OF SHIP AND SAILS AND SEALING WAX

“Quirky” comes to mind when you talk to Amanda Tee. Zooey Deschanel too, but that quickly fades, when you realise that Tee is in a league of her own. Having performed at the Esplanade Concourse and released her album, Take It Or Leave It, Tee spoke of many things that we were more than happy to take in.

First thing’s first, what’s your music background like?

I did 8^th grade in piano, violin, and the flute, and sometimes play the harp... kidding! The guitar is the only instrument I can really play. It started when a friend made me go for a short guitar course with her, and the rest is history. I also started to listen to the Backstreet Boys and Westlife (I'm not embarrassed to admit it), then head-banging along to Metallica, Tool and Foo Fighters, then mellowed down to Tracy Chapman, Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco and the likes. I mostly play the acoustic guitar but I have done some rocking out on the electric as well!

Your quirkiness is showing. Has that gotten you into awkward situations?

It gets very awkward sometimes when I speak on the microphone - something absolutely unrelated would pop out from my mouth and no one would react to it at all because it's just too random! I try to channel it into other things though, such as writing for the NS Portal. It's amazing because I can write in whatever manner I want and be honest about the topics I am writing about, be it on local music, videos, venues or even other music-related themes. It's a great place for readers to get to know me and the music scene better!

Your positivity is endearing but does it cause you to be blissfully unaware of other pratfalls of the music industry?

I believe most local musicians can safely say they've been to hell and back before, especially in terms of gig venues and the equipment provided. For me it's all in the name of fun - there're no "get rich, get famous" plans involved. I just want to play, and if people will have me and my appallingly lame jokes then it's all good!

On stage, you’re known as Amanda Tee and the Dugong Warriors [consisting of Pio Pereira, Angus Sham and Naza]; while it was time someone shone a spotlight on the humble sea cow, how did the name for your band started?

The name came to us one day when we were sipping on our teh-pings [iced teas] and chewing on ice. If you said "Amanda Tee and the Dugong Warriors" ten times in a row it sounds like "A Manatee and the Dugong Warriors". Some people have expressed their doubt over the “likeability” of the name, but I love it!

What was it like producing your first album, Take It Or Leave It?

Lots of people have phrases like 'it was an amazing experience' or 'I learnt so much along this journey' when asked about their album - I'd say this was more 'okay lah'. I did everything on my own - the recording, mixing and artwork - and it was funny because all of our [band’s] houses were involved in the recording process.

I recorded Angus' guitar riffs in his bedroom, Naza's basslines in his living room and Pio's cajon beats in his room. There was no stress involved, no deadlines to meet and we were all having fun along the way. You can probably hear my dog mucking around in some songs, too.

It’s pretty rough edit, right?

Take It Or Leave It is more of an EP than an album - kind of to test the waters, and that also led to its name. You either like it or you don't, but we'll continue doing what it is we like because we're selfish that way! [laughs] We're hoping to hit a proper recording studio to do up a real kick-ass album within the year.

You’ve been doing this for a long time; what are your thoughts on the local music scene?

Right now I think the local music scene is just that - a scene, part of an action but amounts to nothing substantial on its own. You could say it has gotten better, with more local events and bars calling local musicians in as entertainment, but these are really just the corporate side of things. When it comes down to local musicians playing their own music, we have a long way to go.

Take the People's Party gig for example - it was a festival featuring local bands as well as some from around the world, and you could see people walking off when the local bands began to play, and only coming back for the global acts. These people paid one price for the entire event, but even so there isn't enough interest for them to stay and listen.

Are local musicians not good enough or-?

Some people I know weren’t impressed by the bits of local music they heard and it's understandable. It takes two to clap, and I've seen unprepared or overly arrogant musicians who have absolutely put me off too many times.

So, what do you think needs to change?

A certain sort of branding is needed to change the image of local music. What makes music from USA, for example, better than ours? Electrico's "We're Not Made in the USA" clearly shows the frustration with that. This is why I write about local music for the NS Portal - people talk a lot about making things better but what we need is some action. For me, it starts there.

If you weren’t singing, what would you be doing?

I would have your job! I'm only partially kidding.

Um, that’s a relief. I guess?

I've always been into writing and the NS Portal is a great stepping-stone. One of my dreams is actually to publish something, or write a screenplay. Look out for it!

Interview and image courtesy of NS Portal.

To find out more about the music scene from Amanda, log on to her blog on the NS Portal at http://lifestyle.www.ns.sg/fit-life/get-groovin