Malaysian indie band – Babychair consists of a trio of talents namely Sean Khor, Aaron Jiam, and Young who infuse classic vintage and retro sounds in their creations. Their mellow and nostalgic music invites the listener to vibe and have a good time.
Debuted their first single – Call You in November 2020, the band has launched eight singles and an album. Babychair’s latest single – Cross The Line is a collaboration with Kittie Yiyi’s Cross The Line liquid eyeliner. The music video featuring Just Acne portrays a story about a unique individual who is happy and comfortable in their own world. The joy in being in their true selves and expressing their feelings through art. Flashing lights and fire shows the struggle and frustration when they face challenges in reality. Once the moment has passed, the individual returns to their world once more, this time embodying a new character to express different parts of themselves.
We spoke to Sean Khor, the band’s lead vocalist to know more about the band, their journey, and the story behind their latest single – Cross The Line.
Who is Sean Khor?
Sean Khor is a very chill person who loves freedom.
Why is your band name called Babychair?
Back when we were deciding on a name, I suggested Babychair. The concept for the name is that we are kids when we create music. There are no limitations, create what you want to create. That’s how Babychair was born.
Tell us more about your band members.
I am the lead vocalist who is also responsible for the melody. Our second member, Young, is our keyboardist who does the music arrangement and lyrics. Lastly, Aaron, our member with the largest role, plays the drums, guitar, bass, and is responsible for mixing and mastering.
Can you share the milestones of Babychair’s music career?
I participated in one of Malaysia’s biggest talent show – ASTRO Star Quest 2014 and won second place. That’s my biggest achievement so far in my career. Both of my members are from Chinese-pop (C-pop). Aaron and Young participated in music shows from 8TV that focused on music production. You can say the three of us debuted through music production. We realized our ideas were similar when we first met. We debuted singles in 2020 and launched our first album this year – Summertime. The album took us 6-12 months to complete.
What made you transition from C-pop to the English music scene?
The English music scene has a wider scope that is accepted by most people. We also like English songs because they have the freedom to create whatever you want to create. The music critiques in English compared to Chinese are on a different level. Chinese songs have a flow where you need to sing each word clearly whereas you can do the opposite for English songs. Mainly, just be yourself, and hopefully, the people will start to accept you. It’s a vibe.
There is a huge transition from your first EP in 2015 until today. Can you tell us more about how your music genre and style evolved?
Back in 2015, I was under a contract with ASTRO where I have to follow the company’s direction. Once the contract ended, I met my members. Coincidently, we were not signed under any labels at that time and I didn’t want to join another label. We teamed up to create Babychair and created our unique sound. As we are an independent band, we had to do everything ourselves. Whatever we did was something that we are passionate about.
Your single and album covers are very unique. Could you tell us who is the artist, inspiration, and the message you want to express?
I didn’t have any concepts in mind. I was drawing and exploring to create a visual that represents the song. Didn’t expect my drawing shows my style. Each cover has three shapes. The shape with the thicker lips is me. The shape with glasses is Aaron. The shape that smiles is Young. Many people would ask if they are buns or dumplings. It doesn’t have to be dumplings. It is whatever you think it is. We will leave it to your imagination.
Could you tell us the story and concept of the MV?
Cross The Line is a liquid eyeliner. When I was writing the lyrics, I wanted to convey what can colors do? What feelings can they express? The Cross The Line song is very chill and mellow. When you are in your own world, you feel relaxed and comfortable. The bridge of the song was created with some intensity. Sometimes we need to face reality and the challenges in it. Once the waves pass, you will return to your happiest state by being your true self, recuperate, doing what you love to do, and expressing yourself through colors.
Why did you decide to collaborate with Kittie Yiyi on Cross The Line?
Kittie has been going through a tough time doing this alone and I wanted to help. Also, since we are an independent band with no budget, it’s a great opportunity to create something beautiful and meaningful together. Kittie is a creator, a fashion designer. We are also creators. If different creators from different fields come together, we can create unique sparks of art.
What can we expect from Babychair in 2022?
Babychair will produce more music through collaborations with overseas indie bands in 2022. We recorded the songs and now awaiting the launch date. Next year, we would most probably focus on singles. We may produce an album in 2023.
A message to your fans and loved ones.
Thank you so much to our fans and listeners who support us. This is a huge encouragement for us to continue to create music and pursue our goals. At the end of 2021, I hope the pandemic disappears. Most importantly, I wish everyone good health and life your lives full of happiness and freedom.
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