Lion City Rock

We're excited about this episode because one of our guests is a local music icon: Dr Liang Wern Fook, one of the key voices of xinyao (meaning "Singapore songs") – which became a national musical and cultural movement.

Alongside him is Wang Chenwei, who was the composer-in-residence for the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) and arranged Dr Liang's xinyao songs, which they performed and recorded on the album, Encounter, out now on streaming platforms.

How did xinyao come about? What was the significance of xinyao? And did you know you could make a musical instrument using a co...

A special minisode featuring Friend of the Pod, Patrick Chng, who's back with us to share all about Indie Pride, the new gig collab we're doing with The Substation!

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A little minisode to wish our country a Happy 61st Birthday, Singapore! 🇸🇬 🎉🎂🎇

Plus, we've got a few different things going beyond our usual podcast. Deets to come soon.

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LINKS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lioncityrock/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lioncityrock/

Lion City Rock on Spotify

Lion City Rock on Apple Podcasts

The Lion City Rock Playlist

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Email us your thoughts about the show: lioncityrocksg@gmail.com

"I ❤️ Singapore...

📺 Watch the episode now on YouTube: https://youtu.be/J7tsd9gKzbY

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Eyes-Free Listening. Originally recorded June 2025

Dru Chen latest effort may be "Sparkle", the new song he co-wrote with singer Gareth Fernandez for the 2026 National Day album. But this episode, we take a time machine to the past.

Real talk: We actually recorded this gem of an interview back in 2025, but the chat is so gold we just had to recover it, dust it off and share it with our Lion City Rock audience.

We’re diving deep...

Check out the new Lion City Rock YouTube channel

WE'RE BACK! (and this time, can see our faces! 😜 )

Welcome back – or if you're new, welcome in – to a new season of Lion City Rock!

It's been one hot minute, and we're kicking off with a bit of an upgrade. No more just listening to us talk cock about local music history; you can now actually see what we’re obsessing over on our official YouTube channel!

We're still the only podcast dedicated to Singapore’s pop music scene with the same Lion City Ro...

Who's the most important person when it comes to a live performance? No, not the singer. Not the band manager. Not even the guy who removes all the blue M&Ms.

If you're in a band about to do a show, the sound engineer or sound tech is the person you want on your side. They can make you sound great on the night. (And vice versa if you're being a turd to them.)

Like our guest, Mark Jason. Mark has helmed the soundboard at pubs of past and present, including Balaclava, Wala Wala, and B...

What is it like being an experimental jazz singer-songwriter in the Lion City? How does one navigate a musical niche in a space like Singapore? How easy is it to explore out-of-the-box musical inspirations in a place where traditional forms seem to be favoured more?

Namie Rasman, lead singer of Namie & The Waves and a jazz singer in her own right, takes the hot seat to answer these questions and share her jazz odyssey. (PS: Namie & The Waves' new EP, Tides, is expected to drop later this year.)

*this episode was recorded in May 2025

With nightlife and entertainment spots closing over the past few weeks – Projector, Vertigo26, and for one hot minute, even Wala Wala – Kevin and Chris ask the hard question: How can dis be allow?

In this special extended episode, the TCSS returns – iykyk – as they also unpick the "now you can drink alcohol in pubs until 4am" scheme (but only in selected areas, T&Cs apply) and pick their choice gigs that you can spend your Culture Pass on.

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"Screen Scars" performed by K. Mat. "Postcards" performed by AWOL. "The Lion City Rock Theme" p...

What do echoes, money, dogs and time have in common? What's the dark side of tribute bands? And how much stroking is necessary before a podcast episode can actually begin?

Laurence and Noel of Welcome To The Machine, a Pink Floyd tribute band from Singapore, answer those questions and more. Their new show, a complete performance of Pink Floyd's landmark album, The Wall, is a cross between a musical and a rock gig. But more importantly, it answers the age-old question: which one's Pink?

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"The Wall", "Time", "Comfortably Numb" & "Coming Back To...

Dominic Chin has been singing ever since he was in his teens. His first original song, "You First Believed" – a tribute to Singapore's founding father and first Prime Minister, went viral. Now, 11 years later, he's back with a new single, "Needy" and plans for a new album drop at the end of the year. In between, he's performed thousands of shows – on his own and with the MDC – as well as collabed with some of the coolest name in the scene, including Jean Seizure, lamin and Marian Carmel. Oh, and he's co-written a song for National Day, called For Singap...

Can you believe that it was 60 years ago when Naomi and The Boys released their megahit, "Happy Happy Birthday Baby"? That same year, the Lion City decided to make its way in the world by itself! Coincidence? Maybe.

But to mark SG60, we decided to do what all Singaporeans do best: go makan chicken rice – what else?

Oh, and Kevin wrote a song for National Day too! Listen here

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"I Love Singapore" performed by The Fast Colors.

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LINKS

Follow Lion City Rock: Facebook / Instagram 

W...

It's been a long time coming, but we finally did it! We have Leslie Low on the show! Sure, it took us the better part of three years – specifically three years, seven months and 3 days – but hey, who's counting?

Leslie one of Singapore's finest songwriters, and if there ever is a Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame for Singapore musicians, he should be in it! So we got him to answer all our crucial questions:

How did he get started all those years ago?

What did author Don Bosco and Lion City icon Chri...

WE'RE BACK! Welcome to the new phase Lion City Rock, which is... pretty much like the old phase Lion City Rock, if we're being honest – but with more sprinkles!

We've quite a few things in the pipeline, though, and we're going to do our best to make sure they all come to pass. Just what are they all about? Listen to find out, lah...

"Nothing Is Real" and "Screen Scars" by K,Mat; "Finer Life (Cover)" by The Fast Colors. Episode image done by Olly Maguire.

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LINKS

Get tickets fo...

DID YOU KNOW that Leslie Low's music journey kinda sorta began at the same time as one of Singapore's influential arts companies, The Substation? Well, we didn't – until we were asked to support this cool event on 10 Aug, 5pm at the Esplanade Recital Studio.

Passing is a lyrical and sonic journey through Leslie's indie-pop and soft rock reflections as an artist growing up, living in, and experiencing Singapore. He has handpicked personal favourites from his solo repertoire, and will be backed by Sean Lam (Concave Scream, Hanging Up the Moon) and Alexius Cai (Piblokto).

This is par...

Was there a better way to spend a Sunday than having your eardrums blasted and your face melted by some of the biggest bands of the 1990s? Well, if you're not into that sorta thing, then yes, probably.

But for us at the Lion City Rock pod, Day 2 of the BigO 4-0 show brought the house down as six bands took the stage at The Blackbird! Disko Biscuit, The Oddfellows, Rudra, Astreal, The Pinholes and Opposition Party brought the two-day celebration of BigO magazine's 40th anniversary to a close the only way they knew how - with...

As crowds throng the spaces to listen to political candidates wax lyrical about how they plan to improve Singapore, the LCR team look back on two days in April when crowds thronged The Blackbird Singapore to listen to veteran indie rockers who came together to wax lyrical about the 40th anniversary of BigO magazine, the pre-eminent champion of local indie music back in the late '80s and throughout the 1990s.

What made the grade? What were the big surprises? And who were the candidates - er, sorry, Lion City Rockers - who rocked our boat? There's...

Where can you go to hear a live band play Steely Dan's "Reelin' In The Years" or the 11-minute opus that is the live version of "Sultans Of Swing", complete with sax solo? Well, The Blackbird at Gillman Barracks, that's where.

The Blackbird's resident band, Reverie, plays songs that aren't always on your Spotify Top 10; instead, revelling in dishing out rarer tracks that you don't always hear on Singapore's live music circuit.

But Reverie has a bigger stake in The Blackbird than you think: Singer & guitarist Surath helms the venue, while multi-instrumentalist Joanna helps coordinate...

What a show we have for you! Yes, you and only you! Our featured guests on the podcast are none other than The Oddfellows!

They helped spearhead the Singapore indie scene in the late 1980s and have garnered much acclaim and accolades through the years. But what exactly are they doing now?

Well, they're part of BigO 4-O: 40 Years Of Counter-Culture, the music fest on 12-13 April at The Blackbird to celebrate BigO Magazine's 40th anniversary.

For those who don't know, BigO was the music magazine of the 1990s and the music fest...

We're continuing our Lion City Rock x BigO 4-O series for the 40 Years Of Counter-Culture music festival, which will be held on 12-13 April at The Blackbird to celebrate the 40th anniversary of BigO Magazine, one of the cornerstones of Singapore's indie music scene of the 1990s.

The line-up features The Mother, Typewriter, Obstacle Upsurge, Force Vomit, Plainsunset, Opposition Party, Disko Biscuit, The Oddfellows, Rudra, The Pinholes, Astreal and our guests for this episode: The Great Spy Experiment!

They're probably one of Singapore's best live bands of all time, and in this episode, the band tal...

It's the first of our Lion City Rock x BigO 4-O episodes for the 40 Years Of Counter-Culture music festival. Happening on 12-13 April at The Blackbird, it's two days of music remembering and celebrating one of the cornerstones of Singapore's indie music scene of the 1990s: BigO Magazine.

Bands performing include The Mother, Typewriter, Obstacle Upsurge, Force Vomit, Great Spy Experiment, Plainsunset, Opposition Party, The Oddfellows, Rudra, The Pinholes, Astreal and our guests for this episode: Disko Biscuit!

One of Singapore's earliest shoegaze bands, Disko Biscuit, has been returning to the scene in recent years...

IT'S FINALLY HERE: Our monumental mega-episode with ASTREAL!

As one of the key shoegaze bands here in the Lion City over the past three decades, Astreal has been going through thick and thin, releasing three albums and performing at every major gig you can think of.

Ginette Chittick (bass/vocals) and Muhammad Alkhatib (guitars) share the ups and downs of Astreal's musical journey: What was it like for Ginette to join just before the launch of their debut album, which the band had already recorded with another singer? How do they feel about the music...

Happy International Women's Day!

To mark the occasion, we're looking back at an album that made a splash back in the day: No Excuse For Sexism.

Released in 1998, it was the first album to feature an all-female line-up, with all-female or female-fronted bands: Clothes Peg, Flying Pills, Sideshow Judy, Psycho Sonique and Astreal.

How does the album hold up after all these years? Was it an accurate example of what our female indie musicians had to offer? And where are Flying Pills and Clothes Peg today? (No, really - give us a shout...

We're honoured to be part of No Finer Time To Be Alive, a music event on 15 March 2025, 6pm at Vertigo26 where The Substation will kickstart celebrations for its 35th anniversary.

To share more about this lively do is the lively duo behind it all, DJ KiDG, aka Robin Chua and award-winning composer Joe Ng. The gig will feature iconic Singaporean music curated and mixed live by KiDG, and you get to journey through Singapore’s music history, with tracks from legends of yesteryear like Zircon Lounge and The Quests to today's musicmakers like Subsonic Eye and more.

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We're honoured to be part of No Finer Time To Be Alive, a music event on 15 March 2025, 6pm at Vertigo26 where The Substation will kickstart celebrations for its 35th anniversary.

Featuring iconic Singaporean music curated and mixed live by DJ KiDG (Robin Chua), the five-hour non-stop set will take you through Singapore’s music history, with tracks from legends like Zircon Lounge and The Quests to Astreal, Humpback Oak, Plainsunset, Sobs, Subsonic Eye and more.

PLUS: You'll enjoy special cocktails inspired by local indie classics, happy hour drinks all night, and a refreshed menu.

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It's a tale of Taledrops this week! One of Singapore's freshest bands has been rocking the Lion City with their very own "Drama Rock".

In this episode, the female fivesome—Shan, Jingmin, Kiara, Zee, and Pearly—spill the beans on their journey. They reveal what made them form a band, how the name Taledrops came about, who the worst timekeeper in the band is, and when their new EP will be released (like, for real).

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"Lion City Rock theme" performed by Kevin Mathews & Chris Toh; excerpts from "Kafka" and "Surr...

We travel back to 1998 to see, or rather, hear, what happened on 15 December of that year at the Green Room, a studio run by veteran Lion City Rocker Tony Goh. The result was an album recorded live and distributed by BigO magazine, featuring music by four young bands: Electric Co. (later to evolve into Electrico), Shereene's Closet, Steel Blue Skies (started by Lilac Saint's guitarist Bhaskar), and Satellite Blue (a trio with a lead violin!).

Along the way, Kevin and Chris also ponder crowdkiller behaviour at gigs, who Parousia and Elmo are, and what it will take...

Friend Of The Pod Sanny Velloo is back to share more of his continuing journey as a solo musician. Fresh from launching his latest single, "A Brighter Tomorrow", Sanny shares what it has been like going solo, what his new album is about, and the chances of becoming the world's only Rock 'n' Roll Guru!

*This episode was recorded in Dec 2024

Feel free to contact Lion City Rock, give us a shout on our social media, or even email us using the links below.

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"Lion City Rock...

It's our AAR episode! And then some!

In 2024, we had over 2,000 downloads from more than 40 countries! That's not something we thought we'd ever achieve and we don't take it lightly! Thank you listeners for making it all worthwhile!

But we aren't just patting ourselves on the back for a job well done in 2024. We're also on the lookout for new ideas, topics, and music to feature in 2025 on the only podcast about Singapore's pop music scene you'll ever need.

Feel free to contact us, give us a shout on our social media, or...

Oh, what a year it has been! As we say goodbye to 2024, we thought we'd reflect on the year with our top five fave moments on the pod. Unsurprisingly - or perhaps, surprisingly - Chris and Kevin had four same items out of the five on their list. But what was the different one?

PLUS! A special appearance by Shye!

PLUS PLUS! Our wishes for 2025!

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"Lion City Rock theme" performed by Kevin Mathews & Chris Toh; excerpts of "The Sun Will Cry" performed by Shye; excerpts from "If...

You know it's a fun day when Friend of the Pod Isaac Chiew returns to share more thoughts about the Lion City's music scene.

How have his experiences working with record labels and youth organisations shaped his mindset? Which Lion City Rockers rock his boat? And when will his band, Cactus Cactus, drop their new album?

The answers to all this and more are right here! In this episode! Really!

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"Lion City Rock theme" performed by Kevin Mathews & Chris Toh; excerpts of "Cloud City", "Hammer" & "Life Is...

We’re so happy to have friend of the pod Patrick Chng, back for another episode!

This time, the Oddfather of Singapore Indie Music spills the beans about his new journey into the world busking in the Lion City. 

What does it take to be a busker in Singapore? Where are all the hot busking spots? And is it really true that all buskers MUST learn to play John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’?

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"Lion City Rock theme" performed by Kevin Mathews & Chris Toh; excerpts of "Unity Son...

It's punk rock like you've never heard it before! With fans from all over the region, power trio Iman's League have been rocking the stage with their high-energy performances and ballsy bangers.

Iman, Bat and Lal got on the pod to share their thoughts about the best and worst gigs, what peeves them most, and where Iman's League will be in 2025! (Europe, anyone?)

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"Lion City Rock theme" performed by Kevin Mathews & Chris Toh; excerpts of "Hati", "Lisa", "Forever In 7th" and "Hey Hey Hey" performed by Iman's League

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IT'S ANOTHER BUMPER EPISODE!

Lion City Rock legends Henry Chua and Wee Guan tell us the story of "Shanty", the song that changed the Singapore music landscape. Written by Henry and recorded by The Quests, it was released in Oct 1964 and became the first original composition by a Singapore band to reach No.1 – for 12 weeks! – knocking off The Beatles along the way.

Sixty years later, you can still find people covering the song.

So what do they really think of the song now? How did fame change the band? Why couldn't they go bowl...

It's Part 2 of 60 years of maximum rock and roll!

In July, The Beatles caused a minor riot as 3,000 teens flock to the airport to see the Fab Four's... plane.

In Oct 1964, The Quests reached #1 with "Shanty", knocking The Beatles off the top spot!

That same month, local and international bands took part in a charity concert, called the 8.30 Special, for the benefit of the victims and their families of the race riots that occurred in July and Sept that year.

As the year comes to a close, the future looks bright...

Can you imagine when Singapore wasn't Singapore, but Malaysia? We can't – but luckily, we read history books.

In 1964, the Lion City hadn't achieved independence. The geo-political and socio-economic landscapes were still on shaky ground.

But the pop scene was already making inroads. The Crescendos were consolidating their position as the top vocal group in the region, while The Quests were only months away from unleashing their magnum opus, "Shanty".

Meanwhile, the clubs and tea dances were filled with teens wanting to hear musicians like Wilson David, The Checkmates, Julie Sudiro, The Cyclones, The Si...

"It's a new dawn comin' round..." And she's right here on our podcast!

Our guests are Dawn Parry, host and presenter on newdawn.fm, and Joe Eades, the A&R Coordinator of Jukebox Judgement, a show where some of the top producers in the world give their reviews about new music from around the world.

Back in February, Singapore was the first Southeast Asian country they featured on Jukebox Judgement and they're all set for the next batch of Lion City rockers (episode drops 1 Nov, 3pm SG time).

They both share what they...

Back in the 1990s, The Substation was The Place To Be for many musicians, artists, actors, filmmakers, performers and well, just about anyone who was into the arts. But while the building may be gone, it's thanks to people like Yuni Hadi and Kim Dy-Liacco who ensure that The Substation is still A Home For The Arts.

They share what The Substation is up to and how they continue championing artists in the Lion City and offer tips on what artists can do (psst: just drop them a DM, apparently)

Psst! Look out for our...

How can young musicians develop their brand? Should we follow what's trending in the music scene? What does it mean to "make it" as a musician? Find out the answers to these questions and more with our guest, Club Mild guitarist Tan Peng Sing.

Peng Sing has worn many musical hats – not only is he a musician and a champion of local music, he was the music director on radio, the founder of the record label Where Are The Fruits, and now, if we read his LinkedIn profile right, he's the Senior Manager, Performing Arts (Music) at th...

We're sorry this is so late. The past few weeks have been strange at the Lion City Rock pod. But we're back with this new episode featuring a chat with young singer-songwriter, Benny's.

A true music fan, Benny's wears her musical heart on her sleeve and her songs reflect her thoughts about life, the universe, and well, just about everything.

Benny's attracted attention sometime back when concertgoers took to social media after her performance at the Esplanade was interrupted by an unexpected guest. Since that incident though, she has been quietly putting together a new...

It's the return of Leo! Yup, Leonard Soosay is back! This time, he's joined by Josh Wei to talk more about their plans for 'Weed - Tumbleweed Studios, that is.

The pair started Tumbleweed (conveniently located at The Esplanade) because they felt younger musicians needed a conveniently located jamming studio that's also affordable. And did we say it's conveniently located?

*recorded at Tumbleweed Studios in June

**also, check out our Lion City Rock playlist, which we want to be an introduction to the wide world of pop music from and made in Singapore –an...