Written by Amal Murni
In collaboration with Safuan Shah
Underneath the white noise lies a true blue singer-songwriter that has been active for nearly half a decade. Some people know him, some have yet to, so let’s open a new chapter and find out about today’s spotlight artist, Safuan Shah:
Hello Shah, for those who are new to your work, kindly introduce yourself.
Hi! Well to be honest, I’m not going to announce myself as a writer or a singer until I am accredited as one haha. I’m just a mediocre human being who enjoys singing and writing passionately.
What were the albums/ songs/ artists that sparked your musicality?
The Smiths' Hatful of Hollow. Morrissey is a genius songwriter and Marr’s tunes never fail to inspire me. P. Ramlee’s “Nak Dara Rindu” is the ultimate love song to me, personally. The storytelling and melody have not been utilised well in this modern age. MCR's The Black Parade - This. Defines. It. All! Incorporating emotions in every note with poetic remarks in every lyric, this album is a musical that I reference to in most of the songs I have written.
Since you’re not technically an up and comer, but more so underrated - do tell our readers what your music is about, and your songwriting process.
"I like writing folk stories and songs; it's fiction and sends a good message so that we can learn something or feel something."
If I can find a good tune to hum with whatever things I wrote, I’ll turn it into a song, but mostly it’s about humans and love and everything in between.
Okay, we’re nearly heading towards the new year, 2021 can make anything happen - who do you want to collaborate with in the future?
Oh! There’s this tune I have in my head every time I drive home from work and I can only think of Santan to collaborate with as of now, and SURF VAMPIRES!!!! Like FR FR.
If you could listen to only 10 songs throughout this lifetime, what would they be?
Iqbal M – Paling Cinta Dalam Dunia
Monoloque – Hapuskan Air Di Matamu
P Ramlee – Nak Dara Rindu
Sang Rawi - Raja
Jamal Abdillah – Seri Langkat
Arijit Singh – Gerua
The Smiths – This Charming Man
Shy Luv – Lungs
Dijon – Hunni
The Beatles – Let It Be
Once we kickstart the gigs again, who would want to perform with and who would you want to see live?
I want to perform with Surf Vampires and I want to see them live.
What is your songwriting advice for those who are currently experiencing a writer’s/ creative block?
"Close your eyes, tukar niat, tarik nafas dan lepas semuanya pada kertas dan biar jari mu menari."
(Translation: close your eyes, change your intention, breathe in and out towards the paper and let your finger dance).
Most importantly, be honest to/ with yourself.
Shah, what are your quirks and pet peeves?
I get lost in my own head most of the time and it kinda bugs me a bit when people lie, like I know they have their reasons but, why ju-ly?
The 9th question is reserved for positivity -- what milestone/s are you proud of this year?
I have too many! I performed a couple of times this year which is a lot compared to the past years. Big thanks to Amal (Kepala Seni) and Nadia, and I did my first spoken word/poetry night performance, which I am so proud of for not turning down the opportunity.
The floor is all yours: let our readers know about your recent/ upcoming project(s), where to find you (social media), and feel free to express yourself here!
Big thanks to Kepala Seni, and everyone involved directly or indirectly. You guys are awesome. This support means a lot to me.
I have no active projects at the moment, but I am keen on making my first EP which may be available by the end of January. It’s not a full production in terms of sound and stuff but just enough for me to bring along if I have any gigs in the future. Also, I might have an acoustic gig in January, so stay tuned!
If you guys want to check out my songs and covers, find me on Soundcloud, Safuan Shah. If you want to follow me on social, do follow me @ssbdn