Make it in Hong Kong's Indie Music
With more bands, venues and gigs than ever before, Hong Kong’s indie music scene is thriving—and Clockenflap is just the tip of the iceberg. Sean Hebert meets the voices of an indie generation.
Let’s set the stage, shall we? You’re an eager and ready singer/songwriter, busting your ass twice a week in Mong Kok practice studios with a stoner drummer and a brooding bassist. You’ve got the chops and your songs are rehearsed, but you don’t know the first thing about breaking into Hong Kong’s indie music scene. With dreams of Clockenflap dancing in your head, you stumble one night into a dark, smoky basement bar in Central and find a veritable who’s-who of this city’s musical movers and shakers. They notice you and wave you over for a chat, eager to show you exactly how much blood, sweat and tears goes into being Asia’s next indie rock star.
HK: Hey, I hate to bother you guys while you’re hanging out, but I’m a new musician. Me and a few guys wrote some songs and I think we’re pretty decent. Where can we get on a mic and let people hear us?
Aaron Andrews, Humble Mutts:
Between The Wanch, Peel Fresco and a few other bars around Central, there are open mics almost every night of the week. Go out and play some songs. A polished act is overrated and the best songs come from late-night collaborations anyways.
Timmy Gunn, Shotgun Politics:
The Wanch has been so good at welcoming anybody who has the interest and passion to play music. It’s a great place to cut your teeth, but also a good place to go and give it your best— a Tuesday night there can lead to so much more. Chris B at The Underground is another person who welcomes and nurtures upcoming talent. In my previous band years ago, we e-mailed Chris out of the blue and said, “We’re a new band, we’ve been practicing for ages, and we’d like to play one of your famous Underground shows. Can we please get a gig?” She was happy to accommodate.
HK: Cool. There seem to be a ton of other bands showing up for these gigs, though— I had no idea that Hong Kong had such a vibrant indie music scene!
John Prymmer, co-owner of The Wanch:
The whole scene has really grown, especially in the past four or five years. There is a ton of talent in Hong Kong. I remember when bands didn’t even have set lists and joked around between songs. But now you come and see bands, and you’re seeing polished shows and well-rehearsed performances. We have live music every night of the week at The Wanch now, and I’m not talking about a house band.
HK: With so much competition, I’m worried about setting ourselves apart from the other bands. What’s the secret to standing out? Cantonese lyrics? Double denim?