Vanness Wu

Text and interview: Natalie Yeo

For an artist who has had great success and also recently released his latest album, C’est La “V”, Vanness Wu holds no airs about his accomplishments.

Clad in a pair of black jeans, a red-striped cardigan over a black basic t-shirt, a beanie and black-framed glasses, he exits the stage arena for MTV Sessions and requests for a short break after an hour long on-air interview at the Waterfront Studios, Resorts World Sentosa (Singapore). With no hint of weariness or a lack of zeal, Vanness enthusiastically prepared himself for round two of interviews.

Vanness is nothing short of a down-to-earth, honest and sincere artist. Read on as he takes us through his journey as a growing artist in this interview. He talks about his new album, how he gains inspiration and shares the highlights of his career. He also gives insight into his passions in life and even his hairstyles!

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What was the heart and direction for your new album?

The direction of it was just to be honest. The album is called C’est La “V” which is French for ‘This Is Life’ (C’est La Vie). We had a plan where the ‘V’ stood for Vanness, so it translates, ‘This Is Vanness’. And my life has three concepts: Love, Faith and Live. For me, if you have love, you have faith. Then you’re able to live through any obstacle life throws at you.

On this album, you worked with Ryan Tedder and Bruno Mars on your songs “Is This All” and “Knockin’”. How was the experience working with them?

It was very overwhelming. I’ve known about Ryan Tedder since 11 years ago, before One Republic. He was a solo artist at that time. I heard his stuff online and his vocals are just amazing. He’s a great song-writer so seeing all his success and being able to work with him 11 years later is very encouraging. I couldn’t believe I was actually working with him after 11 years of knowing about him so that was really cool.

And Bruno was introduced to me by Justin Michael. He said, “I’ve got this friend I’ve been working with. He’s a great song-writer and I think he could write some songs for you.” So I went to watch him perform one night. This was 3 years ago, before I knew who he was and before he had any songs. When I saw him perform, I thought, “Oh my goodness, this guy is amazing.” So I told Justin that I’d definitely love to work with him. I met with Bruno and told him I’ve got this thing going on and he said, “Yeah, I’d love to write for you.” It just happened all so fast.

You have released 5 music albums to date. How do you think your music has progressed over the years?

I think it’s matured, more honest to who I am. I feel like C’est La “V” is the album that’s closest to what I’ve been wanting to do. That’s why I feel like it’s my first real album because in the ones before, I was either too immature or too young to be able to enjoy the whole process. This time, I was able to have fun with it and regardless of what song I was singing, I made sure to enjoy it and that was the most important thing.

Vanness Wu

As for song arrangements, both fast and slow tracks, where does your inspiration come from?

It all just comes when it comes. There is no one key. I get my inspiration from God because that’s where it all comes from at the end of the day. It really depends on where I’m at. All of a sudden [snaps], I get this feeling and then it comes. It’s the funny thing about inspiration. It just comes. You go on Youtube, “Nope, can’t find anything here.” You go on Google, “Nope, can’t see any inspiration there.” All of a sudden you see a dog and “Oh! I got inspiration!” [Claps] It’s weird like that.

What has been the most memorable or significant moment of your solo career?

For acting, it was Autumn’s Concerto. That was an amazing time acting-wise because it took me into another level of appreciation on working on TV drama. As I had not worked on a drama in so long, my initial response was actually, “No, I don’t want to. I don’t want to shoot anymore TV drama.” I was scared and I just didn’t want to do it. But that experience really opened up something again and it was such a blessing to see the audience loving it as much as we loved creating it. For music, it’s this album that I recently released and to have had the chance to work with the people that I’ve worked on it with.

Between singing and acting, which do you feel has challenged and stretched you more?

They have both challenged me in their own aspects. Acting has challenged me to see how deep I can go with the character – How real and how true I can go with it. Musically, it’s how much more my vocal cords are able to stretch and train. Dancing? To see how much crazier I can get with the steps.

With the array of languages that you speak (English, Mandarin, Japanese and Korean), how has being a multi-lingual artist helped you in your career?

It helped me to travel [Laughs]. It helped me to travel a lot – to experience and enjoy different countries that I love and have loved watching growing up. I love watching animation, cartoons and Japanese manga. So to move from enjoying all that from young, to being able to go to the actual places that created and started it all now is… “Wow!”

Vanness Wu

You have often been associated with not just music and acting but with fashion and now your new jewelry line. Is there a particular piece of clothing or accessory that you wear that is symbolic to you or representative of you?

I have these 2 cross necklaces [Points to neck] that for the time being, I have not taken off for about a year now. I wear them everywhere. One of them is from my grandmother. She passed away about a year or so ago and she gave it to me so it’s one I keep with me. I bought this other one in Paris at an antique flea market and they said it was from the 19 or 1860s. I like them. These are the two pieces that represent and brings Jesus back to the center of everything. Then everything else just works itself out around it.

As a celebrity, you’ve gone through several (if not many) hairstyles, long to short. Which look or hairstyle is your favourite?

I get bored really easy. The reason why I grew and dyed it red that one time was because I got bored with short hair and I said, “I think I’m going to grow my hair long now.” And I dyed it a completely different colour so I wouldn’t cut it. At least it was a different style! After I grew it long, I said, “I’m so sick of this. Okay, I’m going to shave my head now”, and I went to the salon and told them, “shave the sides and shave it all off for me right now.” And they just shaved it off. It really depends on my mood. More often than not, it’s really random. When I shaved my head, again I thought, “You know what? Finally! I think I want to grow a Mohawk!” And then I grew a mohawk. That’s what I did, I grew a mohawk.

What does being here in Singapore for MTV Sessions mean to you?

It’s like a milestone. It’s a beginning of something. Of course, the originating point was from ‘Unplugged’ and I’m honoured being able to be the first person to do it here in Singapore. I hope I don’t mess it up [Laughs].

 The Christmas Song (Live at MTV Sessions)

Tags: MTV Asia

Through this show, what message would you want to share and bring across to your fans?

Keep following your dreams and keep pursuing them. They are there for a reason and don’t ever give up on your dreams. Anything is possible but you just have to be patient and realise that even though you might be thinking, “I must do it by the time I’m 30,” who knows? Maybe God’s plan is for you to do it when you’re 60. You know what I mean? But as long as you accomplish it, that’s what matters and the point of it all is to enjoy the journey.

Do you feel you’re an instrument of inspiration to others?

I don’t know what it makes me, but it makes me happy to make the people around me happy! Thank you guys for always supporting me. I pray that we’ll have a wonderful journey together ahead of us and I look forward to what our lives are going to bring for each other!

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Catch Vanness Wu on the premiere of MTV Sessions airing 1 January 2012, 5pm (WIB), 6pm (SIN/HK/PH), 7pm (MAL).

Repeats will air on 3 January 2012, 12.30am (WIB), 1.30am (SIN/HK/PH), 2.30am (MAL) and 7 January 2012, 12.30am (WIB), 1.30am (SIN/HK/PH), 2.30am (MAL) respectively.

VJ Rich

Text: Natalie Yeo

Host, model, actor, writer, and now our new MTV VJ, Richard Herrera has plenty to offer! Shades and not much of a smile make him appear unapproachable but behind that facade lies a down-to-earth, traditionalist at heart.

Pushed by his spirit for adventure and inspired by his parents and love for music, VJ Rich reveals multiple sides of him in this interview. He carries with him a hope to re-engage MTV viewers and tells us more about himself as he embarks on his journey as MTV’s latest addition!

***

Welcome to MTV! Could you tell us a little background about yourself?

I grew up in Columbus, Ohio. Sports saved my life and kept me out of trouble growing up. Thankfully, I was a good test-taker but I wish I’ve paid more attention in school! I’m lucky to have the coolest parents ever. I left the United States in 2002 for Europe, and then ultimately ended up in Asia.

What were you working as previously?

I wasn’t the best behaved kid growing up but I started teaching and worked with handicapped and blind individuals when I was 15. My parents were teachers for the blind and that’s how they met. That was my first job, and then I got into concert production and worked as a roadie back in the US. Live music was a big part of my daily routine.

How did the experience of being a roadie branch out to becoming a model?

I was working and trying to finish school when the woman who was cutting (not often) my hair asked if I wanted to do a hair show for her where she would style my hair in front of people. One thing led to another but it gave me an opportunity to leave home and explore. I started off as a hair dummy of sorts.

For shampoo ads?

[Laughs] Kind of! And then it just spiraled into more opportunities. It’s a strange road to take but I ended up here in Asia. I have some family in the Philippines so it was a good place to start out and learn.

VJ Rich

Looking at your build, you must do quite a fair bit of sports. What kind of sports are you into?

A lot of things! American football, ultimate Frisbee (just recently), baseball, mixed martial arts, etc. I train a lot and that’s actually great for stress relief and staying in shape. You don’t want to get soft in your old age because that’s what tends to happen. When I left the US, the whole craziness of it all got me away from training and I realized when I got back into it how much of a wimp I became, so I had to get tough again!

How often do you go to the gym?

I tend to cut the work-outs really short. When there is time, I try to go in and just get it done. 20-30 minutes tops! I’ve tried all different kinds of training and whatever people suggest really. The more insane they are, the better.

Now that we know how you keep in shape, could you tell us a bit about your personal style?

Well, my mother’s always had good taste with things so I try to keep it clean. I’m not a colorful guy but I try to spice it up every now and then.

VJ Rich

With your background in production and modeling, do you enjoy show business?

Yeah, I really do. I ended up just getting thrown into it, but I never realized when I went to school that it was really something you could do as a career. My dad went to school for broadcasting and he’s the one that has all the talent and personality. He can tell jokes for hours and he really has dynamic performing abilities. Sadly, I didn’t inherit too much of that!

But you’re doing this today so you’re fine!

Well, I’m picking it up. I mean, I wasn’t born with it but I’m trying to get better at it so it’s a daily struggle to improve with everything. Meeting all these new people here really helps. I sit down, shut up and listen and learn. Eventually, I hope to put it all together like a proper VJ should!

What kind of music are you into?

I’m definitely open-minded. I will try to give a listen to pretty much anything. I’m fortunate enough to have a lot of DJ friends who really just keep new things playing all the time so I’m always asking them, “Hey, what’s this?” or “Make me a mix tape or something!” I’m really into Red Hot Chili Peppers and Armand Van Helden. At heart though, I’m a metal head. I find myself listening to the same heavy metal and hard rock over and over again. You can’t tell from my dancing but I do have a soulful side. Nevertheless, I’m trying to pick up some of this new stuff and get with the program!

You’ll be hosting the MTV Show next year. What do you think about the whole experience of hosting a brand new MTV show?

I’m fired up for sure. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done. I’ve already told the producers that we need to get out there, rather than do everything in the studio and take things to another level. I think we need to really get the viewer’s opinion on what they’re into and really everything that we do from now on; we should relate it to music.

How would you engage and draw in young viewers?

We need to find out what motivates people these days because that’s one thing everybody has in common is music. Everybody’s got their own trip with their own tunes. It means something different to every individual. Some people take it seriously, some people feel like their opinion really matters and for other people, it’s just something to kill the silence. I’d like to talk to people and find out more about what makes them tick because this is a learning experience for me too. Everyone, especially me, gets a bit lost in the whole internet circus and is slammed with so much new media that it’s hard to keep track of it all. At the end of the day, we are all selective as most of us don’t want to waste our time.

VJ Rich

You will be working a lot with Holly from here on. What do you think of her?

Holly reeks of awesomeness. She reminds me of how I was when I was 21, only a thousand times more intelligent than I was! Her personality is plus for sure. Talking to her just reminds me how much of an idiot I was at 21. She has a really good head on her shoulders and she has an extremely promising future ahead of her. Hopefully, I can teach her some things from my experiences so we can learn from one another and help each other out.

Would you consider yourself a daredevil in life?

‘Rampage’ was a nickname was given to me by my friend who passed away a few years ago and it was given for good reason. I like to meet people and everything I do, I want to push it as far as I can. So far I’ve definitely taken a lot of risks. Some were not thought out too well and some paid off. I have more responsibility now so I have to make better decisions these days. The next few years will be very interesting!

For news and updates on VJ Rich, visit:
www.mtvasia.com/vjrich
www.facebook.com/MTVVJRich
twitter.com/RichRampage

Neon Trees

Text and interview: Lennat Mak

Everyone wants to be a pop star. But beyond the fame, glitz, glamor, and bigger-than-life pop personas, there’s always the song. While a pop song can’t do away with its cookie-cutter mold of four-on-the-floor dance beats, predictable chords progression and inane lyrics (Rebecca Black’s “Friday” is a good example), the crux of a good pop song lies in its ability to connect and bridge an emotional attachment with its listeners.

Sounds all very complicated, doesn’t it? Basically, it’s all about the elusive thing that passionate people often talk about – “heart.” A good pop song should have heart. And if you listen closely to Neon Trees, that’s what the band is really all about. Unabashed heart-on-the-sleeves emotions coupled with slick pop hooks and gripping melodies. Doesn’t hurt when the band don’t take themselves way too seriously and are always ready to inject that tongue-in-cheek punch to what they do as well.

The band – Tyler Glenn (vocalist), Chris Allen (guitarist), Branden Campbell (bassist) and Elaine Bradley (drummer and backup vocalist) – will be swinging by MTV World Stage Live In Malaysia 2011 this coming Sunday for a live show you won’t forget. We spoke to frontman Tyler and found more about the band’s musical approach and their excitement of touring Asia. Read on!

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The single “Animal” was a phenomenal success for the band. How has fame been treating the band so far?

I think the fan base is growing as we go to many places to play. It’s really cool to see kids being so excited. I’ve always been that kind of fan that if I’m really into a band, I would be a really big fan. So to have fans like that, it’s really great.

Do you try to connect with your fans personally?

I think putting up a show at our performances is a great way to connect to fans. I want our shows to be an inspiring experience so that both the band and the fans feel something afterwards. Social networking is a great way as well. I love that instead of hating Twitter, I can use it to speak to people from different parts of the world. It’s cool.

What do you think contributed to the success of the band so far?

I think it’s the fact that we write songs that are good. That’s something we really pay attention to instead of trying to write something that sounds cool. If you strip down the songs, they are still good songs no matter how you play them. We also try to put on a show. The fact that we can play live and are really a live band not just a gimmick, I think that’s something refreshing to people may think we are just a one-hit wonder or just a band that looks interesting.

Do you think Ronnie Vannucci Jr. from the Killers played a big part in pushing the band as well?

Absolutely. He was part of the people who believe in us from the beginning. Being in a successful band as the Killers are, Ronnie and his stamp of approval really helped in making people take Neon Trees more seriously.

Back to your songs, your lyrics are full of wistful romanticism. What inspired and influenced you lyrically?

I write what I know. Lyrically, I’m still young. I fell in love twice and I had heartbreaks probably 10 times. I felt anger, confusion, frustration – that’s what I write about. And really taking the approach of taking the darker things in life and making them a little tongue-in-cheek and handling them with humor and honesty. That’s what the songs are all about. And also staying young and staying young in mind!

And that’s the song “1983.”

Exactly! That’s the year I was born. I wrote it as an anthem to staying young and not forgetting what it felt like to be there.

Musically, do all the band members come from different influences?

Yeah, we are a great melting pot. I really have a lot of spirit for the pop bands from the ‘70s/’80s. Elaine came from a really progressive rock background. She used to play in a lot of progressive rock bands. When she came to Neon Trees, we are more straightforward when it comes to drumming. It’s cool to have the kind of drummer who’s used to playing more complicated beats to where she narrows it down for the songs. I think we all agree on certain musical ideals and it’s a really good dynamic.

With all these varied influences coming together, what do you think makes a good song?

I think it’s the melody. When I write music, I write the melody first. I hum melodies walking around towns and at the venues before we play and eventually forming lyrics with them. Of course the lyrics are very important too. It’s more complicated to write a good pop song. A lot of people have that problem of simplifying and not trying to cram so much thought into one song. That can be hard. You have to really keep it focused.

In all your music videos, the band seems to always emit this really awesome good vibe and camaraderie. What’s the chemistry and dynamics like within the band?

(Chuckles) We are very hilarious to each other. When we first came out, a lot of people thought maybe we take ourselves too seriously. I try to remind people to look at our hair in a cool way and listen at what we are singing about. There are definitely elements of fun. We like to have good times as a band and as a family. We are very eccentric and weird, just as we are very normal as well. I really appreciate the dynamic that we have right now.

It’s cheerful and optimistic.

Sure! We actually made a music video for “Your Surrender” that has more of a darker and serious theme. And when we saw the finished product, we didn’t like it. I think we tend to do lighter things a little better than darker things.

Is that the reason why you asked your fans to make a music video for “Your Surrender” as well?

Yeah. The first video that we made really didn’t connect as much as we wanted it do. “Your Surrender” is such an important song to us so the ideal is to open it up to the fans and see what they thought could present when they hear the song. We’ve seen some pretty great entries so it’s really cool to see that kind of creativity from our fans.

The band is playing MTV World Stage Live In Malaysia 2011 this coming Sunday. How excited are you touring Asia?

I’m glad that as a band, we get to go to all these countries, especially Malaysia, China and Japan. I’m very into Asian culture and have always gravitated towards it. I’m very excited to find out more about these countries and things that a lot of people still don’t know about. And I’m very excited to meet the fans! I find that when we play countries that perhaps don’t get as that many bands playing all the time, the fans really appreciate the music and the bands a lot more.

Hurts

Text and interview: Felina Tan

Decked in immaculate crisp shirts and pants, British synth-pop duo Hurts was impossible to miss when they walked into the room. The band had just flown in from Bali the previous afternoon and it was their virgin trip to the shores of the little red dot known as Singapore. Yet, within one night, they had completely fallen in love with our garden city and everything about it (including, the infinity pool atop the Marina Bay Sands hotel).

Theo Hutchcraft and Adam Anderson hail from Manchester, United Kingdom and their barely two-year-old band has risen to phenomenal fame with their debut album Happiness topping the iTunes chart in six countries. Their success has scored them a seemingly endless string of gigs including the fairly recent and widely popular Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2011. Additionally, they have played alongside well-known alternative band Scissor Sisters as well as critically acclaimed Australian singer/songwriter Kylie Minogue.

At age 24 and 26 respectively, Theo and Adam are certainly taking the world by storm with their good looks, gentlemanly ways and of course, brilliantly crafted music. Here’s an up-close and personal encounter with the lads themselves at a cosy corner tucked in Fuse Bar, Marina Bay Sands.

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Welcome to Singapore! How do you like it here?

Theo: It’s perfect. We really like it here. We arrived from Bali yesterday.

Adam: It’s like paradise.

Theo: Unbelievable place. We came from Bali which was beautiful but here is just like nowhere else. We never did expect that we’d have the chance to come here.

And how was the infinity pool?

(Both Theo and Adam simultaneously smile and heave a sigh of calmness)

Theo: It was incredible! We walked to the rooftop (where the pool was) and we were just speechless and stayed there for two hours. Thereafter, we went for some food in town and it was great. Such a beautiful place with really great people too.

That’s heartwarming to hear. So tell us, why the name change from Daggers to Hurts?

Adam: Ah yes, why the name change? I guess it’s because our music changed too. I mean, we didn’t want to continue with the sound of our last band. And so we wanted a fresh start. It’s kind of very easy with regards to how we decided on the name Hurts. It suited our lives really because we were hurting a little bit. So, it seemed perfect. And overnight, we finished one project and we started another one.

Theo: Yeah, we did. Plus, we met a long time ago, about five or six years ago. Hurts is only two years old. But, in those two years, it has been the craziest time.

You said you guys were “hurting a little bit.” In what sense would that be? Emotionally or physically?

Theo: We were miserable, really. We weren’t employed for four years. And it was very difficult. It got extremely tough and it was such a struggle. We almost gave up towards the end of that bad time. Then, we started to use music to kind of express ourselves in a way. That was where it all came from and we began progressing. Thereafter, things changed.

And I reckon most of your music are based on those tough times and experiences?

Adam: Yeah.

Theo: For example, the song “Wonderful Life,” it couldn’t be written under any other circumstances except the painful times that we went through. I think music for us, is mostly based on what goes in our lives. Many bands out there are just like that too I’m sure. And actually, I’m quite thankful that we had to go through those bad times because we got these songs out.

In your biography written by English writer Joe Stretch, you guys mentioned how Manchester isn’t “a lairy or macho place but it’s more hopeful and bleak.” Do you feel that these two words -“hopeful” and “bleak”- could be used as a collective to describe the music of Hurts?

Theo: I agree that Manchester has indeed formed our music the way it is. We wouldn’t have been able to write the album anywhere else, really. It’s a very different place now though. One thing about bands in Manchester is that they always capture what the place was like at that point in time like how Joy Division did and Oasis as well. Now, it’s a whole lot different in Manchester, so much more modern and exciting. But, it still rains all the time. Really, all the time! The only way you can tell between summer and winter, is that in winter, the sky is dark grey and in summer, the sky is a lighter shade of grey. The sky is never blue in Manchester, it’s always grey but in different shades.

Adam: I think all the bands in Manchester demonstrate varied characters from one another though. For example, the band Elbow who’s from Manchester too, demonstrates something completely different than we do. I think that’s what makes all the bands really special. In all the major cities, you’d get instances like that. Just like in London, I suppose, which is an amazing place to learn to make music too.

What is your favorite track off your debut album for the both of you?

Adam: “Evelyn”!

Theo: The song is about a nurse. I was in hospital and Evelyn was the name of the nurse. Her name rhymed with medicine and I thought that was very funny (Laughs). She was really nice, she looked after me well. My favorite song though is “Unspoken.” It’s the first ever song we wrote for the record and that was the song we referenced to every other song on the album. The song “Unspoken” effectively created the whole sound of our album.

How does it feel being this huge and having the privilege to play at Coachella and alongside Scissor Sisters too?

Theo: It’s been crazy and happening so quick! We could have never, never dreamed of this. Every day, we just take it as it comes and we enjoy it. Every day, we get up and it feels like the best day of our lives. Yes, it is crazy but you just have to enjoy it. We really never thought it would happen. It’s brilliant.

What about the band’s image? Is it intentional and do you guys actually dress like this on normal days when there are no concerts/interviews?

Theo: I think so. I think it has always been about trying to be dignified because remember that time when our lives were quite off? We felt that during those times, our lives were lacking in dignity and difficult definitely. So we had this thought whereby, if we were to dress a certain way, we might feel better about ourselves and build a greater sense of confidence for ourselves too. So when Hurts started out, we just continued dressing in this manner. We dress simple and take pride in what we look like and try to walk with dignity too.

Adam: And now we don’t have any other clothes! (Laughs)

Theo: So when we have a day off, we just wear this as well.

Really?

Theo: (Laughs) Yes! I was just on the sun roof where the infinity pool was, practically dressed like this.

But it’s so warm out there. Singapore is scorching hot!

Theo: Yeah, it is hot!

Adam: So hot!

Theo: But we dress this way still! (Laughs)

Who are you guys currently listening to?

Theo: A lot really. Our favorite band in the last couple of years has always been The Drums, a band that we love so much. We actually became friends. They made such an incredible record that everybody should listen to.

They’re actually coming here next week to perform!

Theo: Wow! Are they? That is so great! They’re so, so good and they’re brilliant live. There’s actually a lot of other good stuff out there too.

Adam: I like Glasvegas. I listen to them quite a lot. They’re a band from Scotland.

Theo: There’s also a girl called Saint Saviour from England. You should listen to her! She sounds a little bit like Kate Bush. She’s really cool. There’s actually a lot of great music at the moment, very different too. I think it’s such a healthy thing for music. It’s not all just one genre, one particular type neither is it a movement. Music’s all varied.

On the topic of music, did any bands/singers influence the music you guys make?

Adam: I think probably Depeche Mode, the biggest influence behind our music. I think the way they sounded at a specific time in their career was highly inspirational for us. Also, Tears For Fears, an English band, influenced our sound a lot.

Theo: And Oasis too. Not many people would think that but they were a band that really made us want to make music and a band like The Strokes made us believe that we could do it as well. I think that’s just as important as direct influence too; people who give you ambition. That’s what got us where we are today. And Prince!

Collaboration-wise, what was it like working with the gorgeous Kylie Minogue?

Theo: It was amazing! It was everything you could imagine. She’s so talented, so beautiful and it was kind of this strange moment (in a good way) actually and till today too, whenever we think about it. It was perfect. It was the final thing we did on the record before it was completely ready.

What about future collaborations?

Adam: Hmmm, I would say Kate Bush or Prince!

Theo: That would be really impossible, yeah? Collaborating with Prince. He’d probably say no. But then again, maybe if we asked him now, he would. (Laughs)

You could spam him some emails!

Theo: (Laughs) Yeah! Email about eight times or something!

What can fans expect from Hurts? Say, in the next few months?

Theo: Well, we’ll be on tour till November this year. We’ll be performing at the festivals in Europe throughout which is so exciting and then a big tour in October. Probably around Christmas time, we’ll start to write the next album which again, is exciting.

Wow, that’s quick!

Theo: Yeah, we’ve been touring for one and a half years. We’ve been all over the world – Europe, America and now Asia. We’ve learnt so much by doing all of this and hopefully when we start the next record, (the learning experiences) will all come out.

Do you have any well-wishes for the people in Japan affected by the recent quake and tsunami?

Theo: Oh yes, we do. In fact, Japan was one of the most amazing places we’ve been to. One of the biggest things we took away from our trip there was the people. They’re one of the friendliest, humble and beautiful people you’ll meet. To see people like that suffer, is really a very difficult thing. We would like to go back towards the end of the year so we’re looking forward to that.

That’s nice. And do you have anything to say to your fans in Singapore?

Adam: Yes! You’ve got a great city. I actually wished we live here.

Theo: Yeah!

It’s too hot though, isn’t it?

Theo: (Laughs) Yes it is.

Adam: We’ll be able to cope with it!

Theo: We can learn to, we can. But we never thought we’d ever get the chance to come to Singapore. It’s only because of the fans who have given us this opportunity to come here for an amazing few days, which is just perfect. And we like the food too. We had some great food last night!

Have you guys tried durian?

Theo: Oh no, not yet! We are going to try it though, in Kuala Lumpur soon.

Adam: Ah yes, the one with that smell.

Theo: Yeah, that one.

Are you looking forward to having it though?

Theo: Maybe?

Are you guys slightly apprehensive about it?

(Theo and Adam laughs)

Theo: Umm, yeah. We had stingray last night!

And how was it?

Theo: It was nice!

(Adam does a little hand prayer in remembrance of Steve Irwin)

Theo: Yeah we did it in memory of Steve Irwin. But actually, we’re excited to have durian. We don’t know when is the best time to have it and where too though.

Not in an air-conditioned space for sure!

Adam: Oh yeah, it’ll smell real bad yes?

Theo: So I guess we’ll go out into a field in the middle of nowhere…

And have a durian picnic?

Theo: (Laughs) Yeah! Sounds good!

Big Time Rush (L-R: Logan Henderson, Kendall Schmidt, Carlos Pena, Jr. and James Maslow)

Text and interview: Lennat Mak

If there’s one thing that really stands out when you talk to Kendall Schmidt, the leader of rising boy band Big Time Rush, it’s how much he loves the fans. Not only does he attribute the band’s phenomenal crossover success from Nickelodeon to MTV to the fans, according to the 20-year-old, they also “have the best fans in the world.”

And Kendall is right. What is success without the fans? Since the launch of the TV series Big Time Rush, the boy band (including Logan Henderson, Carlos Pena, Jr. and James Maslow) has become an overnight tween sensation. The TV series is currently the highest rated and most-watched live action series on Nickelodeon and the band themselves are gaining much popularity with the mainstream masses with their single, “Boyfriend.” Their debut album, B.T.R also sold over 500, 000 copies in the U.S. alone.

Evidently, Big Time Rush’s knack to connect with their fans with their TV persona and music has struck an emotion chord among their audience. And like how Logan puts it in their official biography, “the cool thing about us is that we are cheering alongside of our fans and it’s awesome to be a part of something big.”

Read on to find out what Kendall has to say about their success, their awesome experience with Snoop Dogg, his take on why pop music has such an uplifting effect on people and more!

* * *

The band just got back from a recent trip to Europe. How different are the European crowds as compared to the U.S. crowds from your past experience?

Everyone is special in their own little ways. They know all our songs even though they don’t speak English very well. But all our fans are all really great. U.S. is big country and the show has been out for a while. The fans are seeing more of us in the U.S. But the show is going worldwide now so hopefully, fans will just as be excited everywhere else.

Is there a most popular guy in the band?

You know what’s funny? It really depends on where we are, state by state. We did a promo tour across U.S. and every state seems to like one of us more than the others. I would say it evens out and it’s pretty hard to say who is the most popular guy in the band!

You guys seems to have a pretty crazy, pretty tough working schedule. How’s life being in Big Time Rush?

Life is great! I reside in California with my family. I get to work with really cool people and make great music. It isn’t tough. It’s more of a privilege. I wouldn’t be able to do what I do if it wasn’t for all our fans. We have the best fans in the world!

You started out as actors and now you are singers as well. How was the transition like?

We love both. I grew up acting and music has been part of my life for seven years now. It’s all I’ve ever known. It’s my passion in life and I just followed it. Doing both is second nature to me and to the other boys as well.

Did you envision yourself to be part of a boy band when you got into music seven years ago?

I didn’t think I would be in a boy band! I don’t think we are a boy band really. We all play our own instruments. I play the guitar and I know the other boys play the piano. So perhaps we are more of a music group because that’s kind of what we are. I actually don’t ever envision myself to be in a group like this. But life goes in mysterious ways and it’s been a pleasure to be part of it.

You also have your own band called Heffron Drive with fellow actor and singer, Dustin Belt. How do you differentiate yourself between these two bands?

When it comes to music, Heffron Drive is pretty much just what me and Dustin and what we come up with. For Big Time Rush, we all work on stuff that more pop-oriented. For Heffron Drive, we write everything ourselves and the songs more rock influenced.

Would you say you more of a rock person?

Yeah! I grew up listening to rock music. Some of my favorite bands are Taking Back Sunday, Incubus, Muse, Radiohead and Foo Fighters – more alternative rock stuff.

So it’s safe to assume that each member in Big Time Rush brings different musical influences to your music collectively then?

That’s kind of what it is. I bring more rock influences to the group. Logan is more hip-hop/R&B. James is more pop/R&B and Carlos is more a pop/hip-hop kind of kid. It’s a pretty cool combination and it’s working out pretty well for us so far.

Speaking of hip-hop, you guys managed to have Snoop Dogg on your hit song, “Boyfriend.” How was it like working with him?

You know what? It’s a lifelong dream! I’ve always loved Snoop Dogg and I’ve actually gone to see his concerts and stuff before. Seeing him perform live and actually seeing him on set and performing on Kids’ Choice Awards with us, it’s just a dream come true. The guy is the nicest dude. He’s a family man and he’s funny. He wanted to continue working with us so I think that’s definitely not the last time you see us working with him.

Big Time Rush with Snoop Dogg

That aside, do you feel your street cred points have gone up with the Snoop Dogg association?

Definitely! I felt pretty cool hanging with Snoop. The guy just breathes coolness. He is just the coolest ever. It was pretty awesome to hang out with him.

Anyone else you like to collaborate with?

I know all of us would like to work with Justin Timberlake. We’ve always talked about that since we’ve been together. We just met Dave Grohl and I would love to work with him. I think that would be pretty cool! Working with Adele will be awesome as well. We love Pixie Lott; she’s a good friend of ours. And Jessie J too. We have a lot of dreams and aspirations and we will definitely be going towards them.

Is Justin Timberlake someone that you really look up to? Is his career path something you would love to emulate?

Someone at the KCAs asked us if we look up to any boy bands. *NSYNC sold over 40 million records and they were the biggest thing in the world. In a lot of aspects, they still are. So when it comes to boy bands, of course we look up to them. And Justin has such a cool career with his music and acting. So yeah, I definitely look up to him as a role model who was part of a successful group and later made it on his own. It’s a dream come true.

Lastly, why do you think pop music have such an immediate connection to audience across the world?

I think it’s because music is the language of the world. It doesn’t matter what language you speak. Everyone listens to music. Pop music is popular music. It’s what everybody loves. There’s something that connects to the population because people love to dance and they love to have fun. And that’s a universal thing.

The Wanted (L-R: Nathan Sykes, Tom Parker, Jay McGuiness, Siva Kaneswaran and Max George)

Text and interview: Lennat Mak

Boy bands. Now that’s something you’ve heard a lot about back in the nineties and the early noughties. As far as the golden era goes, *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Blue, Westlife and among many others, came conquering and staked their claims across the world with their smoldering good looks, synchronized dance routines and sweet vocal harmonies. And then, like all generation defining genres before them, came the dissolution. The music climate shifted and favored the angular, post punk guitar riffs. For the past five years at least, indie rock bands became the new pin-ups. Boy bands suddenly became a rare commodity on the charts.

But music trends, like fashion, move in circles. Take That, one of British most well-loved pop groups, made a successful come back in 2006. In 2008, X-Factor gave birth to JLS, who took the charts by storm and won the 2010 Brit Awards for British Breakthrough and British Single for “Beat Again.” At the 2010 American Music awards, Backstreet Boys joined forces with New Kids On The Block, called themselves NKOTBSB and did a fine return-to-form medley performance. Word has it that after a successful joint tour, the two boy bands are collaborating on a greatest hits album featuring both classic cuts and fan favorites.

Without a doubt, boy bands and pop music are enjoying their walk in the sun again. And the latest group to hit this bout of pop resurgence is none other than The Wanted. Made up of Max George, Jay McGuiness, Siva Kaneswaran, Tom Parker, and Nathan Sykes, the British-Irish boy band has already released an self-titled debut album with a chart-topping No. 1 single, “All Time Low.” It was also revealed that the group signed a U.S. record real with Def Jam and will have a crack at the much elusive Stateside success. The boys know it’s not going to be an easy task but with hard work and a firm belief in their music, everything is possible, as we found out from the boys themselves.

* * *

It’s been a pretty good run for The Wanted last year. What’s the biggest change in your lives since you’ve joined the band?

Nathan: I’ve been abroad! I’ve never been abroad before the band. We are busier and we’ve got more to do. And we have an album!

Tom: Just meeting different people from different cultures, I think. I’ve always wanted to do that and I haven’t got the chance to, until this job. It’s amazing.

Jay: And we bump into really, really famous people! We’ve done a few gigs where it’s a massive bill of artists. Everyone just kind of looks into room to room and is pretty exciting to meet everyone. I think everyone is just normal and feels that “I’m nothing special,” pop star or not.

Siva: It’s always the music, isn’t it? Music is more important.

You have a U.S. record deal coming up as well. Are you excited to break into the U.S. market?

Tom: It’s the one thing that we really want to do when we first got together, trying to break into the U.S. and the rest of the world. We know it’s a difficult market over there but we work hard and we are proud of our work and our music. So hopefully, it’s going to work over there.

Nathan: We are going to spend a lot of time in the U.S. but we won’t be based in there. We are probably going to do it in chunks, a week here, there and back.

Tom: There will be a lot of jet lags!

According to reports, there are no more singles from the current album and that the band is currently working on new materials. How is that coming along?

Jay: Yeah! There are a few that we’ve started recording already. And we are writing loads of songs and sieving out the good stuff. We are waiting to finish but the roots are there. It’s going to be a step-up from the last album.

Max: We are trying to make a better album than the last one. We’ve sort of gone back to square one again. We love all our songs but “All Time Low” is just really special to us. It’s the sound we wanted. So we’re going back to “All Time Low” and we are building it from there again. We want this new album to be twice as good as the first one.

Siva: We’ve taken a little more time and make every song a hit.

All killers, no fillers?

All: Yeah!

Tom: We’ve a new single out in the U.K. called “Gold Forever” that we did for Comic Relief…

Jay: That’s a killer! That’s a killer and a half. Heavy weight! (Laughs)

Tom: That song might just be on the new album. We are really not sure yet but we’ll see!

What do you guys think of the recent resurgence of boy bands?

Tom: Pop has gone through a bad phrase about five years ago and became something that people don’t want to listen to anymore. But I think people like Lady Gaga have brought a new kind of cool to pop again. Pop can be diverse and you can spread it over a lot of other genres like rock, dance, soul and it’s still popular music. We have done that by bringing many genres together for our album.

What do you think the new generation of boy bands is going to be like?

Jay: Hopefully more music driven!

Max: We are the new generation really.

How about JLS?

Max: I think JLS is great! They are part of a TV show called X-Factor and is sort of molded into what Simon Cowell wanted them to be and they have done amazingly well.

Jay: They are more like old-skool boy bands like *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys with their dance routines.

Max: JLS worked really hard and they have really good songs too. For us, we are more from the roots. We did our school and club tours. With us, it’s not really like “All boy bands are back!” I think people are excited that aside from being a boy band, we do have really good music.

I guess it’s something to do with the music trend as well. When pop died off, indie came into the spotlight and all of a sudden, every single band out there is playing indie rock music and eventually, everyone started to sound the same. Then you guys came about.

Jay: We are refreshing, right? (Laughs)

How about your musical influences?

Tom: We’ve  got different influences really. Nate’s into John Legend.

Nathan: Yes. John Legend is a legend. Stevie Wonder and Boys II Men!

Tom: I’m into more rocking music like Oasis.

Jay: I’m quite folky so I like Cat Stevens and Fleetwood Mac. But I also like the new pop crossover stuff like Newton Faulkner and Florence and the Machine.

Siva: I’m Motown! Lionel Ritchie, The Commodores and I’ve a massive fan of The Script.

Max: I like Elvis and Oasis. They are my favorite band.

Your influences are so different. What made you audition for the band in the first place?

Tom: I don’t know really. Jay auditioned for a circus before he auditioned for the band! I was concentrating on being a solo singer. I like to play guitar and I used to play piano. When the opportunity came for the audition, it just felt right. When I was in the band, I couldn’t believe it. We didn’t realize the extent of who’s in it and the team behind it. They are the best that I’ve met, to be frank. I love being in a band. The thought of being a solo artist just doesn’t appeal to me anymore. It’s so much fun being in a band!

Jay: Can you imagine doing all this all day on your own?

Tom: Horrible!

Jay: I auditioned for a lot of stuff and just failed at everything. And I just thought to try something out of my comfort zone. So I tried for a circus and went for a boy band. As soon as I went in, it was a real nice vibe for an audition. There were so many egos there but at the end, they picked people with no egos whatsoever. Everyone was just chilled! I really enjoyed the audition.

Max: I was in another band for four years before this, earning my stripes. Then I got approached about the audition, got told who was involved, went to the audition and that was it.

Siva: I was a model. I came from a musical family and I moved to London to model. I went for the audition thinking, “If I fail, I’ll go to college.” Then I got in!

Nathan: I went to a music school in London. The audition came through the school and my head teacher said, “You have to go for this!” And so, I went!

* * *

Catch The Wanted on My Celeb MTV at the following times:

Mar 20
10am (WIB), 11am (SIN/HK), 12noon (MAL)
4.30pm (WIB), 5.30pm (SIN/HK), 6.30pm (MAL)

Mar 25
6.00pm (WIB), 7.00pm (SIN/HK), 8.00pm (MAL)

Apr 17
10am (WIB), 11am (SIN/HK), 12noon (MAL)
4.30pm (WIB), 5.30pm (SIN/HK), 6.30pm (MAL)

Apr 22
6.00pm (WIB), 7.00pm (SIN/HK), 8.00pm (MAL)

Warpaint (Photo: Mia Kirby)

Text and interview: Lennat Mak

If you’ve been religiously following various music publications for the next big thing to break out in 2011, Warpaint would be a familiar name to you. Formed on Valentine’s Day in 2004, the LA-based band – Emily Kokal (vocals, guitars), Theresa Wayman (vocals, guitars), Jenny Lee Lindberg (vocals, bassist) and Stella Mozgawa (vocals, drums) – is currently hotly tipped to be “The sound of 2011” (BBC), “Artist To watch in 2011” (MTV), and “The Best Live Band You’ll See All Year” (NME). And the girls definitely live up to all the accolades, as attested with their self-released EP Exquisite Corpse, their critically acclaimed Rough Trade debut, The Fool, and their electrifying live shows that leave so many in awe by their sheer musical brilliance.

Before the band takes the stage and opens the inaugural St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival in Singapore tomorrow (January 29, 2011) at Fort Canning Park, we met up with Jenny and Theresa at INK Bar at Fairmont Hotel to talk more about the music, their friendship and more. Nothing beats gearing up for an awesome festival by talking to two spirited musicians who are wholly passionate about their music!

* * *

The band was formed in 2004. But you’ve only released your debut EP Exquisite Corpse in 2008 and a full length album titled The Fool last year. Why the long wait?

Jenny: We are not quite sure! Between 2004 and now, we split up for about a year and we went through four different drummers. Whenever we get a new drummer, we had to start over and figure out what we are going to do.

Theresa: Things just took a little longer with us reworking ourselves. We weren’t really trying to get anywhere until it felt like it was the right time. There was no rush to be successful.

Jenny: We were definitely working on a lot of material and writing songs for another record. Exquisite Corpse was released in 2008 but we have been working on those songs on and off since we started this band. When the EP happened, we naturally moved on to writing other stuff. I guess the album didn’t happen until we found Stella and got signed to Rough Trade.

Your music has been described as “art-rock.” Do you view your songs as art pieces or an outlet to express your emotions?

Jenny: Both!

Theresa: All art pieces are an expression of emotions. I don’t mind looking at each song as a piece of art, constructed in the same way as one constructs a painting or a film. It’s all about getting into details of what you want to express and still retaining emotions in your work.

Would you say your songs are about life’s moments of subtlety and intensity? All of them have this mellow undertow that eventually cascades into this giant wall of sound and then, they sort of rein themselves back in again?

Theresa: I think so. That’s basically the best way to sum up what our songs, or what everyone else’s songs are about. Songs are always about life experiences. The meaning is in the words and it’s also in the music. I guess it’s up to interpretations to whoever is feeling it at that time. We do leave it kind of ambiguous so that anyone can relate to them.

After Shannyn Sossamon left and before Stella joined, there were all these guy drummers. But something always seemed to be off until Stella came into the picture. Do you feel that Stella has finally completed the puzzle?

Theresa: For sure! Stella brought lots energy to the table. We play with a lot of energy but we also write some subdued and moody music at times. With Stella, she just brings out that natural aggression that we have. She’s really good at high impact stuff and she’s technically intricate, all the time.

Speaking of which, you girls are a live powerhouse. What feeds the band – each other, the crowd or simply the live atmosphere?

Jenny: All of that! Prior to Stella joining the band, we have maybe a month tops with her to go over, write and figure out what we were really going to do in the studio. We never really had a chance to tour all those songs before we went in to record them and we didn’t really have that much time to play it live with each other before we recorded them. This past year, we’ve been touring so much that all these energy of the songs just came together.

Is it a conscious effort to make the songs sound a little bit different from recordings when you play them live?

Theresa: We like to keep our shows interesting for us and for the audience, and bring something that you are not going to get by just listening to our album. Some people view a live show as a way to imitate what they did on the album. We see our live shows more as a chance to show something that you can’t see and feel on the album. But yet in a way, we are conscious of retaining our songs, to some extent, the way they are recorded. We didn’t want it to be totally different. Like Led Zeppelin, they would go off with big solos and extend songs all over the place because that’s what people want to do when they see them play – to really rock out and jam it out for a while.

Jenny: It’s nice to also feel something new and make the audience feel special, especially when you are playing all these shows every night. It’s like, this is the one time you get to see the band and you are there for that. That’s how we feel all the time too. It’s all very “in the moment.” We don’t plot out our jams. It just makes the whole process of playing more fun!

Do you guys have a set list or do you just go anywhere you like during a show?

Jenny: Yeah, we do have a set list. If we don’t, we will be like “What are we playing next? Let’s not do that!” It would be half an hour of talking! [Laughs]

Theresa: And we will just be there discussing what to play!

What are some of the songs that you like to play live?

Theresa: “Beetles”. “Bees” is great. I love playing “Bees.”

Any plans to open your set with “Bees” tomorrow?

Theresa: That’s an interesting idea!

Jenny: Have we done that?

Theresa: I think we have done that before in Amsterdam. I love playing “Elephants” too. We will always love playing “Elephants.” It never gets old.

Jenny: “Set Your Arms Down” is fun too. I guess it just kind of depends if you want to go there. Every song is fun!

“Billie Holiday” is pretty awesome live too, with all the killer harmonies going on.

Jenny: Theresa is really good at doing harmonies. We are still exploring that.

Theresa: We love having all our voices sing together. It reminds us of being in camp where people come together and sing. That’s the most fun!

Do you feel that being in Warpaint is like being in summer camp forever with all your best friends?

Theresa: I never went to summer camp so that’s really cool!

Jenny: It is like camp. Band camp! It’s the best thing in the world to be in a band with your best friends. I think it really plays an important role to how our music sounds. I think if we weren’t friends, we won’t have the connection that we have with each other and our music would sound totally different. We sound the way we sound because we are really close.

Theresa: I knew Emily since we were 11 and I’ve known Jenny for like 10 years now. Oh my god, it’s been so long! It’s really unique and I feel lucky.

Would you say your chemistry is unbreakable in a way?

Theresa: I would say so. We have done the time and we have known each other for so long. That’s a hard thing to erase or match. I have to know another person for the next 10 years of my life to match that.

Jenny: Because we are friends and are in a band together for so long, our communication skills have definitely evolved. If we do get into an argument or if there’s any weird energy going on, we can’t really stay in that negative place for very long because that doesn’t feel very good. We’ve found good ways to break out of it.

Being an all-girl band, do you find it easier to stand out from the rest?

Jenny: I know we are an all-girl band but I’ve never really thought of us as an all-girl band and that we have an advantage in the music industry. The advantage that we would have is maybe that we are really close, we are friends and our sound is unique. We try to be the best we can, practice and play with each other a lot. If you practice hard, you will get somewhere. Being in an all-girl doesn’t mean anything if you can’t play your instruments well.

Warpaint (Photo: Mia Kirby)

When’s the turning point in your life that you know you want to be a full time musician?

Jenny: I started playing when I was 19. That’s when I first got my bass and it was all very exciting! It took me a couple of years to really know what I was doing though. I think the pivotal point for me as a musician was when I started learning how to play freely and jam with other musicians. They would play something and I would know what key they were in and the very first moment that I was able to do that was just, “Wow, this is so cool!”

Theresa: The very first time that Warpaint started playing together was the very first time that I started taking it all seriously in my mind. Up until then, I’ve always met people that I didn’t really want to play with. I would play music with people just for fun and I just never took it seriously. I guess it never resonated. And a lot of musicians that I’ve met actually made me disillusioned about music!

Were they all guys?

Theresa: Yeah! They were all guys, except for Emily. She was the one girl that I knew. When Jen started playing bass, I remember I wasn’t attached to any thought about the future at all. I was just very, very happy. Everyone else that I’ve met and was playing music with, were men who would talk about everything they knew about music history, what kind of gear all these musicians were using and they were just showing off their knowledge. So when we played together, I thought they were great musicians. But then they would play all these really normal chords that were really boring! When Warpaint play together, our approach came from the same place. For me, it was like, “Yes! I want to do this! I never wanted to do anything more in my life!”

There’s this funny thread of discussion among fans that whether Jenny and Stella are really going out and if Stella is really married. Care to address it to end the speculations?

Theresa: What?!

Jenny: [Laughs] It’s so funny! I’ve got to show you! There was this one post that goes something like, “For those who believe Stella and Jennifer are in a romantic relationship, well, it says on Stella’s Facebook that she is married to a man! So that’s highly unlikely!” I’m like, “Oh, wow!” It’s just a joke! We went to Amsterdam and we were doing a press junket. The four of us split up and it was me and Stella, and Emily and Theresa. And we were like, “Let’s just f**k with these people.” We were just teasing the press. There were interviews after interviews and we would get bored and in one of the interviews we were like, “Okay, let’s pretend we are together.” That’s probably how it got started. I have a boyfriend and Stella is boy-crazy! She’s not even married!

Theresa: I had no idea that this was going on!

Jenny: It’s like this total joke!

* * *

Warpaint will be playing St. Jerome Laneway Festival at 2pm, January 29, 2011 at Fort Canning Park. Tickets will be available at the door.

VJ Holly (Wardrobe: Woonderland)

Text and interview: Lennat Mak

After months of searching, the trawl for our next MTV VJ is finally over! Fresh from her win at the recent MTV VJ Hunt competition where the winner was announced on stage at MTV World Stage Live In Malaysia 2010, our latest VJ addition, Holly Grabarek, is simply a new force to behold. Young, vibrant, and ever-so-charming with her smile, Holly shares a little bit more about herself before her journey as a VJ begins on MTV!

***

Congrats on being the latest addition to the VJ family! Tell us more about yourself.

I am turning 20! I’m based in Singapore for most of my life but I’ve lived in Jakarta for a year and a half. My dad is Polish/Irish/German but American by citizenship and my mum is Sinhalese -Chinese. I’ve different families and friends in America and Asia like Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Jakarta. Apart from that, I’ve never been in the media industry before, so this is my first media gig! I’m currently doing Psychology for my diploma, so this is a completely new field of experience for me. I’m extremely excited!

But you are pretty much a girl about town at Home Club and with Juice magazine!

But those aren’t real, proper jobs! [Laughs] Those are more like my hobbies! I go to Home Club a lot because the music is good! As for Juice, I interned there for a really long time. I was the intern who came and never left!

What makes you want to accept the MTV VJ Hunt in the first place?

At that point, I felt like I was just starting school and I don’t have that much school stuff on me. I figured that a year from now, I’d be doing my degree and I would be deeply immersed in my studies! So it’s a “now-or-never!” kind of thing. It took me a day to decide. I was out for dinner with a friend and I was asking him “Do you think I should join? I want to join but I don’t want to be the girl who lost!” [Laughs] So we were the sitting around, milling and pondering about this big decision! And the whole process has been pretty fun so far. All the rest of the VJ Hunt finalists could do different things really well! Kylie and Alice, for instance, do great at outdoor hosting and they can really interact with the crowd! I picked up bits from everyone. It’s still a learning process for me at this point. Hopefully, in a few years from now, I would be able to handle the media with ease and I’ll be at the point where I’m more confident.

VJ Holly (Wardrobe: Woonderland)

What do you like most since becoming an MTV VJ?

The great part of this is it’s so diverse! You don’t have to do a single, particular thing! Everything is really spontaneous. It’s not planned and there’s no certain route to take. It’s been a great eye opener. When I interned at Juice, I got to experience the media industry as an observer. Now, it’s been fun being on the other side of the camera! At photo shoots though, apart from posing, I’m still not quite sure where to put my hands! But I could definitely learn that! [Laughs]

Do you have a favorite VJ?

I like Utt! I’ve seen all the others and I like them all. All the VJs look good in different ways. But I prefer Utt the most! I like the way he connects with people. I just feel very comfortable when I’m watching his shows. I just feel like agreeing with him all the time! I’ve been watching him my whole life and I don’t remember MTV without him.

Is there a particular MTV show that you would like to host?

Everything would be exciting! [Laughs] I think I’d like to do MTV At The Movies! If MTV has a fashion segment at some point, I would love to do that as I really enjoy fashion.

Have you always wanted a career in the media industry?

I like it but I never thought of it as a proper job. But now, the more I do it, the more I love it!

When you were younger, what did you aspire to be?

A whole bunch of things! I wanted to be a zoo keeper, an archeologist, an opera singer, a lawyer, etc. A few years ago, I really didn’t know what I was going to do. So I took a couple of years off school to travel. Then I figured if I take up Psychology, it’s broad so I could many things from there. I graduate next January for my diploma but I don’t know if I would want to continue with Psychology. I might want to do Mass Communications.

What type of music do you listen to?

I have this extremely diverse music taste ranging from Top 40s stuff to indie. I also like dance music, depending on the occasion. I really like Third Eye Blind a lot but I haven’t heard them in a while.

Aren’t you a little too young to be listening to Third Eye Blind?

It’s because of my friend. He programmed my iPod for me and he’s pretty old! [Laughs] He’s the one who puts in all those “old” music for me! But I also like Kanye West, Taylor Swift, bands like Sigur Ros and M83 and local music too! I haven’t been to any local gigs for a while since I started school and my teaching job though!

VJ Holly backstage at MTV World Stage Live In Malaysia 2010

Tell us a little bit more about your tattoos!

I have four! There’s one that says “protège-moi de mes désirs,” which means protect me from what I want. It’s a Placebo song and they did a French cover of it. All my tattoos are very religious though. I have a cross, one that says “Surrender” and the last one is “kidzactin,” which used to be my Twitter name!

Who do you most look up to?

My younger sister, Chloe! She’s very domestic. She lives with my grandmother, I live with my friends but she comes over often to make sure things are okay and cleans my room and does my laundry! If I ever have an emotional problem or if I’m unsure of something, she’s the one I go to. Before this whole MTV VJ Hunt competition, I was really emotional and had no one to talk to. I called her and she said to me, “You can do it!” and gave me a lot of confidence!

As one third of the Taiwanese super girl group S.H.E for the past 10 years, Hebe Tien is definitely a familiar household name around Asia. Born on March 30, 1983, Hebe first came to fame when she joined the “Universal 2000 Talent and Beauty Girl Contest” organized by HIM International Music. Despite some technical vocals difficulties, Hebe was able to stand out from the crowd with her personality and powerful vocals. Together with Selina Jen and Ella Chen, Hebe formed S.H.E. and gained massive popularity in the years to come, with 12 albums under their belts and over 15 millions records sold. Together with the help of her record company, Hebe decided to forge a solo career and released her debut solo album titled To Hebe in 2010.

We caught up with Hebe for a quick chat via email. Read on to find out what she has to say about her solo ventures and more!

* * *

You’ve recently released your debut album, To Hebe, and mentioned that the album is a result of your love for music, and at the same time, you were trying something different as compared to as you were in S.H.E. What do you think is the biggest difference musically?

This album contains songs that I would love to sing to myself and it’s also a gift to myself. As a group, S.H.E tends to have denser song arrangements and vocal harmonies. Some styles like folk rock, jazz and all those, they are not really suitable for S.H.E. For my solo album, I could explore a lot more on those styles, which are something I love to listen to personally.

Was it hard pursing a solo career? Afterall, you have been with S.H.E for the past decade.

It’s definitely busier and more tiring! In S.H.E, we would share the workload. Now, I have to do everything myself. But it’s a learning process too!

Tell us about your inspirations for the songs “Love” and “Lonely Lonely”.

“Love” is like a conversation between people who are keen observers of love in modern time. There are so many different kind of love. We all love so intensely but we are still unhappy most of the time. I wish that everyone would start to love themselves more before trying to shower their love upon others. As for “Lonely Lonely,” it’s actually a song about how I fell out of love! I feel that sometimes, you need to be alone and get some personal space to be able to pick yourself up.

Anything interesting anecdotes to share when you were the filming of the music video, “Lonely Lonely”?

There’s this particular scene whereby the director wanted me to space out and fall off my chair. It has to look natural and I couldn’t look like I was bracing myself for the fall. I had to do that scene a lot of times before we got it right!

What’s your favorite songs on the album and why?

It has to be “Love” because the theme is universal and it has a great melody.

You seem to have a penchant of covering songs by Faye Wong in your live concerts. What’s the biggest influence that Faye Wong has on you?

She’s shown me that as long as you stick to your ideas, there will be people who would support you, no matter how radical your ideas are.

You’ve worked with people like Fahrenheit, Sandee Chan, Jay Chou and Power Station. Who would you like to collaborate with next?

At the moment, I don’t have a particular artist that I would like to work with. We will see how it goes, I guess!

Apart from your singing career, you’ve dabbled in other artistic pursuits such as composing, hosting, acting, etc. What would you like to venture in next?

I would love to be in a movie. It would be great if I could release a photography coffee table book too!

What’s your biggest achievement in 2010?

Releasing my own album!

Your favorite song or music video of 2010?

“Love”!

Your favorite songs to belt out for Karaoke?

Any song by Faye Wong.

If we were to visit Taiwan for a day, where would you bring us?

Night markets! Taiwan’s night markets are great!

What would you like to say to your fans in Asia?

I can’t believe I actually have fans in Asia. Thank you for your support! I will work hard!

* * *

Hebe will also be in town for her “[Love! To Hebe] Music Showcase” in Singapore come this January 15, 2011 at Festive Grand™, Resorts World™ Sentosa. Showcase details as follows:

[Love! To Hebe] Music Showcase Live in Singapore 2011
Date: Saturday, 15 January 2011
Time: 8pm
Venue: Festive Grand™, Resorts World™ Sentosa.
Ticket Prices: S$138*, S$88* (excluding $3 SISTIC fee)
SISTIC Booking Hotline: +65 6348 5555

The Temper Trap (Photo: Jonathan Fong)

Text and interview: Lennat Mak
Videos: Jon Moore/The Deck (www.thedeck.tv)

Since releasing their debut album, Conditions, in 2009, London-based Australian band The Temper Trap has been wowing about music fans and critics alike with their soaring and atmospheric tunes such as “Sweet Disposition,” “Love Lost” and “Fader.” Cutting their mettle in London, the band – Dougy Mandagi (vocals, guitars), Jonathon Aherne (bass), Lorenzo Sillitto (guitars) and Toby Dundas (drums) – has played various major music festivals in both the U.K. and U.S. and at the 2010 ARIA Music Awards, the band also bagged home Best Group and Most Popular Australian Single (“Sweet Disposition”). Suffice to say, The Temper Trap has definitely arrived in their own terms.

Come January 29, 2011, the band will play their last show for their Conditions tour at the Singapore leg of the St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival 2011. It’s sweet homecoming, as Laneway was the first ever music festival that the band has played at. Recently in town for a special appearance at the Laneway Festival press conference in Singapore, the band met up with MTV Asia at TAB and shared their indie success story and much more.

* * *

At this point of your career, do you guys feel that you’ve made it?

(All laughs)

Jonathon Aherne: Well, we’ve made it to Singapore! We’ve done a lot of things but we definitely don’t feel like we’ve arrived. We would still like to expand musically, become better at our instruments and we still feel we’ve got a lot more places to go and a lot more music to create.

But I heard that you guys have security guards or something.

Lorenzo Sillitto: That was only in Asia, or rather Indonesia. There were some type of risks but when we got there, it was absolutely fine. We spent most of our time hanging with the security guards, cracking jokes.

Dougy Mandagi: They could have protected us from getting diarrhea! (Laughs) Two of the crew had diarrhea. Softies!

Since it’s more like a homecoming tour for Dougy, did you guys have a good time in Indonesia?

Dougy: Playing Bali is like playing in Australia. Only because the place is full of Australians!

Lorenzo: Jakarta and Bundung were really cool! Especially when people were singing our songs and our album hasn’t been released officially there yet.

But I guess it’s the internet age. Geographical releases really don’t have that much of a significance these days.

Lorenzo: Exactly! Bootlegs are everywhere!

Conditions has been out for a year plus and you guys are now working on a new album in February. What can we expect from the sophomore release?

Dougy: So far, the two new songs that we’ve written are really long. That seems to be the common thread. Just long songs and you can bring mattresses to our shows! (Laughs) We want to expand sonically, you know? Just trying something new and if anything, we can keep ourselves entertained.

A lot of your songs are being used for commercials and stuff. If your songs were to soundtrack a young person’s life, what moment would it be?

Lorenzo: Puberty!

Dougy: Staying in front of the mirror, popping pimples. It’s a sweet disposition!

Lorenzo: It would be one of those moments where you go in front of the mirror, you seemed to have a sweet disposition and then, your voice breaks! And you are like, “Damn it!”

I read that the band rarely writes on the road. So do you plan to hole yourselves back in London or Australia to work on the album?

Toby Dundas: London has become home. Most of us have houses there. So it’s our home base. We will probably rent a studio, start jamming and see what happens.

Do you think it’s better for Australian bands to move out of the country to have a shot at it?

Lorenzo: It depends on what you want to achieve, I guess. From the get-go, all of us wanted to play music out of Australia so it has always been a goal for us to do it. I think it has become more and more common for bands to tour overseas. Australia is such a small market place and there are so many bands. The good ones stick out so that’s what made them travel out. Not to say we are good, we are just lucky!

Dougy: Are you saying we are shit?

Lorenzo: Well, maybe!

Toby: This interview is over!

So if you didn’t travel out of Australia, do you think things might have been a little different?

Toby: We certainly wouldn’t have the exposure that we’ve had. When we left Australia, we were still this small band that wasn’t on the mainstream radar. It just worked out for us that the songs really connected in the U.K. and they traveled from the U.K. back to Australia. Suddenly, the demand of people who were coming to our shows was more than we can imagine.

Like Danny Rogers mentioned at the Laneway Festival press conference in Singapore, you guys had to hassle him to play Laneway back in 2005. Within these five years, you have gone to become this huge band. Has it been an easy journey from being a small band to one that’s playing festivals around the world?

Lorenzo: Not at all! When we first started, no one wanted to give us a gig! We just had to get them. We tried to get to SXSW, CMJ and all those places out of Australia and we’ve got nothing back. Even when we released our EP, we’ve a little of radio play in comparison to the other bands that we were playing with at that time. I think that fueled the fire and we kept going. I wouldn’t say we had it easy!

Were you guys depressed at any one point?

Dougy: No! No one was depressed! (Laughs)

Jonathon: Sometimes the amount of work we put didn’t really get any results, you know? But that has all changed now. There are certain moments that you thought no one cared about this band.

Lorenzo: Maybe not depressed but more like disheartened. We felt that we were trying to give our best and it wasn’t really being received.

Jonathon: But that’s just momentarily. We are so grateful now!

What do you think of the current Australian music scene right now? Are you guys still in touch it?

Toby: Yeah, a little bit. The blessing of the internet makes it easy to stay in touch. We just played some shows with this great band from the Blue Mountains called Cloud Control. They are moving to England and are signed to the same label as us. They are really cool to play with. There’s this other band called the Midnight Juggernauts. They are friends of ours. We saw them play London the other night and it’s great to see Australian bands coming through London.

So is it a trend to move to London?

Dougy: It’s always a trend!

Toby: It’s the next logical step from Australia. London is such a great place to embrace new music. It’s easy to get visas so it’s easy for Australians to move there without worrying about languages or any of those things. So many bands break out of London. Even American bands have to move to London to get noticed before anyone else did.

Lastly, your forthcoming appearance at the Singapore leg of Laneway Festival will be the last show you will be playing for Conditions. What can we expect?

Lorenzo: Explosions!

Dougy: Four acoustic songs. (Laughs)

Toby: Yeah! You’ve seen it. It’s the same!

And you say you are going to turn the amp up to 11!

Dougy: Bring ear plugs!

Lorenzo: Hmm, what’s going to happen if it rains?