Absence! Opening Up With Difficult Conversations

CATCH sits down with Absence!, a young Singaporean band and talk about their first album Difficult Conversations, their music production process, and their journey so far.

Story By Hannah Adira

Pictures By Aida Mohamed Zulkifli

Music plays an instrumental part in many people’s lives, and this is resonates much with members of local band Absence!. Aida Mohamed Zulkifli, 20, Ryan Lai Liyang, 21, and Luke Lee Kei Jin, 20, have been writing and producing music together since 2019, recently releasing their first full album titled ‘Difficult Conversations’ in February this year. 

Members of Absence! (from left to right): Aida Mohamed Zulkifli, Ryan Lai Liyang, and Luke Lee Kei Jin

The three met at Victoria Junior College. They clicked, discovering that they were all keen on pursuing music beyond school performances or jamming in classrooms after school. 

Luke first suggested the idea of forming a band. Aida recalls: “At the time, I was very comfortable performing solo as it was. The guys were already in a band, but it wasn’t a project they were intending to continue after schooling years, which was how I eventually ended up with them.” 

Since 2019, Absence! has released multiple singles, an extended play, and even performed their originals live at the Esplanade Concourse. ‘Difficult Conversations’ is their first full-length album featuring previously-released tracks like ‘But I Just Can’t Win’, as well as new songs such as 'Green Light’ and ‘The Garden’.

However, this album was never really made with the intention to become an album to begin with. 

“We just wrote songs for fun, and that’s basically about it,” explains Luke. “Once we had written enough songs, and we saw that there were people who wanted to listen to it, we decided - alright, this will be an album because we have more songs ready and they happened to fit together well.”

They describe their songwriting process as very “organic” - nothing is made for the sake of being made. Many lyrics are based on their own personal experiences, Aida shares, and songs take their time to be completed as well. ‘Green Light’, for example, was revealed to have taken almost a year to complete, spanning from late 2019 to August of 2020.

Luke also explains that they gain inspiration from the bands they listen to, citing the 1975 as one example.

“We just create stuff for the fun of it, and then decide if it’s good enough to release to the public.” Aida explains.

Even within ‘Difficult Conversations’ alone, the variety of songs showcase the versatility of their music production, with tunes ranging from 80s synth-pop all the way to the indie genre too. However, there are inevitably some genres they do not feel cut out for.

“It might not be the sound that we’re trying to produce, like hard rock or something. That’s clearly not Absence!,” he says with a laugh. 

He adds that in the long term, no matter how the music they produce changes, Absence! simply aims to keep making better and better music. ‘Difficult Conversations’ as their first album is just another step in their journey, and they have learnt a lot in these past two years. 

Their advice for those aspiring to join the local music scene? “Don’t think about it too hard.”Just start writing a song,” Luke suggests. “Even if you only just have a guitar, just start doing it.” 

Ryan adds that pushing out the music you write and sing is important in order to help you track your own progress. Encapsulating the essence of Absence!, Aida emphasizes keeping the intention of creating because it’s enjoyable, above all. 

With more performances planned and new music in the works, keep an eye out for more from Absence! soon. In the meantime, do check them out on streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Youtube!

Absence! performing at the esplanade concourse