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‘Creative freedom beats commercial fame’

In Each Hand a Cutlass is releasing a new album on 23 June. (Photo: IEHAC)
In Each Hand a Cutlass is releasing a new album on 23 June. (Photo: IEHAC)

Every first and third Wednesday of the month, Yahoo! MusicScene shines the spotlight on talented, up-and-coming Singaporean bands or musicians. This week, we speak to Daniel Sassoon, frontman of local post-rock band, In Each Hand A Cutlass and former lead guitarist of popular indie pop band Electrico.

Daniel Sassoon, guitarist for local band In Each Hand a Cutlass (IEHAC), believes creative freedom is more important than commercial fame.

Those haven't been just empty words for him. In early 2008 he left indie pop band Electrico to form his current -- and far less popular -- group months later.

"Electrico was always a pop band at heart," he said. "I've always wanted to bring more of an edge to it, to try to make it a bit more cutting edge and different, but the reality was, because of the focus on the commercial and melodic nature of stuff, it wasn't always possible."

"IEHAC, on the other hand, is something that has a lot more creative depth to it, and it's something I'm certainly a lot prouder of and happier with. I don't think we'll play shows that are as big as I used to with Electrico, but the shows that we do now are as rewarding, if not more so," he added.

The band comprises four members -- Roland Lim, 25; Amanda Ling, 26; Jordan Cheng, 26; and Sassoon, 36. Former band bassist Kenny Png left the band last year due to personal commitments.

Playing music that most closely resembles that of the post-rock genre, the members of the band hail from differing musical backgrounds like indie rock, pop, jazz and metal.

"The challenge was to create music that wasn't about boundaries and genres. We don't want to pigeon-hole ourselves and (we) want to have the freedom to be more adventurous and experimental," said Sassoon, who has a day job as a legal counsel.

He links this sentiment to the band's name, which he said was a running personal joke.

"A pirate charging into something full on with two cutlasses, would create a great image of aggression, force and fearlessness. It is a metaphor for the band, for our ideals and vision," he said, adding that, like a pirate, the band has charged on with its music without fear of commercialism down the road.

"Instrumental music, by nature, tends to alienate people, but it doesn't matter because it is something that I have always wanted to do for the longest time," he said.

Playing to crowds closer to 50 people -- compared to numbers closer to 5,000 when he was with Electrico -- Sassoon accepts that the brand of post-rock music that IEHAC dishes out will not appeal to the masses.

"Anybody who says they would rather play to 50 people than 5,000 is lying through their teeth! Musicians get off on playing to people and getting their music heard and feeding off the energy, so in that sense the more the merrier," he said.

Watch a video of IEHAC live at the Esplanade:

However, he chooses to see the glass as half-full, and said that instrumental music does have its advantages in that it can break through language barriers and the music speaks for itself, enabling listeners to interpret it in their own way.

"Although it (IEHAC's music) might not be as commercial as vocal melodies, I think it also has its own pool of advocates who are very open to listening to it," said Sassoon.

Despite being around for almost three years, IEHAC has only recorded one song, Glaciers, which they posted on their MySpace page..

They decided to break out from the inertia earlier this year and finally work towards getting an album out.

Speaking about the songs from the album, Sassoon described, "We wanted to create music that people won't even realise vocals were missing.

"I've always thought of this band as one that creates soundtracks for movies that don't exist yet. Music that pulls the scene along, like in a car chase, or a grandiose or sad moment, vocals would be a distraction. We wanted the scenes to play out in listeners' heads."

He added that of all the bands and recordings that he has done, the recording for this album was the first time he has felt 100 percent happy and satisfied.

Sassoon revealed that the band will launch their debut album, A Universe Made of Strings, on 23 June 2011, one day before their gig at the Esplanade on 24 June.

Listen to their album sampler on Facebook, and be sure to also check out their MySpace page.

Upcoming gig:

24 June, 9:30pm: "The Amaranthine Voyage": Late Night @ Esplanade Recital Studio. Tickets at S$25.

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