Yongkytown: My Artist Journey
My artist journey began a little over 7 years ago, cutting my teeth on the streets as a musician busker. Busking gave me an invaluable perspective of what an artist and entertainer should be - passionate, engaging, expressive, resilient and relentless in pursuit of one's dreams.
As a keen introspect with a certain flair for writing, the decision to pick up a pen and start writing original songs came quite naturally. Driven by personal and creative expression, I started a journey of self-exploration which culminated in (probably) a few hundred song drafts that will likely never see the light of day.
A firm believer in grasping every opportunity that comes my way, I plucked up the courage to foray into the Singapore songwriting competition scene in 2018. The experience was eye-opening - within 5 minutes of the judges' feedback session, a judge said something to me that I might remember forever:
"Actually, your song is quite boring, I don't think you stand much of a chance against the rest of the entries."
The comment, albeit passing, left a deep impression on me. Beyond the initial shock and disappointment, it motivated me to make numerous iterations to the song before the final competition showcase. My determination ultimately paid off, as I was awarded the second runner-up award in the 20th Edition of The Dream Composition. Poetic justice, I guess.
From then on, I have sought to adopt a growth mindset in my songwriting and artist journey, and have never looked back. Joining a music band club and an A Cappella club in university, I had the pleasure of meeting many talented, like-minded individuals who schooled me (musically).
Fast forward to 2023! To date, I have written and released 5 original songs on all major streaming platforms. My debut single 'Rainy Day' was also featured on 987FM's 'Fresh Music Live' programme alongside esteemed radio personalities Sonia Chew and Joakim Gomez. A full-length original album is in the works, with a pop, folk and indie focus, and is scheduled to be released in Jan 2024.
I have also accumulated an extensive performance portfolio, having performed at Singapore Night Festival 2019 and 2022, Light to Night 2020, and at the Esplanade Concourse in 2019, 2021 and 2023.
So, what's next?
Yongkytown: Artist Goals
Yongkytown performing at Singapore Night Festival 2022
It is incredibly hard to describe what I truly want to achieve in music, because it doesn't fit into a checklist or boxes to tick. Am I a dreamer, trying to aim for the stars and land among the clouds? Am I a realist, aiming to rise a little higher every single day?
I don't have grandiose ambitions of becoming the next (insert internationally acclaimed musician here), but simply wish to inspire my generation and the next - to go forth and write the story of their lives. I want to show that it is possible for a modest musician like myself to chase down a dream until I live in it.
That being said, there are some short and medium-term goals that I would like to achieve as an independent artist in Singapore, within the next few years.
To grow and nurture the Yongkytown brand
What does it mean to grow and nurture the Yongkytown brand? Beyond superficial metrics, I would like to connect with a wider audience - to tell them my story, share my music, and hopefully make a little difference in their lives.
To me, the Yongkytown brand represents a community, a townspeople of music-lovers - where residents are comfortable to be open, honest and vulnerable with each other; where residents dare to dream and take steps to realise their dreams, no matter how big; where residents know that at the end of the day, there is always solace to be found with Yongkytown.
Last month, despite having a Night Festival performance scheduled that night, I accepted a performance request from my university friend, Ivan, to perform at his Peer Support Day event. Performing 2 original songs, I explain my motivations behind writing the songs 'a month and a day' and 'everybody's positive':
- 'a month and a day' was borne out of separation anxiety - would our social relationships remain as it was after the pandemic?
- 'everybody's positive' was a lament of being around people lacking situational awareness, and who only wished to talk about their own accomplishments.
To my astonishment, half of the participants followed me on my social media page after the event. It dawned on me that I had created a strong connection with my audience that day, and now I seek to be more open and honest in my interactions with the audience, every time I step on a stage.
To me, the Yongkytown brand represents a community, a townspeople of music-lovers - where residents know that at the end of the day, there is always solace to be found with Yongkytown.
To create this community - lofty ambitions, for sure, but it would be something really heartening to work towards.
To release a full-length album with an album launch party
To search for and perform at more artist-focused gigs and festivals
How You Can Support Me
Friends who came to support Yongkytown's performance at the Esplanade Concourse
I'm writing this portion of the post to share, candidly, some challenges that artists like me face, but find it hard to say out loud. I find it hard to reach out for support, but I hope that by sharing my thoughts here, those who genuinely wish to support me may find it easier to do so.
Please don't feel obligated to do any or all of these if you don't feel comfortable, I'd just like to share why these actions mean a lot to me.
Joining my #yongkynation Telegram channel
This is my main channel to post song snippets, artist updates, and also share my songwriting process. I want to bring y'all along my artist journey - you'll be the first to know about any upcoming showcases or releases!
I'd greatly appreciate feedback as well - let me know which songs you think need improvement, and which songs you'll like to hear on Spotify sooner rather than later.
#yongkynation Telegram channel link: https://t.me/yongkynation
Becoming my advocates on social media & beyond
Presave my original releases on Spotify and add it to your playlists
Epilogue
If you've read this far, I would like to thank you sincerely for reading the musings of a 25-year-old aspiring artist ~ I hope to have given you an illuminating peek behind-the-scenes of Yongkytown in his artist journey through this blog post.
Do let me know what you'd like to hear me share more about, and that could be my next blog post. Farewell for now, Yongkytown Townspeople :')
- Yongky
Comments