Subsonic Eye, Motifs and Nicholas Wong talk Baybeats in ‘A Cornerstone of Culture’, an NME x Baybeats documentary

In partnership with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

‘A Cornerstone of Culture’, a documentary produced by NME in partnership with Singaporean alternative music festival Baybeats, is out now – watch the video, featuring members of Subsonic Eye and Motifs as well as Nicholas Wong, above.

• READ MORE: NADA, Intriguant and Forests share their artistic journeys in ‘Trust the Process’, an NME x Baybeats documentary

This is the second of two documentaries, following ‘Trust the Process’, which was released earlier this week and features NADA, Intriguant and Forests. They come ahead of Baybeats 2023, the biggest alternative music festival in Singapore, which kicks off today, October 6, and runs through October 8. Organised by and held for free at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay annually since 2001, the festival is renowned as a celebration of local, regional and international talent of all sounds and stripes. Performers this year include Delta Sleep (UK), Orange Ocean (China), SOS (the Philippines), Forests (Singapore) and many more.

For ‘A Cornerstone of Culture’, NME approached four musicians (and Baybeats alumni) to discuss their relationship to the long-running festival and its place in Singapore’s music scene. Nur Wahidah and Daniel Borces of the indie rock band Subsonic Eye reflect on Baybeats as a multi-genre gateway to local and regional music, and share their experience playing for the festival’s Budding Bands program for rising artists. Like Subsonic Eye, Elspeth Ong of shoegaze act Motifs too was part of Baybeats’ Budding Bands program for rising artists – which helped give rise to an opportunity to play abroad and forge connections within the region.

Nicholas Wong, who plays drums in the bands Blush and Marijannah, shares how significant the festival is to youth in Singapore’s underground and independent scenes – in his case, “punks growing up not thinking that you would be put on a stage at the local arts hub of Singapore and play to thousands of people” – and its role as a “constant cornerstone” in the country’s music scene.

Watch ‘A Cornerstone of Culture’ in full above and check out our other NME x Baybeats documentary ‘Trust the Process’ – as well as more videos from the festival itself coming soon.

Baybeats 2023 takes place at Esplanade – Theatres by the Bay in Singapore from October 6-8. Admission is free. Find more info on Baybeats here

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