Gentle Bones… also known as Joel Tan… what can I say about him?
He’s 20 years old, picked up the guitar when he was 16, but has never had a
music lesson. To date, he has written almost 100 songs, and he keeps on writing
till he finds the good ones. He has no musical background, and he is the first in his family to pursue music. All I personally know about him is that he's played a number of gigs in the past 4 months or so, including some music festivals like the 100 Bands festival, IGNITE! Music Festival and BeerFest Asia. I have to admit, this article almost never happened. Why? Because
I had a hard time thinking about what to write about him. I tend to enjoy
writing “meaty” articles and interviews that are somewhat serious and
biographical, and usually, there’s more information available that’s either
provided to me, or that I can easily find online, when I prepare to write my
piece. But in this case, there wasn’t much useful information online about
Gentle Bones, because he’s a new face, and he’s pretty much kept his official
website quite minimal (or at least that was the case when I was trying to do
some background research on him). Apart from the various articles and interviews that the mainstream
media had already done on him that might still be available online, there
wasn’t much else to go on, and I didn’t want to write something that repeats
what everyone has already said about him. So what does one do when one is
apparently stuck? I decided to go back to basics, and just talk about what I
personally know about him, and what my personal experience is in finding out
about the musician known as Gentle Bones. SO HIS
NAME IS GENTLE BONES? Let’s see… I first heard his name mentioned just before attending Music
Matters Live with HP this year, and I first saw him in person after he played at
Razer’s The Art Of Sound gig on 30 Apr 2014 at Lower Case, located at Lasalle
College of the Arts. Charlie Lim was the main act that night, and some of the other supporting
acts included Gareth Fernandez, Stopgap, .gif and Gentle Bones. I got there
just in time to see Charlie Lim, and missed all the other acts playing before
him, including Gentle Bones. MY FIRST
REAL ENCOUNTER WITH HIS MUSIC The first time I ever heard him play live was during the Made In
Singapore showcase at Music Matters Live with HP on 23 May this year. I
remember rushing over to Paulaner’s at Clarke Quay, and finding myself trying
to squeeze my way into what was a tightly packed venue. He appeared onstage at
8.00pm and played a 30-minute set that included 7 original songs, among them
were the 5 songs that would be in his EP. My first impression of this live gig was that he pretty much had a
college-age crowd following his music. His songs had a big sound that I could
imagine would be played on an epic scale in arenas worldwide, with tens of
thousands of people singing along. Gentle Bones’ brand of Folk Pop music is
easy to listen to, pleasing to the ear, and I’m not sure why, but it even
reminds me of older acts like America or The Eagles, even though he personally
names Ed Sheeran as one of his big influences. AND THEN
IT HAPPENED… I probably don’t need to mention this, but I will anyway, because
the story just wouldn’t be complete without it. And then it happened… his music started being played on the radio,
his songs started climbing the charts, his music videos were getting over
100,000 views each on YouTube, his music started selling like hotcakes on
iTunes, and the tickets to his EP Launch started being snapped up online at
Peatix. Somewhere in the midst of all this buzz, I decided that it was
time to make contact with the man himself. GENTLE
BONES’ EP LAUNCH Now that you know how I first came to know about Gentle Bones, and
what my first live music experience with him was like, here’s the deal… Gentle Bones is having his EP launch tomorrow night, 30 Aug 2014, Saturday, from 7.00pm onwards at TAB (located at Orchard Hotel). His guest artists for the night are Gareth Fernandez and Samantha Rui. From what I understand, the $30 tickets which come with the physical EP are SOLD OUT! However, the $25 standard tickets are still available. These same tickets will cost $35 if you just show up at the door tomorrow night though, so best to get them online at gentlebones.peatix.com NOW! Hope to see you there! And remember to keep your eyes right here on SG Music Mine,
because there’s gonna be more on Gentle Bones soon!
Some time
last year, I came across this video on YouTube. Charlie Lim was jamming with
this other guy. They were doing a cover of a D’Angelo song called “Lady”, and
my ears pricked up! Who IS this guy? He’s really not bad at all. Actually, he
sounds pretty awesome! That was how I first came to know about Dru Chen and his
brand of pop, funk and soul music (or “neo-soul music”, so it’s been called by
some). I finally
got to meet him last month, he was going to perform with Bec Laughton and
Gareth Fernandez, so I decided to go along and watch him play at Music Matters Live with HP. I wanted to see if he was really all that he seemed to be on
YouTube. Let’s just say that he was even more impressive when he played live. As it turns
out, one thing led to another, and I found myself having this one-on-one
interview with the man himself. We were sitting at a table in this lovely Irish
pub called Molly Malone’s at Boat Quay. Dru was doing 3 sets that night, but between
sets, he made time to chill out and chat with me. So what’s he
like in person? Ooooh, don’t let me spoil it for you, just have a read of what
he said during our interview, and see for yourself what a warm, talented and
understatedly charming guy he is.
Q: How did you get started playing
music? When I was 5, my parents got me this little Casio keyboard.
They
enrolled me in a group class in Eltham North (a little country suburb out of
Melbourne) with a bunch of kids. Our teacher quickly figured out that I was
learning faster than the other kids so my mum started me on one-to-one tuition
with a private teacher. Her name was Ms. Thompson. We moved to
Singapore when I was 7 and my parents tried to get me in a piano program but it
was full, so they enrolled me in violin instead. I ended up learning both classical
piano and violin for 11 years. At the same
time, I picked up the guitar, bass and drums on my own in Middle School. I
studied at OFS (Overseas Family School) and our music teacher was kind enough
to let me into the music room after hours when everyone had left. I practiced
in that room for hours from the age of 13 to 16. It was then I started writing
songs and performing them in cafes and bars. I moved back
to Australia at 17 to study music full-time at Queensland Conservatorium of
Music. Yup!
Q: At what point did you decide that
music was going to become a career for you?
I think I
realized pretty young, around 12 or 13. I used to get obsessed with things and
go through phases as a kid. When I was a toddler, I used to obsess over fans
for some reason, like literally pedestal fans, ceiling fans and whatnot. Then
it changed to cars when I was 5 or 6, then Basketball. The last one was music.
I’m still obsessed! I was
blessed with a good ear and I practiced by arranging music for school bands,
playing a variety of instruments during school concerts. The harsh
realities of the business kinda hit me after I graduated uni, as the music
profession is a windy one with no definitive “pathways” to follow. However,
through the encouragement of my peers and mentors, I’ve managed to stay on
track! I still teach and play sessions, but my main focus is my original music.
Q: What’s been great about being a
musician so far? The ability
to express yourself through your own songs both onstage and in the studio is
the greatest feeling. Travel is another
huge plus, especially if the purpose is for music. When you see foreign
audiences reacting wonderfully to your music, you can’t help but feel the
universal power of music. I’ve been fortunate enough to have played shows all
around Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, The Philippines, and shortly I’ll be
heading over to the US.
Q: What are some of the challenges
you face in pursuing music professionally?
Not knowing
what tomorrow brings! Constantly being on the road or being in flux with no
sense of permanence. It’s also an emotional rollercoaster ride because all a
myriad of factors (fear of failure, actual failure, missing home, missing
friends, relationships, shows not going as planned, logistical issues,
nervousness, sleep deprivation, wacky schedules). I think I’m learning to deal
with these things better as I get older.
Q: You play many musical instruments,
but which one do you enjoy playing the most, and why?
Oooo, this is a hard question! I go through phases of liking the piano more than the guitar and vice versa, but ultimately I’m a guitarist at heart. I’m particularly attached to my main guitar, the white Fender Stratocaster.
This guitar
has been with me through thick and thin. Every country, every nervous gig,
every recording session, every break up, it has become a part of me.
Q: Tell us more about your
songwriting process. How do you do it? Is there some kind of method or ritual
to it for you? I write from
pure emotion and inspiration. After I capture the initial spark, I polish it up
with form, hooks, and whatnot, but it’s so important to capture the feeling
when it’s happening. You just have to be ready to capture it on a voice memo on
your phone or on your laptop.
Method-wise, sometimes I write from titles. ‘Turnaround’ and ‘You Bring Out TheBest In Me’ are examples of this. I knew I wanted to write a song with the
title as central hook and so once I got that down, the rest was basically
filling in the blanks and making it cohesive.
Q: What inspires you in your
songwriting? Life,
relationships, dancing, having a good time, reminiscing. These are topics I can
write sincerely and honestly about. Occasionally I do get inspired to write
songs after hearing or jamming on other people’s tunes. I’m a bit of a music
nerd, so naturally I spend hours listening and transcribing historically
significant music. If something strikes me or grabs a hold of me, I might use
that as the creative spark for a new song of my own.
Q: Every song has a story behind it,
walk us through the songs in your “Intentions” EP.[ For those of you who wanna listen as you read the answers below, all 5 of these songs are now available on iTunes ] 1.You Bring Out The Best In Me I wrote this
about the kind of girl I’d like to date, going out to town, feeling proud to
have her by my side and all that! Now, it’s kinda taken a different meaning
live because I’ve added lots of audience participation bits. I end up
dedicating the song to the entire audience every night! It’s become a bit of a
crowd favourite, I’ve been told! 2.Lovelight I always
wanted to do a four-to-the-floor type thing, but not a full on dance track. It
still had to have a soulful vibe. It’s got a rock element too, with the wailing
guitar solo! 3. Turnaround I wrote this
one from the title. It comes from the old blues thing, where you play the 12
bar blues, and at the end of the sequence, you play a ‘turnaround phrase’ that
gets you back to the top. I wanted to write a song that looped around like
that, but I also wanted to incorporate “turnaround” in the lyric. I also had to
make it relatable, so I decided to write about a girl that was on her way out
the door after breaking up, and that I can’t make her change her mind, but if
she wants to, please don’t hesitate and just come back, ‘cos the door is always
open. That kinda thing. 4.Involved
This was an
exercise in minimalism. A spacey future-soul thing, with Prince influences as
well. I particularly like the call-and-response during the guitar solo between
the backing vocals and the searing lead. 5.Trainwrecks The first
song I wrote! This was during High School, I think I was 15 or 16.
“All the memories of a difference life remain”. A past love.
Q: What is your favourite original
song that’s been released to date, and why?
Q: We understand you’re working on
more songs for an upcoming album. How’s that coming along, and when can we
expect it to be released?
It’s coming
along great! Between travelling and playing shows, I get pockets of time to
arrange studio sessions and collaborations with other musicians. We’re looking
at a single later this year. Keep an ear to the ground!
Q: Will any of the songs in the EP be
in the album too, or are you writing all new songs for the album?
All fresh
material!
Q: You recently played at Music
Matters Live with HP and attended the conference, tell us how you
feel about your Music Matters experience, and what did you get out of it?
It was great
to have so many industry people congregate in Singapore for three days. The
talks were inspiring and it was great to see how down-to-earth certain music
luminaries such as apl.de.ap (The Black Eyed Peas) and Daniel Glass (Glassnote
Records) were. Hustling and networking are necessary evils in the music
business, and I’m a naturally shy and introverted guy, so at times it felt a little
intimidating, but all up, I enjoyed the experience. Pop/Soul singer Gareth
Fernandez is a good friend of mine. He got me onstage to sing a few tunes with
him during his sets, and that was really fun! I also played guitar for
Australian singer Bec Laughton as well, which was awesome.
Q: You’re Australian, but you seem to
have a strong Singapore connection, can you tell us more about it?
I was born
in Australia but I grew up in Singapore between the ages of 7 and 17. I
currently travel back and forth between Melbourne and Singapore.
Fave colour:
Kind of Blue, Blue in Green :-) [ Hmmm, I think he means turquoise, like an in-betweenish blue & green colour, maybe? ]
Fave past-time: Running and cycling. Long drives out
in the country.
Q: Other than the upcoming album
you’re working on, what are your plans for the future?
Live each
day as it comes. Be prepared
to make strong decisions. Keep
healthy. Love deeply.
On a parting note, check out the futuristic
music video for Dru Chen’s latest single “Turnaround”.
Dru’s now in LA, and will be performing live at Witzend, 1717 Lincoln Blvd, Venice, CA 90291. The date to be there: 17 Jun 2014 The time to remember: 9.00pm Go watch him play, if you’re in that part of the globe... believe me, it's worth it!
Today, J. Clement officially
released the music video for "Body Move", the song that’s been at #1 on the Hot 91.3FM chart
for the past month, and I’m happy to say that I got a chance to talk with the
man himself on this special occasion.
This was an interview that I did for thePower of Pop webzine, and it was published online earlier today. I’ve used the same title
above, and the interview content is below, with a few additions of my own…
like ooooh, a some extra trivia just for all you SG Music Mine readers, plus you can watch the official "Body Move" music video, and there's also J. Clement’s Twitter info… check it out! Over
the weekend, I had the opportunity of interviewing a very talented new R&B
singer-songwriter from Singapore called J. Clement. He worked with Marc Lian
from Trick on his latest single, “Body Move”, and it has remained at #1 on the
Hot 91.3FM chart for the past month! Wanna know more about him? Read on. What
got you started in music? Give us the lowdown on your musical history. I started playing the
saxophone when I was 12 years old, and as the years went by, I wanted to learn
an instrument in which I could play and sing at the same time, and that's how I
got started playing the guitar. Having being influenced by Chris Brown, Justin
Timberlake, John Mayer, and YouTube sensations like Gabe Bondoc & Tori
Kelly, my music tends to lean more towards R&B.
When
did you realise that music wasn’t just a past-time for you? As I got older, I started to
discover and realise my passion in music and singing, and that's when I knew
that this wouldn't just be a past-time for me. I like to believe in chasing
dreams and pursuing what you're passionate about, and that to me is the
definition of being successful; doing what you love and being happy.
What
made you want to pursue music as a possible career? I've always wanted to be a
singer, ever since I was a little kid. So I guess when I started to write more
music, it made me think that this could be a possible career option.
Did
you encounter any obstacles along the way? I've faced many obstacles
through my music career experience. From people just disliking my music, to
legal issues, to managing myself as an artist. It's been rough, but it’s been
one heck of an experience that I have learnt from.
What
does the “J” in J. Clement stand for, and what made you decide to use this as
your stage name? I wanted to have my Chinese
initials in my artist name. Li Jie is my Chinese name, but I didn't want to put
“LJ”, because that's a little misleading. Well, the term “LJ” in Singapore
means something else that’s pretty crude. That’s why I decided to go with just
the "J" instead.
How
many songs do you have out already, and where can we listen to them, or buy
them? I currently only have two
songs out. "Crazy For You" and "Body Move" and they can both
be purchased on iTunes! I also post original songs in my YouTube channel. “Body Move” is your second single, your first was a more pop-sounding offering called
“Crazy For You”, did it get any airplay and did it chart? Tell us more about
your first single. My first single, "Crazy
For You", unfortunately did not get as much airplay as “Body Move” has
gotten so far. I'm not too sure where it placed in the charts, but it did not
make it to the Top 20 of 987FM.
What
inspired you to write “Body Move”? “Body Move” was inspired by
my life experience. It might be about a girl that I was madly crushing on at
the point in time when I wrote the song, haha!
Why
is “Body Move” your most favourite, among the songs you’ve written so far? It's my favorite, because I
am really happy with how the song turned out. I started off writing the song
with just my guitar, but when I gave it to Marc (from Trick) to co-write and
produce the song, he just took the song to another level. Marc is awesome.
Super-talented musician, singer, songwriter, producer... just sayin', haha!
So
how did you meet Marc Lian from Trick, and is there a story behind how “Body
Move” got co-written and produced by him? I met Marc through my
previous record label, which got us connected. I really enjoy working with him,
as he's a really chill and easygoing person to work with. Well, I started
writing the song in my room one night, and sent it to him, asking if he was
interested to work on this song with me.
Can
you tell us more about your songwriting process? How do you go about writing
your songs? I start writing my songs
with just humming a melody, and having a fixed theme in mind. Then, I put
lyrics and chords into it that express what I want to say through music.
The
“Body Move” video is officially being released on 15 Apr, where was it filmed,
and is there a story behind how it got made? Yes! It was filmed in
Yellowbox Studios, Arab Street, and at a close friend's house. After “Body
Move” (the song) was produced, Yellowbox Studios contacted me through email,
asking if we could work together. It was just the perfect timing.
“Body
Move” has been #1 on the Hot 91.3FM chart for 4 consecutive weeks now, how do
you feel about that? It's so crazy that it has
stayed #1 for a whole month. I'm so thankful to every single person who has
voted for me everyday. This is definitely a huge milestone for me. I feel so
blessed and honoured to be in this position.
What
are your plans for the future? I'll be going to Los Angeles
to further my studies in Business Administration by the end of this year, but
I'll definitely keep making more music for sure. I'm actually in the process of
writing a song with Howard Chan.
It's sounding really good so far.
Sell
yourself in 3 lines. Wow! This is the toughest
question, haha! I guess… I'm someone who's really
passionate about music. I believe that everyone
should be encouraged to chase their dreams. Some people call my music
old school... but old school R&B is what it's all about.
Thanks
for taking the time to talk to us. We wish you all the best in your studies and
look forward to hearing more good music from you soon. Watch
for the official release of J. Clement’s “Body Move” music video on 15 Apr 2014
in his YouTube channel
and check out his official Facebook page. Just for SG Music Mine readers, here is some extra trivia...
J. says that the concept for the music video was a simple one. It's about how a guy meets a girl and he can't stop thinking about her. So there are a lot of flashback scenes included in this music video.
The "Body Move" music video was produced by Rennie Gomes from Yellowbox Studios, and filmed and directed by Elias Lo from AudioVaid Studios.
J. also says he plans to have an EP, but it probably won't be out so fast, 'cos he's still in the process of writing songs for it. He says he would love to create more R&B music, as that's the scene he grew up in.
And yes, J. Clement is on Twitter, so be sure to follow him there too!
Finally, here is the long-awaited official music video for J. Clement's "Body Move"... pretty good stuff, considering it is his first official music video.
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