3 / jan & feb 15 / resolute

NINTH

contents

note

To me, there really is nothing that beats the excitement of a new year. Everyone’s either on restart or reboot mode - gyms get crowd-

ed (okay, that’s the only part I hate) and our determination to achieve gets stronger. We also always seem to be ready to leave the past behind - pointing middle fingers at 2014 and closing those

doors.

For this issue, I brought an instacam — the modern take on a po-laroid camera — around the island to capture some of the closest

relationships I’ve witnessed in 2014. I liked the idea of using still life and other kinds of shots to portray a sentimental bond, to reinforce something that many of us have lost while on the road to ending 2014. Whether we observe each other, change together, work to-gether, hurt each other or hurt together, we forget that we are the best individuals to resolute for that other loved one. In this world of fighting a constant war to achieve something, we forget that

this battle shouldn’t be fought alone. That our pure existence can play such a big part in pushing that person to the gym. The possibil-

ities are pretty endless.

Whilst staying on par with the theme, I had the honour to interview our local Singaporean singer and songwriter, Joel Tan (also known as Gentle Bones). The chat with him was a great eyeopener of how different people can fight to ignite their dreams to reality, and how

our attitudes can do us huge favours along the way. Throughout the interview, Joel’s humble and genuinely passionate charac-

ter shone strongly, which especially helped to strengthen my per-spective on this issue.

These images and words wouldn’t be coming to life without having backgrounds that speak of love and passion, and I’m glad that I got

to witness them. Take some time to look through them and I do hope that you’ll be able to witness the scenes in your own ways and

if possible, feel what I’ve felt.

Happy new year and here’s to even more time spent in the gym!

carvinggenesis2015 is another year to mark another love

carvinggenesiscover story

2015 is another year to mark another love

couple/(Rena & Nicholas, couple since 2013)

bakers

when did you two start this whole baking hobby

together?

"Eversince i got an oven" "even though my oven is

so much better" "no, she's just always getting conned by the

shop aunties"

"I WANT US TO GROW MORE MATURE TOGETHER"

breakfast at tiffany’s(Natasha & Natalie, best friends since 2009)

"remember how we used to talk on msn? like i would go home and talk to you the whole day"

"she just needs to stop being blur. but she's okay, she doesn't need resolutions anymore - she's pretty perfect the way she is"

"i want her to be happy. to love more and accept more"

photos

atheart

(Sarah Tan & Joe Tan, photographer & model)

what's up for you this 2015?

"i can't wait to jump butt first into 2015

because it's my last year in Singapore!"

" I want to show that

I'm more capable than what school makes

me out to be"

" i'm not going to let anything or anybody

get into my way"

WHAT'S YOUR RESOLUTION FOR HER?"to not jump into relationships like they're wa-ter puddles on the street after the rain!""no, it's discovering the ocean after years of puddle jumping""ah, it's the same thing! You're so familiar with it because you've been practising the puddle jumping too much!"

colour codedfamily

(Brandi & Scrappy, family since 2009)

"Dogs just aren't petty like humans, they will always be your friend"

"he really needs to pee and poo in the pee pan."what's your wish for him this 2o15?

(scrappy had no comments)

interview

Q&a

It’s three thirty in the afternoon. Starbucks is comfortably packed with jazz and the occasional Lou-is Armstrong playing in the back-ground. Evian in one hand and my makeshift phone-cum-voice-recorder in another, Joel Tan en-thusiastically fills us on his jour-ney to becoming what he is today.

“I wrote the song [Until We Die] when I was your age,” fun fact — I’m eighteen, “then I record-ed it and held onto it for a year because I didn’t feel like putting it out because I was really busy. Actually, I wasn’t going to release it at all. But when I got more time I was like ‘Okay lah, let’s film a video for it’. Then I put it out and people started liking it! That’s how I continued on with the E.P.” To this day, we’re still grateful to-wards the people who “started liking it”. Then again, what’s not to like?

If you haven’t heard of Joel Tan, you might’ve heard of his other identity — Gentle Bones. Also a songwriter and quite the rule breaker, the singer started pro-ducing songs before he could even finish his A’levels. Despite having written over a hundred songs, the 21-year-old ensured that his sin-gles hit a certain standard before breaking one too many hearts on YouTube — totalling his current number of released singles to a nifty five.

Sure, the foreign music scene never stops surprising us, and of course, ‘This is Home’ will al-ways be our favourite Singapore-an jam. But with our generation’s thirst for even more local indie music, Joel plays a big role in the rejuvenation of what we pres-ently hear on the radio. He tells us about his current style — a mashup of current electronic and

“french EDM kind of stuff”, with “R&B and the 90’s kind of pop vibes”. Eccentric? Very. Worthy of being crowned iTunes’ Best New Artist of 2014? Done.

THE FEEL GOOD PLAN“It’s very much about feeling good [about the current EP], then continuing on it, rather than hav-ing a whole grand plan for the EP already,” Joel responds to my cu-riosity about his work ethic, “I’m not good at time management, but it’s always just music first. I don’t know how people manage time. It’s more like ‘okay, I’ve got music on this day, or I have an in-terview on this day’.”

With the mindset of taking things as it comes, there already is so much to look forward to this year. Writing for a new album and touring around the region are just a few of them. He doesn’t have

Photos by Sarah Tan / Words by Tessa Li n Wang

the gentlemanAfter Sarah and I had sat down with Joel for a chat, we came to one conclusion. While ‘This is Home’ will always be our favourite Singa-porean jam, this is one voice that’ll perpetually create something un-

forgettable in the local scene — even until we die.

the dates for us to mark in our calendars yet, but Kuala Lum-pur is a possible destination. We might’ve put our air tickets to KL on standby. Or, even, be search-ing for extra Christina Perri tick-ets:

“Apparently her manager con-tacted one of my friends who’s helping me with press and stuff and asked me if I could open up for her and stuff. So the team it-self wanted me to open, which is quite insane!” That’s Christina Perri we’re talking about, whom Joel will be opening for during her concert here this February.

that other fans are just as curious about. Behind the sofas, swim-ming pool, helmets and rabbit masks in the Gentle Bones mu-sic videos, there actually is more than meets the eye.

In his Save Me music video, a mo-torbike helmet played the iconic role in hiding the identities of dif-ferent people who took turns to appear. “It was an exploration of love where I was trying to say that every time you fall in love with somebody, you change as a per-son,” he speaks from experience.

“[When I wrote it,] I was angsty at that time and kind of sad, so it was more about having your opinions on love altered because

NO SPECIAL UNDERWEARWhen it comes to fashion, Joel agrees that his habits are very much like Steve Jobs’. At gigs or performances, he’s usually sight-ed in black jeans, boots, and a top. “You guys learn fashion so you probably hate me,” he laughs. We oppose, duh. I ask if he has to wear or do anything in particu-lar before a performance, “not much, I just warm up my voice. I used to get nervous in a way but because I’ve been playing gigs so often... I’m kind of getting used to it.”

As he goes on to tell us about his fans who attend the concerts knowing his songs, the scene of

you’re sad or even hateful. It was a rather dark concept.”

On a lighter note, he opens up about his rabbit masks in Until We Die, “okay I’m just gonna tell you the truth, the rabbit masks were just to look cool!” He is quite fashionable after all. Despite hav-ing a different scene in mind, wet weather called for changes to be made. “It was pretty last minute, but I called two friends who even-tually wore the rabbit masks,” which is what we see in the video.

Speaking of friends, Joel’s close chums have undoubtedly played a huge supportive role in his ca-reer — “the reason why i really

them singing in the Lost music video starts to play in my head. “That helps in a way. I used to play gigs at bars where nobody would listen so it’s kind of horri-ble, like I just can’t do that kind of thing where you sing and peo-ple don’t give a shit.” That’s far from the case today, as he con-tinues with his experience with a “grown-ass dude” who had ap-proached him on a bus. “It’s kind of cool lah and encouraging… I can’t even tell the ages anymore!” Even my 12 year old sister’s a fan, if that counts.

RABBIT MASKSBefore wrapping up the inter-view, there is a burning question

enjoy being with them is because they don’t talk about music at all.” In fact, he jokes that some of them don’t even like his music.“But they’re all supportive in a way — they all came for the mu-sic video even though they didn’t know the song. All my actors didn’t know the song because I was too lazy to send it to them! I just asked them to act, so they just got to see the final.“

And the final of it all?

Kick-ass rabbit mask fashion, some fans older than him, and a voice so distinctively his — even from our radios.

“... I just can’t do that kind of thing where you sing and people don’t give a shit.” That’s far from the case today, as he continues with his experience with a “grown-ass dude” who had approached him on a bus. “It’s kinda

cool lah and encouraging… I can’t even tell the ages anymore!”

end

cover story

interview

editor

assistant editor

Special thanks to / Rena Kok & Nicholas Chee

Natasha Vanessa Michelin & Natalie NgSarah Tan & Joe Tan

Brandi Foo & Scrappy

Photographer and Creative Director / Tessa Lin Wang

Special thanks to /Joel Tan / GentleBones.com

Tessa Lin Wang / SuedeFingers.com

Natasha Vanessa Michelin