A Light That Never Goes Out: The Indie Phenomenon Of Eatmepoptart

Fancy some indie-pop, alt-rock and guilty pleasures? Take a bite outta Eatmepoptart (Credit: Eatmepoptart / Colossal Photos)

There comes a point in everyone’s musical journey when they discover that there’s more than what reigns over commercial radio. For some, that’s hearing the jangly, introductory Johnny Marr riff of “This Charming Man” for the first time. Or discovering the witty lyricism of Damon Albarn as he preached that “it really, really, really could happen” on “The Universal”. Or smashing out your teenhood demons with The Smashing Pumpkins.

Whatever that one defining moment might be for you, it becomes one that sticks with you for life; a sentimental turning point that becomes instrumental in shaping your creative penchants and identity down the road. Growing up, this voyage of mine into the alternative scene was often a solo pursuit, never having anyone (except my family) to talk to about these obsessions. It was, for the most part, a solitary indulgence.

Left-field listeners, you’re not alone (Credit: Eatmepoptart / Colossal Photos)

But to think that, many years later, I’d be crammed in a club roaring along to anthems from The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs with throngs of fellow music junkies, I’d have dismissed it as a fleeting fantasy. Yet, this was the reality brought about by the rebels from Eatmepoptart, building a communal party series that’s inspired breeds of alternative-inclined punters, both old and new. To many whose musical tastes were teased as being ‘weird’, Eatmepoptart nights became their safe space.

What Eatmepoptart brought to the table was an enlightening revelation, that you didn’t need straight-up 4/4 tunes to throw a dancefloor into a tizzy. Eatmepoptart surfaced in 2004, at the peak of the post-punk revival and indie-rock resurgence, a zeitgeist that co-founder, Adrian Wee (AKA weelikeme), latched his then-experimental series onto – even if just for a while.

Eatmepoptart is currently helmed by Adrian Wee (left) and Robin Chua (right), pictured here doing their best Pet Shop Boys impersonation [Credit: Eatmepoptart / Lenne Chai]

“It was just supposed to be a monthly night for us, with our friends and whoever else who was keen in joining us,” Adrian confesses. “I expected it to last a few months before the interest died, and then we’d go back to our dreadful lives.”

This interest, evidently, escaped the cynical jaws of death. In the global music climate, the etymology of the term “indie” was gradually evolving from an obscure tag into a household name, and Singapore’s youth were catching on. Eatmepoptart facilitated this exposure, and as it fed these curiosities, it grew through the years.

Both Robin and Adrian are stalwarts who wear numerous hats (Credit: Eatmepoptart / Lenne Chai)

Today, Eatmepoptart is run by Adrian and Robin Chua (AKA KiDG), both veterans in the industry with several stints outside of their indie purview.

Formerly a resident of Zouk Singapore at its old digs, Adrian can be spotted pushing techno when not wearing his weelikeme hat. He also helms a creative, events and communications agency called NEVER, handling corporate clients, artiste management and Eatmepoptart’s marketing affairs.

Robin is a DJ’s DJ, known for his extensive repertoire and vinyl wisdom, having worked in record shops over the years. Robin is also a diverse selector who co-runs his vintage, Asian funk-influenced Tiko Disko events, and plays within the bar circuit on the island.

The love for Eatmepoptart has remained strong for nearly 14 years (Credit: Eatmepoptart / Colossal Photos)

While Eatmepoptart has gone through a couple of roster changes since its inception, the seasoned tag team of Adrian and Robin has been an unwavering mainstay over the last few years, always present to welcome fresh-faced batches of young’uns yearning for indie nostalgia. Keenly aware on the age disparity between themselves and the kids they attract, the two accept it in jest.

“If I’m fully conscious about the situation these days, I’d be a bit uncomfortable that the young crowds we meet are half our ages [laughs],” Adrian quips about the ageless longevity of Eatmepoptart. “I’d say we’re like a vampire who got turned 200 years ago in our teens; The True Blood kind, not Twilight!”

“I’d say we’re like your rebellious youngest uncle in your family who knows the coolest stuff that your family frowns upon,” adds Robin cheekily.

While the duo is happy to remain poster boys of the brand, they’re also willing to bring in new blood on the decks, the most recent addition being Darren Hedger who’s been picking up traction amongst the Eatmepoptart audience. “Hedger’s been great, and he brings with him this new sense of energy that gives a fresh perspective to our nights,” Robin chimes in.

Hedger, one of the more recent additions to the Eatmepoptart roster (Credit: Eatmepoptart / Colossal Photos)

“Looking for new DJs for our nights is harder than looking for new music!” Adrian continues. “I first met Darren (Hedger) at one of our parties about five years ago at kyo. He mentioned then that he was practising to be a DJ. It wasn’t until two years ago when we decided to expand the DJ team and start looking for fresh faces. Hedger’s name was thrown in the hat and we tried him out for a few events, and he slowly became a more regular feature at our nights. He’s also a refreshing, good-looking face behind the decks for people who are sick of seeing me and Robin every time!”

It’s not just the lineup that’s seen changes through the times. The selections of Eatmepoptart have always been influenced by definitive eras, whether it’s the glory days of grunge or the eccentricities of dance-punk. But while the noughties were ripe with rougher, guitar-centric anthems aplenty, the topography has since shifted towards more electronic sentiments. We are undoubtedly past the heydays of indie-rock, and Eatmepoptart has felt the effects of this.

Eatmepoptart remembers a time when songs used to rock our socks off (Credit: Eatmepoptart / Colossal Photos)

“Yes, it does seem like it’s getting harder to find tunes with a similar vibe to anthems you’d hear from bands like The Killers and Muse. There is a shortage of guitar-driven, stadium-rock songs at the moment,” Robin concurs. “It has indeed been a little of a struggle looking for today’s equivalent of the indie hits from a decade back. It almost feels like bands don’t make music to dance to anymore. The good hits are friggin’ slow,” Adrian adds.

But like any quality DJ, adaptation is key. So instead of remaining stagnant, Adrian and Robin have diversified the programming of Eatmepoptart. No longer just a time capsule of alternative gems, their nights now also pull out ’80s new-wave classics, ’90s guilty pleasures, and other pop-cultural earworms that their young crowds can relate to.

“The general rule is that whatever we play needs to have a flow in our sets. It can go anywhere from rock, to electronic and pop. However, EDM is strictly out of bounds. I don’t adhere to the trashy culture that the music tries to project,” Adrian shares.

Robin also inserts his thoughts on the series’ evolution, “I feel that the shift seems natural, since there’s been more emphasis on throwback tunes from the ’90s and beyond. And with the use of such tunes in memes and TV shows, we thought it would be relevant to bring these classics back.”

Throwback to when Eatmepoptart threw an ‘80s-inspired jamboree for their Electric Feel event (Credit: Eatmepoptart / Colossal Photos)

One instance of this would be society’s recurring obsession with the ’80s, beefed up by mass-appealing Netflix phenomena like Stranger Things and Glow. Eatmepoptart shamelessly channels this allure by dropping tunes from Rick Astley, Toni Basil and Toto (yes, those songs), drawing as much positive reception as the adoration they get from indie anthems.

Adrian and Robin are also very much in tune with their current demographic; a pool of social media-savvy millennials who presumably boast more than one Instagram account and are well-versed in every single story filter. The Eatmepoptart Instagram account is fluent in this lingo, and you’ll often see its content stuffed with memes, gifs, story contests and other digital accoutrements that’ve done their fair share of expanding the brand’s reach. And it’s working.

Eatmepoptart cares about the young folks (Credit: Eatmepoptart / Colossal Photos)

It’s precisely why the team has found it crucial to keep in touch with what the youth are listening to, now more so than ever. “It’s always good to do both, not just to educate but also have a sense of what they are listening to at the moment,” Robin explains. “After all, Eatmepoptart embodies the spirit of youth, and that drives us to get in touch with the sound of today, not for the sake of being cool, but purely because we love music.”

It is this foresight to grow that’s made Eatmepoptart a resilient force in the scene, and nearly 14 years later, it continues to rack up milestone after milestone. Following self-curated music festivals, collaborations with fashion events and even unforgettable parties on riverboats, the Eatmepoptart legacy continues to thrive through various shows with differing themes. From its Electric Feel nights which focuses on ’80s music to its Rule, Britannia! shows that are an ode to Brit-pop, and their regular Eatmepoptart flagship bashes that can currently be found at Zouk’s Phuture room, Eatmepoptart’s shows are spreading their wings.

The crew has organised some large-scale events, like their Local Motion festival in 2017 (Credit: Eatmepoptart / Dawn Chua)

“In a nutshell, we have a few shows a month, and we’ll plan a different theme and genre for every respective venue. We do have a very strong connection to the other themed nights, which have been planned out quite a bit beforehand. But whatever different theme we do, we definitely need to know that we will enjoy DJ-ing on those nights,” Adrian clarifies on the expansion.

Robin continues, “A part [of the expansion] is to do with educating people of such subgenres as well. We grew up with such music in the past, and in a way, it’s also part of Eatmepoptart’s DNA.”

As someone who once took to the club podiums with his mates on an Eatmepoptart night, drunkenly hollering along to Death Cab For Cutie’s “Transatlanticism” (because what is youth without regret?), I am well-acquainted with this DNA. And while I might have developed a few more wrinkles then 75 per cent of its current crowd, I am more than happy to see a fresh, fledgling community falling in love with the sensation that is Eatmepoptart.