Into the Indie: Imperfect, but Resonating
Kin’s first attempt of forming a band with a group of primary school friends was full of ups and downs. The bold adventure has led him onto the journey of organising the Blaster, a new band, writing his first song, performing overseas and releasing his first album.
Becoming the bass player of Blaster, a band, gave Kin a lot of memorable experiences. (Photo provided by interviewees)
Along the way, Kin found songwriting the most gratifying, “Just a tiny little idea could be turned into a soulful production. It was such an amazing experience.” He believes that songwriting is better as a group effort than a solo undertaking. “Each member takes care of the part by his own instrument, It makes things much easier.”
Creative work also draws people closer together. Once, after breaking up with a girlfriend, a shaken-up Kin heard a melody in his dreams. It became “Let Go”, a song by Blaster. “At first I thought ending a relationship was a very private thing. But when the band members arranged the song and brainstormed the name together, they had to talk to me about my feelings!” Though embarrassed, turning sorrow into creativity helped Kin alleviate not only his sadness, but also the lonesomeness.
Presenters Kin (on left) and Lokwa (right) hoped the programme could attract more people into creating music bands. (Image: CIBS Archive)
“I have learnt a lot from the experience of setting up an indie band, and I wanted to contribute to this culture.” That was why Kin decided to produce the CIBS programme “Into the Indie”, with the aim of attracting more people into creating their own bands and thereby, enriching the local music industry. He has invited Lokwa of the band SIS to co-present the programme, which offered listeners a step-by-step guide on forming bands. “I want to show that organising a band is not that difficult, so that people may want to give it a try.” Do not be afraid to take the leap, because indie music offers a lot of freedom by embracing bold attempts and even mistakes. “Accepting the imperfections in music productions, I think that’s the spirit of indie bands.”
