Get To Know The New Music Acts Shye Is Nurturing Through Her HearMeUp Project

Home-grown singer-songwriter and producer Shye takes on the role of Mother with her HearMeUp music collective.

By Keng Yang Shuen, 16 Aug 2024

Home‑grown singer‑songwriter and producer Shye (in foreground in blue shirt and sunglasses), together with the emerging acts she has discovered through HearMeUp, the platform she launched in 2022 to help spotlight underrated musical talent in Singapore. Missing from this portrait of all of them together is indie‑pop singer Neuronauts, who was not able to make the shoot. Of him, Shye says: “I just think it’s so cool that he’s studying something in a completely different field (neuroscience) and yet, his music is something I can identify with and relate to.” Scroll to find out more about everyone else in the picture.
Athirah Annissa

Entering the music industry on your own can be intimidating, says the homegrown singer‐songwriter and producer Shye. After all, the 22-year-old who is famously self-taught and continues to favour a DIY approach six years after her debut, has been through the wringer herself.

To pay it forward, she launched HearMeUp in 2022 with the goal of discovering new acts and offering them a platform to play a public show and share their music with others. Funded and organised by Shye herself, it has been staged twice and has introduced a total of five acts that were selected from more than 120 applicants who wrote in during the programme’s open call. Later this year, expect one more edition.

Here, we spotlight some of these emerging names that have had a leg up from HearMeUp and get Shye to tell us why they should be on our radar.

DAYS OF TELEVISION

Who’s in it: Lead guitarist Anan Hassan (middle), bassist Kenz Tan (right) and vocalist, songwriter and rhythm guitarist Aman Sidhu (left), who also founded the band.

Formed in: 2020

The sound: If you love Beach Fossils’ lo‑fi dream pop vibes, Days of Television will be right up your alley. The trio touts itself as an indie rock act, seamlessly weaving sparkly guitars with punchy, melodic basslines, all burnished with wistful vocals and lyrics dripping with longing. Their jangly, feel‑good sound has even catapulted the band onto the radar of Captured Tracks, the directional Brooklyn‑based record label that has signed acts such as DIIV, Mac DeMarco and Beach Fossils – Out of Sight, a single off Days of Television’s debut EP Departure made it onto the label’s June playlist this year.

What Shye likes about them: “When I first heard Days of Television’s music, it made me feel very nostalgic because I could sense the DIY spirit in it. The dreamy guitars and effects brought me back to the music I used to listen to when I first started. I’ve always found beauty in sounds that aren’t overly polished, or mixed and mastered. I think its music is a very good representation of that. Meeting the band in person, my initial sentiments about them all made sense. The music matched the people I was meeting and that just solidified the fact that this was the line‑up I was looking for for HearMeUp. They’re staying true to themselves and making art that represents them.”

LATE CULTURE

Who’s in it: (From left) Lead guitarist and vocalist Wellington Wu, vocalist Niven Bleeme, bassist Ben Hogan, rhythm guitarist Mohamad Gary Firman B M H (in background) and drummer Loh Wei Hang.

Formed in: 2020

The sound: Music perfect for moshing to – cue its heartbreak anthem Dear Vanessa, which goes: “I’m not the one to blame / I’m not the one who changed but / I just wanna see your face / One last time and I / Have all these memories and / All these thoughts are killing me”. The quintet cite emo and punk staples such as Blink‑182 and Hot Mulligan as key influences, and the raw, youth‑tinged emotions in the group’s tracks certainly bring to mind the music of the 1990s and early ’00s, when their idols reigned.

What Shye likes about the act: “I had already listened to a couple of its songs before the guys sent in their music for the first edition of HearMeUp. I’m heavily inspired by pop‑punk bands even though that’s not the usual kind of music I make, so I really like Late Culture’s stuff. I can tell that the guys genuinely enjoy making it too. Their lyrics are super fun to yell to during shows and I love the energy the group brings when performing.”

DESTHEMESS

Who’s in it: Singer-songwriter Desiree Lee

Debuted in: 2020

The sound: Something right out of the gauzy musical landscapes of the 1990s, when great female soloists such as Alanis Morissette and Liz Ph air reigned. Desthemess’s tunes are a smooth blend of indie pop, folk pop and pure pop, characterised by dreamy electric guitars, shimmering acoustic guitars and lush vocals. The essence of her music lies in its strong emphasis on songwriting and storytelling – not unlike that of her idols Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Kacey Musgraves, all known for their ability to build deeply personal narratives through their music.

What Shye likes about her: “Being able to tell a story through lyrics is not as easy as it seems, but such songwriting skills seem to come naturally to Desiree. Her lyrics are honest without being overtly emotional. There’s a simplicity to them that sounds like one is having a conversation with oneself. The honesty in her music was what drew me to her. I also really love her voice. It makes her songs feel extra vulnerable and listening to them is akin to listening to diary entries.”

LAST MINUTE

Who’s in it: (From left) Drummer Edric Lim, lead vocalist Chew Ren Gene, bassist Messiah Angeluv Talines San Juan and guitarist Meryl Tan. Guitarist John Wei who was not able to make our shoot.

Formed in: 2022

The sound: This Gen Z quintet is the youngest of the HearMeUp community so far (members range between the ages of 19 and 23), but it has carved out a distinct sound that melds the emo/ pop punk of the 2000s with a side of sleaze rock – think a more frenetic version of Maneskin, if you will. At the moment, the group is preparing to launch its debut album at the end of this year and opening for more established local acts such as Hongjoin – though we bet it’s only a matter of time before it becomes the main show.

What Shye likes about the act: “I’ve always been a fan of alternative‑rock bands – I feel like this sound is so adventurous and there’s so much one can explore with it. Last Minute’s sound is daring and I feel it really encapsulates who the band members are as people as well. They put a lot of thought into the concept and creative direction for the band, which is really cool to see, and they know what they want and they go for it.”

COORDINATION KENG YANG SHUEN PHOTOGRAPHY ATHIRAH ANNISSA ART DIRECTION PANG JIA WEI HAIR TAN ENG CHONG/KIZUKI+LIM MAKEUP SARAH TAN

This article first appeared in the August 2024 Passion Edition of FEMALE