When quiet became the new loud last year, independent band inLove put out their charming debut EP, Dermitint. A delicate fusion of acoustic pop and folk-style rhythms, it attracted critics and fans with its tender lullabies and subtle musical nuances. Today, inLove release their debut album, Realm - and their sound might take a few by surprise. 'This material is totally different from what we've done before,' says guitarist Dickie Wong Ka-yun. 'I think listeners who know us already will see a different side to inLove. There's more of a band sound with this one and a rock edge. There are also classical influences.' Fellow guitarist Daniel Shum Tsz-lok agrees. 'Some people may think we've changed, though this is just representative of what we as a band sound like at this time. We'll always be changing and evolving.' The title Realm reflects the album's theme of adventure, says singer Lu Shum Lo-lo (no relation to Daniel). 'We believe adventure is an important aspect of life. If we don't dare take risks and be adventurous, then we can't see and experience new things. Adventure takes us to a new world - a new realm.' People are looking for something in life, and not just musically, Wong says. 'We hope each listener gets something from our songs.' Everyone has dreams, Lu Shum says. 'But the world often tries to tell us to forget them. I want this album to remind people to never give up on their dreams.' InLove's own dream started with Tom Lee Music's Soundbase competition three years ago. After winning two prizes - including best songwriting - the trio were encouraged to take their music more seriously. Daniel Shum quit his day job to move full-time into music production and studio work. Realm was recorded and engineered in his Sky Wav studio in Mongkok, and took about seven months from start to finish. 'We constantly reached the peak of what we thought we were capable of, but we kept pushing ourselves to make the next track better and better,' Wong says. 'We definitely know a lot more about recording and the processes involved through always trying to improve ourselves.' InLove have also improved in terms of their collective image and must be the best-dressed band in town (two of them are sponsored by clothing brand Sparkling). 'There's often a belief that indie bands and commercial bands must look a certain way,' says Lu Shum. 'That if you have an image you must be pop, or that if you're an indie band you mustn't have one. 'We don't agree. To us, good music should be heard whatever the genre, and we want as many people as possible to hear and see us in the best light. We think our music matches how we look, so we don't listen to other people.' Now on a four-date mini-tour of Hong Kong (before flying to Guangzhou and Taiwan) the group have chosen a mixture of established venues and more intimate settings. 'Playing live is very important to us,' says Lu Shum. 'In the smaller cafes we're very close to the audience and I love that environment. It's much easier to communicate directly and get our message across.' For details about inLove's September dates, go to www.inlove-enough.com or e-mail info@89268.com
