Turning It Up: RENE Rejigs The Singer-Songwriter Formula With Pop-Rock Verve
RENE doesn’t sound like your usual singer-songwriter (Credit: thevelvetfoxes)
There exists an impression that the sounds of singer-songwriters are often intimate in their mien. The tender strums of an acoustic guitar, placid vocalisation with vulnerable rawness, and confessional compositions that make you feel like an intruder rather than a recipient. Easily shattering this presumption like a hammer on porcelain is RENE, a solo artiste who cranks it up to 11 with large, dauntless arrangements. Choosing the vivifying pep of pop-rock as her cup of tea, the accelerating musician delivers pieces that are formulated with a full-band dynamic in mind, with some even reaching arena-sized magnitude. RENE likes it loud, embarking on a pursuit that won’t be muted.
RENE got into the rhythm of performing in her teenage years, as an active entertainer in school events and the digital space. It’s harnessed a confidence that’s impenetrable, and it shows in the lyrical candour of her works, whether it’s likening a person of comfort to “Cheese on Toast” or facing the throes of uncertainty in “Eyes Wide Open”. RENE comfortably delivers an alto timbre redolent of similar-ranged vocalists like Phoebe Bridgers and Danielle Haim, a tone that evolves into a fuller form whenever she stacks it with well-placed harmonies. With her notable musical aptitude and natural on-stage presence, she would go on to emerge victorious in The Great Singapore Replay Open Call in 2017, sparking off a thrust that would launch her into the scene’s radar.
Fresh off the release of her recent single, “Off My Mind” – a jangly, buoyant anthem with hues of the early noughties – RENE is now on the verge of releasing her debut EP, Something To Hide, a collection that her growing legion of fans is waiting for. Elaborating more on the upcoming record, her origins and her constant craving for big sounds, she shares it all in this interview.
The pandemic hasn’t halted the progress of RENE in her songwriting pursuits (Credit: thevelvetfoxes)
2020 has definitely been a tumultuous year for musicians. Do you feel like you’ve had any artistic growth despite the setback?
I'm lucky because I've been able to set aside time to write and record remotely, which I pretty much had to do because my EP had been planned before the pandemic hit. There were times when I was afraid I didn't have any juice left in me to write, but those thoughts ironically fuelled my writing! I think like most artistes, it's definitely a struggle – for one, live performances are a huge part of my music. I can't wait until my band and I can get back on stage.
“I'm quite an outgoing person and I grew up doing performing arts, so I've never really been hesitant to put my face to my name.” (Credit: thevelvetfoxes)
Writing’s hard! What do you do when you hit brick walls of creativity?
I usually write on my own, so walking away and revisiting the material works best for me. But I've recently discovered the wonders of group productivity. My friends and I started a little songwriting circle when the Circuit Breaker started where we give each other word prompts, write under a time limit, then perform our songs to each other over video call. It's helped me pen new material, plus the mutual support for each other is really lovely!
From live-streamed performances to radio appearances these last few months, your reputation as a musician continues to rise. Would you say you’ve become more comfortable being in the spotlight?
I think I'm pretty comfortable with it. I'm quite an outgoing person and I grew up doing performing arts, so I've never really been hesitant to put my face to my name. While it does feel daunting at times, I love meeting new people!
A standout highlight of your career so far has been your stint in the second season of The Great Singapore Replay. What lessons did you take away from that experience?
The Great Singapore Replay (TGSR) was such an incredible opportunity for me. I have never written, recorded, and produced a track as fast as we did during the campaign. One big lesson I learned is how to trust other people with my music. I think like a lot of artistes, I can be precious about my material and I sometimes find it difficult to just let go and let the experts do their thing! It really takes a village to create even a single track, and having a great community of music people around me as a solo artiste has been essential to my music and my brain. Also, not really a new lesson, but TGSR reminded me of how many fantastic artistes there are in Singapore. I'm so excited to see music from Singapore continue to grow!
Let’s jump into the new material. What can you tell us about the recent single, “Off My Mind”?
"Off My Mind" is an upbeat song about not being able to get someone or something, well, off your mind. I've loved pop-rock, punk, and rock since I was young, especially early 2000s stuff. Paired with the indie and pop music I currently listen to, these different genres had a big part to play in conceptualising this track.
I chose "Off My Mind" as the first single from my EP, Something To Hide, because things have generally been pretty bleak this year. I wanted to kick the EP off on a light-hearted note, and get my listeners excited for what's to come. This song is meant to be a short distraction from all the noise happening around the world – plug in for three minutes, disengage from your surroundings, (hopefully) enjoy the track, then back to reality!
RENE behind the scenes with Bless7Up, the crew behind her “Off My Mind” music video (Credit: Courtesy of RENE)
I wanted to do a music video for the EP's first release and "Off My Mind" was the perfect song for the concept I had in mind. I've always wanted to explore themes like social unrest and civil movements with my music. I figured, since I wasn't able to put those ideas into words in the track, why not put them in the music video? So along with the idea of listening to "Off My Mind" to detach from your environment, I tried to encapsulate in the video the double-edged sword of doing that, because you do get a break from all the chaos around you but it opens up the possibility of ignorance regarding important societal issues that we need to engage with. Also, I like frogs!
Will your debut EP be a collection of compositions written over the years, or a brand new string of songs you cooked up recently?
Something To Hide is an EP of new songs that I wrote from late 2019 to 2020. I do have some music I wrote before the EP that I might release after the EP is out!
RENE finds inspiration in childhood muses like Avril Lavigne and Paramore (Credit: thevelvetfoxes)
Going back to the beginning, do you still remember why you wanted to be a musician? And why did you decide to go down the singer-songwriter route instead of a band?
I was surrounded by music growing up (thanks Mum and Dad!). I took piano classes as a kid and picked up the guitar when I was 10. I started performing and making YouTube covers when I was in Secondary 2, which was when I realised I was a slave to applause – just kidding! Anyway, I was in a cover band post-A levels (2015) and that’s when I started writing my own music. I did always want to be in a band and play original music, which I tried with my cover band, but things like university and National Service got in the way. Avril Lavigne (Let Go – Under My Skin era) was my first and biggest idol so I took inspiration from her, continued writing on my own, and discovered that I could do the singer-songwriter thing without letting go of my band aspirations. I usually get my friends-slash-sessionists to play with me for live shows, so there's that band element there! Kind of like how The Japanese House is a solo artiste but everyone thinks they're a band.
“My ultimate goal is to use my music as a platform to reach out to people and speak for things and issues I feel strongly about.” (Credit: Joshua Chan)
Do you believe it’s important to build a certain persona to stand out from the singer-songwriter circuit? What would you say it’s yours?
My music tends to position me between the styles of singer-songwriters and bands, which is why I get asked the previous question quite often. So, I guess something that makes me a little different from other singer-songwriters is that sonically, I lean towards a more 'band' sound than the contemporary solo pop artiste or singer-songwriter.
The music I listened to growing up is largely the reason for this. Like I mentioned before, I'm a huge fan of pop-rock, rock, and punk music especially from the 2000s. There's just something about artistes like Avril Lavigne, McFly, and Paramore that I really connected with as a teenager. Their music has stuck with me throughout all these years and I suppose I'm fulfilling teenage Rene's dream by making the music I do today! But to be honest, I'm also fulfilling adult Rene's aspirations to be a rockstar. Hehe.
I think music industries everywhere place a lot of expectations on upcoming singer-songwriters to be different from musicians who have come before them. That being said, my ultimate goal is to use my music as a platform to reach out to people and speak for things and issues I feel strongly about. I'm pretty vocal about these things on social media, but I'm still figuring out how to contribute more effectively to positive changes I want to see in my community.
One quality I’ve noticed in your songs (like “Eyes Wide Open” and “Taking The Blame”) is that they sound really big in dynamics; I can almost imagine these songs being played to a stadium of lit-up phones. Was it a conscious decision to achieve this mammoth mood in your music?
Oh yes definitely! One thing I like about these 'mammoth mood' songs is that they are so incredibly different when performed in different settings. I want to be able to play my music in a huge stadium venue, but also be able to strip them down and play them in an intimate setting the way they were written.
From the drum fills to guitar solos, do you arrange all the parts of a song yourself?
Vocals and guitars are my main instruments, so I primarily write, arrange, and record the lyrics, vocals, and guitar parts. My initial dream as a child was to be a drummer – that dream has been put on hold indefinitely (anyone wanna teach me?) – so I leave drums to my producers and drummer. Same goes with the bass guitar. I've been dabbling more with keys and synths since releasing my first track in 2018, but I am so lucky to have insanely talented people around me that I can call up for my recording sessions.
RENE with her backing band (Credit: Ruth Chew)
Do you have a methodology that you religiously adhere to during your songwriting process?
I usually start writing with a vocal or guitar melody. I'm quite attached to my acoustic guitar when I write, so that's normally my go-to instrument. I'm not strict about my process because I find it interesting and refreshing to write in different ways, but I don't think I've successfully completed a song by writing words first then putting a melody to them. I don’t know how Elton John does it!
And to wrap up, do you see music being a full-time pursuit for you? Or do you think it’s important to have a balance with other aspects in life?
Balance is important, that's for sure, but I do see music as a full-time pursuit for me. So far, the only concrete thing I can see myself doing in the future is making more music and performing. But the only difference in my five-year plan is maybe a couple of dogs and cats in my studio. It gets lonely in here sometimes!
You can now listen to RENE’s latest single, “Off My Mind”, on Spotify and major streaming platforms. Follow her Facebook page and Instagram channel to stay updated with her activities.
