How did you first meet?
Josh Tan: During a mini party, Marcus and I decided to jam with some acoustic guitars that were lying around. Our friends decided to record it and posted a video on Facebook. We had more hits or likes than expected. Having had that ego boost, we started jamming in studios, gardens, dungeons…
How did you come up with the band name?
Marcus Lim: We didn't want to come with a genre specific name since we weren't ready to settle for a genre in the first place. To appease everyone in the band, we decided on the “The Sets Band”. It references how we play different music for every set we do.
What’s the process like putting together an original song?
Harold Lim: Creating a song for us is like making a model of a person, one of us comes up with the skeleton (usually chords from Joshua's strummings), followed by the flesh, skin and organs (from the bass and drums), and the soul from our guitarist.
How do you feel about doing covers?
ML: It's a good way to relate to the crowd, especially if it's a famous Top 40 number. You know, as least there's something they can sing along to at our gig, keeping spirits high on both sides. But we're careful to do more originals than covers. It's fun to create our own stuff. Plus, there are many concerns with covers: copyright infringements, rights to play, whether you’re butchering the original... On the other hand, you can't butcher your own original!
Who are your biggest music inspirations?
HL: I'm inspired by musicians and drummers who truly love what they do. There are too many to list! As music is a huge part of my life, most of my music inspirations are also my life inspirations and vice versa. People like Michael Mangini (Dream Theater), Travis Orbin, Alex Rudinger, Virgil Donati (Planet X) and Bruce Lee teach me dedication and resilience. They also motivate me to push my limits. Others, like Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree, Blackfield and No-Man) inspire me to dig into my inner thoughts and emotions.
Tell us about the best gig you ever played.
JT: It would have to be The Pigeonhole, which we played recently. It may be a cozy venue but the energy and vibe was really amazing. We’ve been on a hiatus (to do our National Service) so it was liberating to be back in front of a live audience again.
ML: Timbre Rock and Roots 2011. I'm still convinced our drinks were spiked with the best feel good substance on the planet that night. Everything felt so magical, crazy and unreal.
The Sets Band is performing on June 9, 7pm at Sub-Sonic Live at The Court @ 1 Kay Siang Road.
