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Comprising Nurudin Sadali and Chew Wei Shan, the electronic duo are no strangers to festivals, having played the annual Laneway Festival and Baybeats here as well as Java Soundsfair in Jakarta.

Their unique brand of music, made possible by a mesh of lush synth beats coupled with Chew’s distinct vocals, have earned them recognition and a notable following.

 

 

Having released their EP Saudade in 2013, a full-length album is underway.

“We’re really grateful to Syndicate and STB for the invite, it is a great honour to have been asked and sent to play in London. Super cool to be performing in places like Rough Trade East and Brick Lane Yard!” said Chew, 25.