September is a crucial month for music in Singapore – this is largely due to the fact that music lovers get to enjoy a bounty of acts from all over the world converging in the country to unspool their charms. Besides the big ticket names enlisted for the F1 performances, Music Matters Live is the prime delivery system of all that firepower.

Returning for its 14th edition (9th in Singapore), the MML lineup shines a light on some of the most exciting emergent artists from more than 15 countries across Asia and beyond, over a run of more than 100 shows across various venues – all for free. Deeply committed to spotlighting next-level talent as we are, Bandwagon will also be hosting and curating a stage within the MML scope of performances.

The Bandwagon Stage will feature six path-blasting acts: Filipino electro-folk chanteuse Keiko Necesario, Israeli singer-songwriter Totemo, Filipino pop-rock quartet One Click Straight, Australian R&B crooner Jakob Delgado, Indonesian alternative rock duo Scaller and Taiwanese rock outfit Amazing Show aka Bisiugroup.

Ahead of the big day, Totemo, Scaller and One Click Straight, chat with us about about what they’ll bring to the show, their pre-performance rituals and what they’d like the audience to take away from the experience.

What will you bring to the Bandwagon Stage at Music Matters Live 2019?

Scaller: Our set will be delivered in full format without compromising the technical elements. So we are poised to give everything we have on MML Stage. 

Totemo: I am bringing so many cables – just kidding! I will be coming to the stage with lots of emotional baggage. A lot has changed in my life in the past couple of weeks, and I will be bringing all of this with me to the stage. I will be accompanied by my dear friend Ran Jacobovitz who is a mesmerising performer on the drums and I hope that, together, we'll be able to make life make sense again, even if just for a short while.

OCS: Some breezy OCS fashion, music and heart.

What is your pre-show ritual?

Totemo: My pre-ritual show is a balanced mix for the mind and for the body: To get ready, I put on my clothes and my makeup. This sometimes take a while and during this process I am actually telling my body that, soon, it will need to be its best. To soothe and prepare the mind, I will usually listen to some chapters of Tao Te Ching (The Way), I specifically love the Ursula Le Guin translation.

OCS: A few push-ups and a lot of prayers.

Scaller: Apart from reviewing the sets, it’s very typical for us to take several minutes of being alone to kind of focus and stay calm before the show. We also like to stretch our muscles and do a little warm-up so we can cope with the energetic side of the adrenaline that builds up on stage.

And what do you hope the audience will take away from your performance?

OCS: We hope to give the audience a taste of the current and future sound of Filipino music. We want to give everybody some primetime groovy OCS pop music. We hope to inspire, entertain and excite people who are looking to expand their musical horizons and experiences.

Scaller: Music has been our medium to express so many things in life. Most of our lyrics talk about personal experiences and we hope that we can kind of build the bridge via our music to connect with the audience.

Totemo: Beyond simply enjoying the music, I always seek to find mutual consolation and to inspire hope in my shows. I feel like I'm giving the people in the audience something, and they, in turn, give me something back. This mutual benefit is all very abstract, but the feeling itself is undeniable.
 

Listen to a specially curated playlist of the artists on the Bandwagon Stage via Apple Music at http://www.apple.co/matters19-bandwagon.

Catch the acts on the Bandwagon Stage at Music Matters Live 2019 on Monday, 16 September, from 8pm onwards, at The Crossroads. Admission is free. Good music calls for great beer, and that’ll be flowing thanks to Singapore’s own Crossroads Brewing Co. who have brewed an exclusive beer just for Music Matters Live. Winners of multiple International beer awards, they will be showcasing this Lychee Pale Ale ($10 ea) alongside the very popular Lager ($12 ea) throughout the festival.

Music Matters Live 2019 will be happening from 13 to 18 September. For more information and regular updates, visit Music Matters Live's official website or Facebook page. Admission to the events is free.

All That Matters 2019 is set to return to The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore from September 16 to September 18 2019. Purchase passes at a special price exclusively with Bandwagon – 3-day VIP Passes are S$999 (U.P S$1,299) and 3-day Content Passes are S$599 (U.P. S$649).