Taiwan has a thriving indie music industry, I love indie music, it’s basically a match made in heaven! The only downside is that my list of Taiwanese topics to cover has quickly been filling up with musical groups—so, here’s a quick roundup of some Taiwanese indie groups you may or may not know that have become my playlist staples:
1. Easyweeds (溫室雜草):
Hailing from Taichung, Easyweeds is fairly new to the indie scene, with their first EP titled 春天有腳 (lit. Spring has Feet) being released in April of this year. Despite their status as a relative newcomer, their music has been anticipated by music lovers since they performed their song 那天我們看著星夜 (lit. That Day We Watched the Starry Sky) at H.O.T. Original Music Competition (H.O.T.原創音樂大賽). Often compared to deca joins, their music is full of richly layered tones and clear, sweet-sounding vocals.
2. The Chairs (椅子樂團):
Formed in 2016, The Chairs is already well-established in the indie scene with three studio albums and an EP under their belt already. At the 30th Golden Melody Awards, their second album Lovely Sunday (樂芙莉聖代) won them the award for Best Singing Group. Their dreamy vocals and pop-retro vibes may bring Sunset Rollercoaster to mind, and the lyrics are catchy and great for singing in the car!
3. GoodBand (好樂團):
This two-member group released their first album (我把我的青春給你, lit. I Give My Youth to You) in 2016, during the time that indie big names such as Sunset Rollercoaster and No Party for Cao Dong were on the center stage. While their early music focused mainly on nostalgia for youth and the bittersweet feeling of looking back on the past, their recent single, The Useless Young Man (他們說我是沒有用的年輕人 lit. They Say I Am a Useless Young Person) is about the frustration that many young people feel from being belittled and uses anger, not sadness, to express their own vulnerabilities.
4. SoulFa (靈魂沙發):
After SoulFa formed in 2018, they released their first single, Polydream, that same year. Their first studio albumwas released the following year, and as of now they have two studio albums: SoulFa and Slumber Days. They were nominated for Singapore’s 13th Freshmusic Awards for Best New Group and were shortlisted on Douban’s 2020 List of Most Followed Rock Albums. Just like the title of their most recent album, their music is dreamlike and laid-back, sunny and whimsical.
5. DSPS:
Unlike most groups, DSPS’ aim is simple: “I’m very happy if we are able to inspire others and provide a BGM for someone in their lives through expressing our life experiences,” main vocalist Ami has said. Like The Chairs and Goodband, the group was formed in 2016 and they debuted with their first album, 我會不會又睡覺到下午了(Sleep Till Afternoon). Their songs are characterized by playful indie-pop melodies that are fleshed out with blended vocals and drums!
Have any of these groups also been on your recent playlist? Let me know! Or if you have any recommendations for any groups I should be adding to my own playlist, feel free to tell me as well. With all the Taiwanese indie groups on the scene, I know I have a lot of music to get through still!
(Featured Image by SoulFa Via Douban)
Taiwan Culture Corner 