Maturing Naturally: Subsonic Eye Share The Clarity They Found In Their Third Album

Subsonic Eye remains one of the scene’s most exciting bands since their emergence in 2017 (Credit: Christopher Sim)

Not every band can boast that they’ve hit their third album milestone, especially in a scene where groups come and go like the wind. Subsonic Eye has not only achieved this in a considerably lean span of time since their debut full-length in 2017, but beat the odds by finishing it in the volatile, COVID-stained scenario musicians are currently stuck in. Nature of Things is the quintet’s collective rebellion against the ongoing hardship, and it showcases a band that’s comfortable in uncharted growth without losing its quintessence. If Subsonic Eye’s previous albums were a dusty, dazed road trip chugging with wide-eyed curiosity, Nature of Things marks an arrival at their destination.

Subsonic Eye’s sound has always been one of thickness. Replete with dense riffage, a rolling rhythm section and floaty, bendy vocals that cut through the wall of sound, their musical signature tends to sit within the centre of a triumvirate of noise-rock, shoegaze and dream-pop. But on their third release – once again heavily backed by respected label, Middle Class Cigars – Subsonic Eye sounds like they’ve had the muck and grime scrubbed away, revealing a cleaner, more radiant dynamic that flaunts a full ambit of possibilities. From the folk forays in its opening track to the chunks of ’90s alt-rock that present themselves on the record, these new territories fall into place for the continually evolving band.

Some bands never tread beyond their old tricks. Subsonic Eye is shattering that inertia thrillingly.

To promote the stories behind Nature of Things and how it all came together, the band shares it all in this interview, weeks prior to their album launch event at the Esplanade Concert Hall on 6 February. In a time when the local gig scene is still rubbing its eyes open following a seemingly unending slumber, this concert – and this outfit of scene-defining groundbreakers – is really what it needs.

The quintet explores new grounds on Nature of Things (Credit: Christopher Sim) — The quintet explores new grounds on *Nature of Things* (Credit: Christopher Sim)

Reaching a third album is a praiseworthy milestone for any band. Is the band feeling a bag of emotions with the completion of this record?

Daniel: For this particular record, we’re a bit nervous because it’s a completely different sound from our previous releases. But it’s also the first time we all feel genuinely proud about a record we’ve made. Whereas, with the previous ones, there was a sense of ‘cringe’ months later.

**How did the band determine the tracks that made the cut during the assembly of Nature of Things? Were there any mutual criteria?**

Daniel: Wahidah and I came up with the demos first, and it’s usually in the demo phase that we cut out songs that just don’t work out. It’s difficult to describe how we can tell that it just won’t cut it. You just kind of know when it doesn’t feel right. The main criteria was that it had to be brutally honest and direct; no metaphors or trying to make it deeper than what it is.

The album photo for their new album (Credit: Courtesy of Middle Class Cigars)

**There’s a stark sonic contrast between Nature of Things and your previous albums. Can you share more about this shift in sound?**

Daniel: I decided to start playing the acoustic guitar more because I was tired of wasting energy on setting up my electric guitar effects whenever the creative spark was there. That made me appreciate the dry guitar sound and I immediately knew I wanted that sound for this record. Lyrically, Wahidah didn’t want to beat around the bush like with the previous records we did. She wanted to share stories and experiences the way they happened.

The album also experiments with other genres like folk and ’90s alt-rock. Was it a challenge pursuing these influences while staying true to the Subsonic Eye sound?

Daniel: It actually felt pretty natural because we’ve always been listening to those styles of music. We just didn’t really want to incorporate those elements at first because we wanted to stay true to the whole ‘dream-pop’ thing. Eventually, we just got very bored of that sound and decided to venture out.

The record covers a spectrum of topics from ecological destruction to stories about a cat. Is there a cohesive theme that ties everything together?

Daniel: I got into Buddhism at the end of 2019, and I learned that the nature of all things is impermanence. Ecological destruction, my cat dying, and all the other songs indirectly are connected by impermanence.

How did “Unearth” end up being the lead single of the album?

Daniel: It’s easy to get indulgent about the Human Being experience, but we all take the planet we live on for granted. It made a lot of sense for “Unearth” to be the main message for the whole album, because putting our (first-world) personal problems in context with the earth just seems so silly (btw, I don’t mean to belittle anyone’s problems and feelings).

The single is complemented with an illustrated music video by animator, Arius Ziaee. Would you say he captured the visual nature of your music and the lyrics within?

Daniel: Absolutely! I gave him complete creative control and it came out exactly how we hoped it would be. I’ve been following him on Instagram for a while and I knew from the start he was someone I wanted to work with.

“We get each other’s musical intentions without judgment, and when there’s disagreements about things, it’s not taken personally.” (Credit: Christopher Sim)

For the songwriting, is it generally an isolated or collective process between band members?

Daniel: It’s an isolated process. I’ll come up with the instrumental demos alone in my room, and then send them over to Wahidah on Telegram for her to come up with her vocal parts. I find it better for us to work this way because there’s enough space and time to really think about the sections, without the pressure of another person in the room. After we’re happy with the demos, we work on the songs with the band in person and it’s a much smoother process since the skeletons are already laid out.

Through the years, do you feel that the band’s matured emotionally as musicians and collaborators?

Daniel: Definitely. We get each other’s musical intentions without judgment, and when there’s disagreements about things, it’s not taken personally. It feels like we’re just hanging out when we’re working on stuff together, which is ultimately how it should always feel like. Being really good friends outside of the band stuff helps a lot.

Click on the respective album covers to hear their previous works.

The band’s definitely had a shimmering ascent in the local scene and beyond. Has there been any pressure as the band gets bigger? Or have y’all been cool cats throughout this trajectory?

Daniel: No pressure for now, but the whole process is always a pretty surreal feeling. We always feel very fortunate to have the opportunities to play all these shows and meet all kinds of cool people. The whole process too of like going from a vocal or guitar riff idea to an actual mastered complete song… CRAZY!! I find it very addictive, which is probably why we have three full-length albums at this point.

With so many gigs under your belt, do you think the bunch of you has improved as performers in terms of confidence and tightness?

Daniel: In terms of confidence, we’re always gonna feel awkward and shy on stage, I think that’s just how we are as people. But yeah, in terms of tightness and on-stage chemistry we’ve definitely improved a lot in that. We’ve come to a point where we don’t have to rehearse as often, and onstage we can just pull out an impromptu jam before leading to the next song. It’s a crazy feeling, and we’re very lucky to have reached this point.

Subsonic Eye opening for The fin. in 2017 (Credit: Christopher Sim)

And lastly, what has the band learnt about themselves during this unpredictable climate of COVID?

Wahidah: COVID forced me to be by myself more often. Through that time, I think I learned that it's really important to dedicate time for yourself. Since then, I've been prioritising myself a bit more to make sure that I'm always keeping myself in the right mental space by taking the time to do stuff that makes me happy.

Jared: I feel like I didn’t really learn anything about myself. I’ve already spent most of my life staying home, so this year wasn't much of a change for me.

Spencer: I learned that my whole life could fit into one duffel bag. We all are too accustomed to living in excess.

Lucas: I learned to be ok with not having all the answers.

Daniel: I learned how to slow down.