IN a scene largely dominated by pop music, with trendy artistes and bands gaining popularity through infectious pop beats, other genres find it hard to rise above the mainstream noise and be heard by more music lovers.
In fact, styles such as folk and rock music are some of the least favourite among Malaysian youths.
Yet, indie bands that are producing unconventional beats still have their place. One such lineup is the psychedelic folk-rock infused group Billie Blue and the Nowhere Man.
Coming from a mixture of American and Malaysian roots, the group is made up of four members – Billie Blue Blackstone (vocals), Soheil Sanjabi (guitar and background vocals), Reuben Devanesan (drums and background vocals) and David Harding (bassist and background vocals).
Since its formation in 2015, the quartet has performed at several festivals across the country and released their debut album, Find Gold.
theSun spoke to Blackstone recently about their journey thus far as musicians and their latest single, Old Friend.
What is the story behind Old Friend?
Well, this was something I was very excited about. This is because this song was the first time I touched vulnerability.
I grew up with rock music, but I am influenced by country singers like Neil Young and Bob Dylan.
So, this song is a chance for us to channel that side of our inspiration.
Although the song is called Old Friend, it is not about a person. When I was writing the lyrics, I was reflecting on a past negative experience.
And I think every time we are in a negative headspace, though it is horrible, there is something comforting about it.
Is this a lead single to an upcoming project or a stand-alone?
It is a stand-alone because it is something older. We have been writing more stuff and trying to further develop our sound. We wanted to get this one out there as a stand-alone before we release our newer music – some of the stuff that we wrote last year.
Would you say Old Friend saw growth in you as a songwriter?
Yes, absolutely! If you listen to the older tracks, like Emperor and Red Corduroy, you would notice that there was not much vulnerability.
They were coming from a third-person perspective. Whereas with Old Friend, the track allowed me to show parts of my heart and that can be hard to do.
Although I am generally an open person, it is different when it comes to music.
This is because you are singing your own words to strangers. And it makes you more conscious of the words you are sharing. But once you break through the fear and get comfortable with sharing your emotions, it is amazing!
Has it been difficult during these past few months?
Yes and no. Yes, because we were not able to perform live. Although we got to do some online performances, it was not the same as performing live. We love performing because that is what gives us energy.
That is what inspires us! When you have a good show, you want to write more music. When you have a good show, you feel like you can do anything! So that was definitely hard. But the pandemic also allowed us to develop ourselves individually.
What struggles have you experienced as a local band?
Well, there are fewer opportunities when you are doing the kind of music that we do. Because we are not doing pop music or jazz.
But we did not care because if we play it well, people will like it. And that proved to be true. However, there are still fewer opportunities when it comes to huge festivals.
How do you think people can support local music?
We can start by developing curiosity. We think it is really good just to be curious and open to discovery. Like if you have not listened to a band of a certain genre, give it a try, you might like it! Go to shows and artistes’ online sites, listen to their music.
