When you look at Singapore’s music scene, you will find that there’s no shortage of bands led by women.
To lead, inspire, and be the driving force at the forefront of the band is a whole different ballgame, and local frontwomen have certainly risen to the task. Whether they are seasoned or rising names in the local music community, they have showcased their musical prowess on all fronts, including their creativity, showmanship, and passion.
In honour of their dedication and achievements this International Women’s Day, we’ve curated a list of 10 women-led bands from Singapore that will help you power through the day.
Woes
Woes is a five-piece math-rock outfit that breaks boundaries. What started as a solo project by bassist Russell Seow, is now backed by a full-force ensemble with the addition of Alex Calaunan (guitars), Aloysius Au (guitars), Khoo Shen-En (drums), and fronted by lead vocalist Raizel Gonzales, who is also a member of nkei.
Infusing the instrumental sound trips of rock with jazz and emo, Gonzales comes through with her velvety vocals as she delivers cathartic lyrics that hit your core.
Since their debut, the quintet have made a name for themselves in the rock landscape in Singapore with the plethora of gigs and shows that they’ve played. From humbly performing at underground venues such as Lithe House in 2020 to organising an album launch of their first full-length album, Temporal Dimensions, earlier this year, the ‘Monkey Tennis’ act are a force to be reckoned with in the indie rock scene.
Woes’ Temporal Dimensions was named one of Hear65’s best albums of 2023.
Listen to Woes here:
Taledrops
An all-woman rock outfit, Taledrops have grown from humble beginnings as a Baybeats Budding Band to an emerging rock collective within a short time. Looking at their high-octane and theatrical performances, is it any wonder that they have done so?
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With frontwoman Pearly standing firmly at the centre, they bring emotionally charged songwriting and stagecraft to each live performance. As the cherry on top, the support from band members Zee (guitar), Jingmin (bass), Shan (keyboard), and Kiara (drums) makes the live experience like a rock extravaganza – as proven by their recent set in All Things New: Baybeats Edition 2024.
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Listen to Taledrops here:
Coming Up Roses
London-based indie and alternative rock outfit Coming Up Roses is led by singer-bassist Emily Sera. With her buttery vocals backed up by the musical chemistry between band members Darius Oon (guitar), Charlie Wilson (guitar), and Caleb Blake (drums), the band have contributed to putting Singapore’s musical essence on the global map.
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Kicking off the new year strong, the unit have unveiled two new tracks, ‘Don’t Let It Break Your Heart’ and ‘Back The Way We Came’. To date, the ‘Would You Ever’ act have ventured across the globe for tours in Taiwan and Indonesia and also performed at a string of festivals, including Canadian Music Week, Fred Perry Subculture, and The Alex Blake Charlie Sessions.
Listen to Coming Up Roses here:
motifs
Diving deep into the dreamy universe of shoegaze are the five-piece outfit, motifs. Elspeth Ong (vocals and guitar) takes the role of fronting the band and entrancing the crowd with her feather-like vocals, while Jit Jenn Tan (lead guitar), Badrul Amin (synths, vocals, and guitar), Paul Yuen (bass), and Jolin Chiam (drums and percussions) handles the magic of crafting charming melodies that transport listeners into ethereal bliss.
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Since they emerged as one of the finalists in the 2022 edition of the Baybeats Budding Bands, the ‘fluorescent’ act have made their way across Asia for their Remember A Stranger tour in 2023 and received the honour of being the opening act for Slowdive on 19 March.
Next, motifs are set to perform at Playtime Music Festival 2024 in July 2024 at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Listen to motifs here:
Absence!
With Absence!’s distinguishing sonic persona taking inspiration from acclaimed bands such as The 1975 and Valley, it’s no surprise to see their music career take off to be one of the promising acts today.
As Aida takes the lead in vocalising thoughtful reflections on the challenges in life, Luke (drums) and Ryan (guitar) take charge of creating the modern yet vintage-inspired tunes that make up their signature sound.
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What started as a band formed by three individuals in junior college who wrote songs at Luke’s studio from 2018 turned out to be the turning point for the band as they performed at Esplanade Concourse in April 2019 and 2021, and later at Urban Sonic Music Festival at *SCAPE The Ground Theatre in January 2022.
The trio unveiled a new single, ‘Without You’, on 4 March 2023.
Listen to Absence! here:
Blush
If anyone can command the attention of the audience amid the hazy and noisy indie rock soundtrip, it would be Soffi Peters of Blush.
Standing as the lead vocalist of the band, Peters’ lush and gentle vocals complement the chaotic and pulsating soundscapes formulated by Nick (drums), Daniel (guitar), and Dan (bass). Dubbed a “superband”, the ‘Crush’ act entered the alternative rock community in Singapore with their wholesome single ‘Best Friend’ in 2021. Since then, their trajectory has been nothing but upward.
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Shortly after their album launch party for Supercrush, the No Sleep Records signees brought their music over to various local and international festivals, including Singapore Art Week, Music Day Out 2024, and Joyland Bali Festival 2024.
Blush’s Supercrush was named one of Bandwagon’s best albums of 2023.
Listen to Blush here:
Sobs
A trio most would be well acquainted with by now, Sobs are dubbed the Lion City’s “indiepop propagandists”.
Led by vocalist Celine Autumn, the ‘Air Guitar’ act have brought their music across international waters since their debut with the five-track EP, Catflap, in 2017. With Jared Lim (lead guitar) and Raphael Ong (rhythm guitar), the band have performed at Seattle’s KEXP Studio and appeared on an Audiotree Live session in Chicago.
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More recently, the unit served as the opening act for Canadian indie pop band Alvvays at the Capitol Theatre in November 2023 and performed for Singapore Art Week at Gillman Barracks earlier this year.
Listen to Sobs here:
Subsonic Eye
Photo credit: Christopher Sim
On their way to becoming veterans in the alternative dream pop circle in Singapore, Subsonic Eye has been an influential figure for seven years now.
They are fronted by Nur Wahidah, their lead vocalist who uses her headstrong crooning to charge up the already blissful instrumentals carried by Daniel Borces (guitar), Jared Lim (guitar), Samuel Venditti (bass), Lucas Tee (drums). Apparent in their popular hits like ‘Cosmic Realignment’ and ‘Cabin Fever’, their signature sound and songwriting evoke a sense of nostalgia in listeners through digital synthesizers, infectious guitar riffs, and captivating vocals.
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The five-piece unit made history in being the first Southeast Asia to perform on KEXP Live at Home in 2021, an online music series by Seattle’s radio station KEXP FM.
Listen to Subsonic Eye here:
FERS
FERS entered the dream pop scene in 2018 with the release of their richly delicate and imaginative single, ‘Neverland’, which was inspired by Scottish novelist James Matthew Barrie’s classic tale Peter Pan, as you would have guessed.
With frontwoman Ferry (lead vocalist and guitarist) steering the ship, the four-piece outfit refuse to be tied to genre boundaries. Also comprising band members Ridhwan (guitar), Aaron (bass), and Kenneth (drums), the ‘Wait’ act showcase strong aesthetics and vision in their musical creations.
With the misty and lulling vocals helmed by Ferry topped with clean, tropical soundscapes from the instrumentals, FERS have constructed an enchanting paradise for shoegaze and dreampop fans.
Listen to FERS here:
Nosedive
While they count for inspiration and muse among the likes of their musical heroes American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, and shoegaze heroes LSD and the Search for God, Nosedive have found their distinctive sound.
They are led by Aqilah, a frontwoman gifted with a dynamic vocal range. As she powers through noisy, ethereal sonic distortion, she also stays true to Nosedive’s signature “dreamy girl-boy vocals”.
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Recently, the four-piece band brought their music to the Rock & Indie Festival 2024, where they performed alongside local acts such as Alicia DC, Regina Song, and nkei.
Their upcoming single, ‘undertow’, is scheduled for release on 8 March via Spotify, Apple Music, and more.
Listen to Nosedive here.
Editor's note: The original version of this article listed Subsonic Eye's former lineup and featured an outdated image of the band. Corrections have been made to reflect the band's current lineup. We apologise for the errot.
