Butterfingers - no glam rockers
Over the years, Butterfingers has graduated from grunge to rock with
traditional Malay music, writes RAMBLINGING.
ROCK outfit, Buterfingers has made it a habit to focus on music rather than bask in the limelight of popularity.
Even the tiny fact of being without a lead singer has not stopped the quartet.
And it helps that they've been around long enough to know that the struggle is still worth it.
"We've survived the highs and lows together. We've had numerous roadblocks along the way. I don't want to just throw it all away," says lead guitarist Loque.
Ditching the glam has always been a trademark of the band.
"Fame is not our first priority.
"It's always been just to satisfy ourselves musically," says Loque, decked simply in jeans and polo T-shirt during an interview recently.
Let it be noted that this is a band equally comfortable being interviewed in a mamak eatery or a trendy club in Bangsar.
Fans often praise Butterfingers for being down-to-earth and approachable, and it is an attitude that has stayed with them for more than a decade.
Bassist Kadak says each member may have their own commitments now, but the music is what keeps them together.
"That's why we wrote the song Ngilu, which reads hidup makan tidur mati muzik," says Kadak, who is currently a music programmer for a private company.
Singer Emmet is studying actuarial science in Winnipeg, Canada while drummer Loco works with University of Malaya. Loque is the only one who is doing music full-time.
So what continues to make Butterfingers tick? According to Loque, it is the band's innate desire to push the boundaries of Malaysian music.
While impressed by the current flock in the music scene, says Loque: "Butterfingers is all about changing the musical landscape.
"Bands in Malaysia need attitude. They must have courage to do what they believe in. That is the trend we are trying to project."
Loque, 27, is happiest when people approach him and talk about how a song by Butterfingers has touched their lives.
Butterfingers' first three albums saw its sound progressing from unapologetic raw grunge to more tighter melodies.
Its first two albums - 1.2 milligrams and Butter Worth Pushful - offered Me, Girl Friday and Ruined by the Selling Out.
They admit that their first few albums were a direct copy of grunge rock popular in the early 90s.
"Grunge was radical. It was the closest thing to what we wanted to express," says Loque. "You got to have a starting point."
But 1999's Transcendence proved to be the band's biggest seller with hits such as The Chemistry, Epitome and Faculties of the Mind.
Lately Butterfingers' music has evolved to a more focused sound, a change that Loque says started with Malayneum. (2001).
That album was a total change from the band's raw grunge days what with stronger melodies and tighter songwriting.
Tracks like Mating Season, Suddenly and the title track were a far cry from what fans were used to.
Though it didn't sell as well, critics praised the album and it earned a Best English Album nomination at the 2002 Anugerah Industri Muzik.
The sound on Malayneum was a fusion of Western rock sensibilities with traditional Malay music.
A formula that continues with its latest Malay album Selamat Tinggal Dunia, distributed by EMI Malaysia.
"I want to create music that is more local," says Loque.
"I listen to R. Azmi and I often tune into 93.9FM now. I even listen to keronchong."
Listen to Vio-pipe and Epitome to have a taste of Butterfingers' musical nfusions. It also helps that Emmet lends a ghazal feel to the tunes with his violin.
Career wise, Butterfingers is still in awe of how things have turned out after more than a decade of making music.
Loque says they only played for fun when they started out at Malay College Kuala Kangsar.
"We were only doing rock and roll. Where we are now is beyond our imagination."
None of them thought the latest album would take that long to produce either.
"Before this album, recording was like making instant noodles. It took about a month to record.
"With this one we decided to take it slow. We didn't want to rush. It ended up taking three years."
Loque disses the notion that Selamat Tinggal Dunia is a pessimistic title for an album.
"The title is supposed to be ironical. The songs have a very optimistic lyrical vibe," he says pointing out the words to some of the songs.
And just like those lyrics, Butterfingers' future has a very optimistic vibe about it.
(END)
Over the years, Butterfingers has graduated from grunge to rock with
traditional Malay music, writes RAMBLINGING.
ROCK outfit, Buterfingers has made it a habit to focus on music rather than bask in the limelight of popularity.
Even the tiny fact of being without a lead singer has not stopped the quartet.
And it helps that they've been around long enough to know that the struggle is still worth it.
"We've survived the highs and lows together. We've had numerous roadblocks along the way. I don't want to just throw it all away," says lead guitarist Loque.
Ditching the glam has always been a trademark of the band.
"Fame is not our first priority.
"It's always been just to satisfy ourselves musically," says Loque, decked simply in jeans and polo T-shirt during an interview recently.
Let it be noted that this is a band equally comfortable being interviewed in a mamak eatery or a trendy club in Bangsar.
Fans often praise Butterfingers for being down-to-earth and approachable, and it is an attitude that has stayed with them for more than a decade.
Bassist Kadak says each member may have their own commitments now, but the music is what keeps them together.
"That's why we wrote the song Ngilu, which reads hidup makan tidur mati muzik," says Kadak, who is currently a music programmer for a private company.
Singer Emmet is studying actuarial science in Winnipeg, Canada while drummer Loco works with University of Malaya. Loque is the only one who is doing music full-time.
So what continues to make Butterfingers tick? According to Loque, it is the band's innate desire to push the boundaries of Malaysian music.
While impressed by the current flock in the music scene, says Loque: "Butterfingers is all about changing the musical landscape.
"Bands in Malaysia need attitude. They must have courage to do what they believe in. That is the trend we are trying to project."
Loque, 27, is happiest when people approach him and talk about how a song by Butterfingers has touched their lives.
Butterfingers' first three albums saw its sound progressing from unapologetic raw grunge to more tighter melodies.
Its first two albums - 1.2 milligrams and Butter Worth Pushful - offered Me, Girl Friday and Ruined by the Selling Out.
They admit that their first few albums were a direct copy of grunge rock popular in the early 90s.
"Grunge was radical. It was the closest thing to what we wanted to express," says Loque. "You got to have a starting point."
But 1999's Transcendence proved to be the band's biggest seller with hits such as The Chemistry, Epitome and Faculties of the Mind.
Lately Butterfingers' music has evolved to a more focused sound, a change that Loque says started with Malayneum. (2001).
That album was a total change from the band's raw grunge days what with stronger melodies and tighter songwriting.
Tracks like Mating Season, Suddenly and the title track were a far cry from what fans were used to.
Though it didn't sell as well, critics praised the album and it earned a Best English Album nomination at the 2002 Anugerah Industri Muzik.
The sound on Malayneum was a fusion of Western rock sensibilities with traditional Malay music.
A formula that continues with its latest Malay album Selamat Tinggal Dunia, distributed by EMI Malaysia.
"I want to create music that is more local," says Loque.
"I listen to R. Azmi and I often tune into 93.9FM now. I even listen to keronchong."
Listen to Vio-pipe and Epitome to have a taste of Butterfingers' musical nfusions. It also helps that Emmet lends a ghazal feel to the tunes with his violin.
Career wise, Butterfingers is still in awe of how things have turned out after more than a decade of making music.
Loque says they only played for fun when they started out at Malay College Kuala Kangsar.
"We were only doing rock and roll. Where we are now is beyond our imagination."
None of them thought the latest album would take that long to produce either.
"Before this album, recording was like making instant noodles. It took about a month to record.
"With this one we decided to take it slow. We didn't want to rush. It ended up taking three years."
Loque disses the notion that Selamat Tinggal Dunia is a pessimistic title for an album.
"The title is supposed to be ironical. The songs have a very optimistic lyrical vibe," he says pointing out the words to some of the songs.
And just like those lyrics, Butterfingers' future has a very optimistic vibe about it.
(END)
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