When Zack was asked to give a description from the background of Deserters to talking about his band members, here’s what he said; “In a nutshell, I formed the band in 2006 and for the past four years, we have been pretty active on the local live circuit, playing plenty of gigs across the country and in Singapore. We’ve had a few personal changes down the years - normal procedure for most local bands – but I’m really excited about the current line up of Deserters which is myself on guitar and vocals; Brendan Teh on guitar and effects; Eric Wong on bass and Ari on drums.
Our debut single Last Chance came out in late 2007 and got us plenty of airplay which gave us the opportunity to score some pretty decent gigs on a semi regular basis which has kept us real busy right up to this year. So far this year, we’ve played about 25 shows, which is pretty good for a bunch of guys that work full-time. The plan for next year is even more of the same.
Currently we are still working on our debut album Goodbye Oblivion. It’s taken us longer than expected and so far, we have missed all our release dates but things are going well in the studio and it should be out early 2010 for sure. As a taste for the album, we are putting out our single Easier Said Than Sung independently next month. Can’t wait for people to hear that.”
1. Why are you called Deserters?
You’re kidding right?
2. Who do you think your fans are?
Well, according to MySpace, mainly young males between the ages of 18 – 24. In general, I think we appeal to indie people who like catchy guitar rock with heart, soul and invention.
3. Who are your musical influences?
We are four guys with really varied music taste that go across the board. Personally, I adore The Smiths, Sonic Youth, Super Furry Animals, Stevie Wonder, Stereolab, Shelby Lynne and Supergrass. And that’s only the letter “S”!
4. How do you describe your music to people especially to those who have never heard of the Deserters?
I’d tell them that we play melodic indie rock with plenty of edge and lyrical bite. I’d also tell them to go see us live because that’s where we tend to do our best.
5. What image do you think your music conveys?
Our music is personal, atmospheric and hopefully quite moving and exciting to listen to. When we play together, we try and make the music flow as organically and naturally as possible. We may not be the best players in the world but we try to make up for it with creativity and reckless enthusiasm, ha-ha! We’ll give anything a go to make the songs sound cooler, you know? I’d like to think that the songs all convey a strong sense of drama and emotion.
6. So if you could recommend one song, what would it be?
I recommend all of the songs on our upcoming album Goodbye Oblivion. Our new single Easier Said Than Sung is pretty groovy too.
7. If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be and what would say to them?
Hard question. If it’s a famous living person, I think I’d like to hook up with Johnny Marr and chew his ear off about music and vintage guitars. From those that have passed on, I think I’ll go for John Lennon though I’ve read that he was quite a horrible, moody git when he wanted to be.
8. If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you take with you?
An acoustic guitar, a lighter… and a portable GPS system.
9. List down 5 of your favourite candy bars:
Twix, Lion Bar, Mars, Terry’s Chocolate Orange, any raisin and chocolate combo with no nuts.
10. What are the bands upcoming future plans?
Single, album, gigs and more gigs!!
This is just my sort of my music, thank you! I’ll be back!