Vogue, this is not. But we figured trailing an interview subject and shooting over questions isn't such a bad idea, at least it isn't with someone with an absurdly successful run as Gentle Bones.
From selling out TAB in 2014 to performing in front of 30,000 people in South Korea, the main man behind Gentle Bones, Joel Tan, has definitely come a long way within two brisk years.
His transition from wistful folk-pop guitarist to enigmatic R&B singer has played to his strengths too, as he continues to churn out contemplative pop tunes that broaden his appeal as public tastes change. There's also an extremely high chance his name is dropped every time a conversation concerning "good" local music happens.
And as much as Joel plans to map out his own trajectory after Geniuses & Thieves, it's undeniable that his presence has helped bolster attention towards pop music made in Singapore.
The musician continues to write music and hang out at Thunder Rock School with his bandmate Josh Wei, where several other Singaporean musicians usually gather to refine their craft (and even teach), and recently collaborated with Linying and his former bandmates in Heir of Hounds.
We caught the singer-songwriter one Tuesday evening at the school's headquarters along East Coast Road, just before he flew to South Korea, and threw 40 different questions at him — anything from his eating habits to choosing between two pop-punk heroes, his favourite festival experience to the weirdest compliment he's ever received.
It's a hodgepodge of topics, but Joel ties it all together with his breezy and easy-going demeanour.
Watch the full interview here:
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