Xingfoo&Roy

Long-time buds and former Anglo-Chinese Barker boys Daniel Chan and Gabriel Chen are the two eclectic adolescent wild hearts that make up the duo that is Xingfoo&Roy. A band of humble beginnings, it started as the boys grew, not only into their pre-teen years but also into their guitar-strumming, pop punk-listening and alternative rock- jamming phase.

Yet, it is not a phase that they’ve grown out of.

Dressed casually in a smattering of carefree shorts, singlets and tees, the lean, tallish boys are reminiscent of reckless abandon gone by and of days when we have had one cigarette too many.

“Sad music that you can dance to!” quipped the cheery duo, when quizzed on how they would classify their music.

What started out as afternoons after school spent head-banging to Blink 182 and All Time Low covers, quickly turned into a frantic rush (fuelled mostly by the unrelenting nature of teenage enthusiasm) to discover their own sound as they seek to inject their individual peculiarity into the local music scene.

Their first single, Evening Sunshine, taking a good 2 years to fine tune into Xingfoo&Roy perfection, immediately conjures images of a 90s after-party, where the music is slow, revellers buzzed from vodka down lemonade, and the room permeates with marijuana.
Written when he was 15, and on a bus on his way home, vocalist Dan was, “feeling pretty shit and many things were happening in [his] life.” The song encapsulates the struggles typifying a teenager’s growing years in the high roller streets of Singapore.

Like the boys, their sound has developed through the years. Their debut single has grown from being playfully coined “Evening Sunsets in Potong Pasir” on a bus ride home from school, to where it is today - a lyrical time machine which transports the listener back into years mired by nostalgia.

"SAD MUSIC THAT YOU CAN DANCE TO!"

Great Wide Open and Does the Pope Shit in the Woods? makes up the rest of the 3 title half-EP they currently have. Blessed with vocals reminiscent of Taking Back Sunday’s Adam Lazzara in his early days, the songs in the duo's upcoming EP, Mating Season, (to be released in December 2013) speak intimately about the different phases and chapters of life. From inhibited childhood ambitions to how mistakes make a man, Xingfoo&Roy seeks to tell sad stories, one upbeat song at a time.

Refreshingly honest yet strangely close to the heart, this duo promises to bring you on a musical car crash that will undoubtedly awaken your dancing boots.

Dan and Gab are two rare teens that have heads that belly their misleading ages. As they look forward to their later years with their heads up high and amps up loud, their music is primed to make waves. Don’t bet against them carrying on their terrific work beyond Mating Season.

After all, wild hearts can't be broken. - Obscured SG

Dan Chan, frontman of Xingfoo&Roy brings us his unique perspective of being a performer and audience member at Identite 8.4

I met Amir through a fellow local musician named Chris(also known as Bravepaper). After exchanging emails, Amir asked if our band would like to play at Homeclub’s Identite 8.4 and we gladly accepted!

We played Homeclub’s Big Night Out Launch party along with The Livid Suns and Deon Toh on the 25th (last Friday) and it was great. A fairy large crowd showed up and The Livid Suns kicked the party off with some of their original tracks. Ending with a cover of “Gold Lion” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Their fierce musical style reminded me of comparable local acts such as Fire Away! Samson and Caracal.

Xingfoo&Roy played next and we can’t express the amount of gratitude we have towards Homeclub and the crowd. The crowd was warm and cheerful which vanished our anxiety almost immediately. The sound was also the best we’d ever had, so props to Homeclub for that! The show was amazing mainly due to the crowd as they danced and sang along to our songs. Pleasing the crowd drove us to play so much better than we ever have.

Ending the event with a mix of alternative-pop tracks was singer songwriter Deon Toh. Deon sang as his backing band complemented his songs. His creamy and soothing voice toned the mood down quite a fair bit and left the audiences bobbing their heads to a set of his original songs which included the catchy, “Little Lives” and they ended with a cover of a Band Of Horses song. Deon Toh is a very talented individual with an immense amount of soul and we hope to hear more from him in the near future.

On the whole, Identite 8.4 was a success and we’d love to thank Homeclub for being such a great contribution to the thriving local music scene. - Power of Pop

Homegrown label The Local People is expanding their love for all things local with The Entrepreneur Market, happening 7 March, 2 to 9pm. The Entrepreneur Market is a shoutout for those who have ventured into the scary field of business and made it out alive and successful. It celebrates hard work, wit, and courage.

Partnering with M2 Academy, a newly opened institution providing innovative and quality education through partnerships with industries, The Entrepreneur Market will have everything we love from the previous TLP Markets – music, food, art, and other knick knacks to buy.

Drop by the spacious M2 Academy Campus at Lebel 11 Orchard Gateway @ Emerald and learn how to make your own zines (courtesy of Squelch Zines’), plop on a beanbag and watch films directed or produced by Singaporeans, and listen to musicians like Amanda Tee and Xingfoo&Roy perform their acoustic covers and original songs.

Market-goers can also participate in the Go For It campaign, which encourages young adults to pursue their dreams. All you have to do is document 100 days of following your passion on Instagram and get it compiled into a zine.

More information on Go For It campaign, M2 Academy, and the vendors here. - Nookmag