Family in (good) conflict

PEOPLE normally say families who do things, eat and live together will still be united through thick and thin.

While most families out there might agree and live by that creed, this particular small family of five however, does not believe in it. The members have been doing the exact opposite, by keeping themselves apart from each other.

Despite that, this 'small family' known to the music world as Pop Shuvit, has remained strong as a unit for 11 years.

Say what you want, but whatever the members are doing is working and they are still popular with their unique identity in music. They are still very much in demand and their performances have been received with positive reviews almost all the time.

Let it be known that Pop Shuvit members do not believe in hanging out together in order to be a real band that makes good music. The rap/rock band, comprising Moots as the front man, JD (guitar), AJ (bass), Rudy (drums) and Uno (he scratches the turntables) are also very much in the news.

"I think the best part about being in Pop Shuvit is that we still know how and when to break apart or to be together. I mean we keep everything as professional as we can. Of course when we were younger we spent quite a lot of time together to jam and brainstorm to produce good quality music, but that was just it.

"We all have our personal lives too. I honestly think that this is one of the major or key ingredients for our band to still be strong and tight," AJ said.

AJ and gang are also not too shy to share their opinions about other bands whose members are still uncertain about their own identity. Bands nowadays are more exposed to new elements which could easily shake their faith after being together for a while, it seems.

Some of these bands are too pent up together because they believe that as rock bands, members must stick together or even go anywhere together. That itself would make them more vulnerable to each other's issues.

"We are not saying it's wrong to spend time together as a band but we think it is better if everything could be done in moderation. That will keep the relationship fresh and positive. Plus, we believe that if we have gaps in each other's lives, our songwriting ideas would be sharper when we do occasionally meet," JD said.

Being a Pop Shuvit is not an easy task as the band has been touted as Asia's leading hip hop rock band who have wowed the region with their eclectic sound. The band has also gained a sizable fan base in Asia notably in Malaysia, Japan, Thailand and Singapore.

Despite being known for their adrenaline-packed live shows, Pop Shuvit members have always been under the radar. Still this group is not showing any sign of slowing down or retiring either. In fact, they are going to release their sixth album.

The new project is the band's first album in Bahasa Malaysia with six songs in it. Titled Cherry Blossom Love Affair, this long-awaited album (the fifth was out three years ago) is expected to excite new and loyal fans all around Asia as it will include some special features in it. Fans will also have the opportunity to savour Pop Shuvit's collaboration with Man Bai in Seperti Syurgamu.

"We can't wait to have this album out. It will be in the market some time this month. This album is definitely worth all the efforts as we have compiled a great list of songs that will quench our fans' thirst. Man Bai's appearance in this album is exactly like a cherry on top of the icing.

"Working with him in this album is amazing. We all grew up listening to Man Bai's songs. From the time he was with Gersang and as a solo artiste. For our latest album, Man Bai crossed our minds and we decided to give him a call. He agreed immediately and the next thing we knew, he was in the studio with us.

"He stepped into the recording room and it was done. All this happened in just one day! We had goosebumps. That was a magical experience for all of us. We've said it before and we will say it again, it was magical," AJ said.

To mark the band's 11th anniversary, Pop Shuvit will also launch another set of a re-packaged album after Hari Raya which include extra songs in it. It will be a "signature album" that is collectible.

"We are excited about producing our collector's item album. It will not look like a normal album and it will have more songs which we could not fit into Cherry Blossom Love Affair. Basically the album will look like a coffee table book. You can find lots of interesting sketches that define us as Pop Shuvit," AJ added.

The band's schedule is packed for the whole year, and Pop Shuvit is grateful that they are still relevant to the industry. "We just came back from Manila for a tour with Slapshock last month and we also had the opportunity to represent Malaysia at Music Matters in Singapore last month," AJ said. Seperti Syurgamu will also be performed at the MTV World Stage at I-City, Shah Alam this coming July 24.

"This is going to be our first performance after a long time and we will be there with other acts from South East Asia, who are part of the East Asian Revolution project. Hopefully, it will be a memorable one," JD said.

Eleven years and still going strong and the band has certainly made its mark in Malaysian music history. Perhaps it is time for other bands to learn from the Pop Shuvit experience.