I used to go to house shows in high school where teenagers would just wail on their guitars and lament about our problems – small towns, parents who don’t understand, gender and sexuality. In early college I went to see my musician friends play sets and talk about their latest emotional crises and play some familiar baseline. Now nearing the end of my college career, in my last study abroad, it baffles me to stumble upon a group of people in Singapore, one of the farthest places geographically from where I grew up, and hear a familiar sound. See people in the same styles my friends dress in.
It’s weird to know that globalism has popped the lid of of music subcultures. If Spotify was around in the 70’s, would punk rock be as closely aligned with London as we know it to be? Or 90’s indie rock with New York?
I used to thing this brand of lofi dream pop was unique to my teenager-dom. But these beach-ey guitar riffs and tasteful feedback are sounds I share with millions of people around the world. And I always find these pockets of the same crusty subculture the same way – “hey my friend is producing a show, you should come!” Thank god for friends of friends.
My first few weeks in Singapore have been challenging socially. I was worried I wouldn’t find anyone that was like me, or would like me. What if my sense of humor is too weird? Who’s going to actually laugh at my jokes because they think I’m funny, not because they feel like they have to. What if no one wants to travel where I do, listen to the same music, dress the same, have the same thoughts and beliefs and fears? The fear of not finding like-minded people makes me feel anxious and isolated before I even got here.
This weekend, I went to an album release for a local band called Subsonic Eye, and it was a testament that I’m not alone, and I’m not unique (which is a more comforting notion than anything else). There are people around the world that share my likes and interest, think the same things are funny as I do, and listen to the same music. Leaving my home doesn’t mean stepping away from things I care about. I don’t have to construct an alternative identity that I think would fit better here.
