KOWLOON BAND In-Love are getting a taste of pop stardom. Snippets in the local press have given the three-piece an idea of what publicity can do, and good reviews of their first release have spurred on the workaholic twentysomething outfit.
The attention they're garnering follows two positive years for the fledgling band of Dickie Wong Ka-yong (guitar and musical arranger), Lu Shum (vocals and songwriter) and Daniel Shum Che-lok (no relation, on guitar). Their sound is a delicate fusion of acoustic pop and folk-style rhythms, with Shum's sweet melodies wrapped in acoustic guitar and subtle programming. 'I sing about myself, my experiences and my thoughts,' Lu Shum says. 'If I am confused about something, like the future or what will satisfy my heart, I'll put it in a song.'
It may seem at odds with the name the trio chose, but love songs are not what the band stand for, she says. 'I want to deal with all aspects of life. I don't just want to write about love and relationships. I just really like the words [In-Love]. I think it sounds beautiful and romantic.'
The band's repertoire draws on three languages, though most tracks are in Putonghua. 'My father and mother speak Putonghua, so I grew up with the language. Putonghua often sounds more beautiful and comfortable. If [our songs] were sung in Cantonese, they would just sound strange.'
Although they only started making music together two years ago for an 'unplugged' band competition, the trio have known each other for 10 years. 'We knew that Lu had lots of songs, but no means of presenting them. So Daniel suggested this [song contest] would be a good platform to expose them to a wider audience,' Wong says.
That performance at 2002's Tom Lee Soundbase Competition, which over the years has produced the likes of Whence He Came and Eman of AT17, surprised everyone, not least the band. In-Love took out two prizes, including the coveted best songwriting award and finished second overall. 'The contest gave us the confidence and belief that this is something we should continue to pursue,' Wong says.