THE music scene in Malaysia is incredibly diverse and active, offering a wide range of genres and styles. Some of the greatest live bands can be found in Kuala Lumpur in particular.
The Gentle Notes is a fusion band that knows how to get you moving on the dance floor. They play the latest radio-friendly favourites in addition to all renowned musicians. theSun recently spoke with the band to learn more about their formation process, obstacles they overcame, and inspiration for starting the band.
There are five members of The Gentle Notes – drummer Jeremiah, bassist Noel, violinist Hireish, guitarist Jarod, and lead vocalist Alex Rao.
Jeremiah, the group’s leader, said that each of them was already performing individually at various gigs. Jeremiah, though, had dreamed of starting his own live band.
He said: “I’ve always known that starting my own band was what I wanted. And I already knew who would be in my band; all that was left to do was to execute it when the opportunity arose.”
It waspure coincidence that the bandmembers all met and performed together at an event in June of 2022. While they were essentially playing as a new group, they said that they clicked right away, which is typically not the case.
“We all play different roles in the group, and we just needed a little practise to be able to work well together,” according to Noel.
“I think that’s what made us special,” he added.
“We are each other’s strengths, but having a violinist in a band is unique. We see having a violinist in our band as the beginning of something unique. Everyone does, however, have their own opportunity to shine with their instrument on stage.”
We enquired about the band’s creative approach, as they mainly play in bars and nightclubs. Hireish stated: “We all contribute equally. Jeremiah has been performing for years, so he knows exactly what the audience would like to hear.
“He would typically come up with a set of songs, and we would simply pitch in our recommendations to finalise our set list.”
“We put too much faith in one another,” according to Jarod, who added that on sometimes “we would just be as impulsive and jam out to a beat.”
As they wouldn’t stop complimenting each other’s amazing skills, I could see that the team really does have a great deal of faith in one another.
The group claimed that they had always enjoyed playing their particular musical instrument, therefore when they had the chance to become a band, they just couldn’t pass it up. “Why would we want to waste that chance, especially when we have a place to show off our talent?” remarked Hireish.
While they are a relatively new band, all five members have experience playing live, thus playing their performances wasn’t as difficult as they had anticipated.
Jeremiah added that “to their astonishment”, their debut performance as The Gentle Notes was favourably welcomed by the crowd. “I still recall the cheers and applause we received from the crowd; that’s what persuaded me that we are on the right road.”
The lads claimed that doing performances in front of crowds is something they genuinely like doing.
When questioned about their favourite musical moment to date, Jarod said: “Every single one of our performances. Every time we perform on stage and take pleasure in our performance, we just feel so pleased.”
Jeremiah responded: “Generally, we simply end up performing the songs that are currently trendy,” when asked how they keep the crowd entertained if no one is dancing or having fun. “We are certain that everyone would like that.”
He claims that it doesn’t occur all that frequently though.
The group believes in slow progress. Nothing is easy, in Hireish’s opinion. There must be some challenges in life if one is to excel.
Their biggest challenge came when their former lead vocalist attempted to split the group up by encouraging the other members to create a new band, and leaving Jeremiah behind. However, that did not happen, due to their strong bond.
When we asked whether there was anything they would have done differently when they initially started out, everyone said that “there wasn’t anything”. They are grateful for their humble beginnings and acknowledge that the small steps they took to get where they are now.
Speaking of negative critiques, Alex claimed that such feedback only serves to motivate people to improve. “It’s really not that complicated. Every week, we work to improve based on their feedback.”
“Nonetheless, we often choose to ignore remarks that are meant to make us feel bad. It’s not worth it to pay any attention to something that will just hurt you mentally,” Noel continued.
Alex also mentioned that, despite working a full-time job, he does not allow it to cloud his love for singing. “My passion is singing, and I won’t let it be taken from me. I’m very grateful that I can stay on schedule well while still performing with this band.”
Jeremiah was cited by all four band members as their chief inspiration and as someone who had a significant impact on their personal growth. Because Jeremiah took the initiative and directed them all in the proper direction, they are all incredibly appreciative to him.
Even though everyone has their own careers, starting The Gentle Notes remains one of their greatest accomplishments, and Jeremiah made it all possible. They also took the opportunity to thank their family and friends for their unwavering support.
Jeremiah made sure to thank his wife for always being there for him. He claimed she was the reason he didn’t give up in the face of all the challenges he faced.
Anybody looking to join a live band is advised to have confidence. They emphasised that all they needed to do was trust their abilities and continue pushing on with their lives and never give up. The Gentle Notes made a promise to continue doing their hardest to outshine everyone else.
The lads currently perform weekly at Mist, Bangsar on Fridays and Saturdays.
I have seen their performance, and I think they are doing a fine job. They are all really vivacious and care about entertaining their audiences. They have loyal customers who often stop by Mist to see them play. We wish them well in their ongoing efforts to soar even higher.
Event inquiries can be sent to +6016-315 7051 (Jeremiah).
Instagram: @thegentlenotes
