Iconic Alt-Rockers, The Oddfellows, Make Their Mighty Return With New Material

This is news that will make local music devotees so happy (Credit: Little Ong)

Music bears a permanence through the decades and it never forgets its foundation. If you’re familiar with your local music history, you’ll know that the ’90s was a blooming period that saw the prominence of homegrown alterative bands. Going against the grain, these defiant groups paved the road for future acts that would eventually ride on the indie phenomenon that’s known today. One such pioneering ensemble were The Oddfellows, and they made history when their smash hit, “So Happy” climbed to the top of local radio charts. The revered alt-rock anthem would even go on to inspire a 2015 exhibition by fFurious that celebrated 50 years of Singapore rock, displaying the undeniable legacy of The Oddfellows that spans pop culture, eras and generations.

The Oddfellows in 1995 with the same lineup as today (Credit: Yee Cheng Kang)

33 years after their formation in 1988, The Oddfellows continue to be rebellious rockers who represent the heart of a movement that still rings true today. Currently comprising Patrick Chng, Kelvin Tan, Vincent Lee and Johnny Ong, they show that they’ve still got gas in the tank with the startling reveal of new single, “Silent Worlds”. And what’s even more jaw-dropping is that this apparently comes from their upcoming third album, What’s Yours And Mine, which finally catches up to their Carnival LP in 1992.

On “Silent Worlds”, The Oddfellows don’t sound like they’ve lost their footing one bit. The misfits show that you can still rock past 50, full of youthful exuberance that shakes off the cobwebs. The piece is a shameless trip of nostalgia, exuding swaggery, ’90s Brit-pop vibes that vintage Oasis would salute. It’s a pure rock record that walks tall, complete with stadium-tuned riffs and even a sweaty guitar solo to boot. And as for its narrative, it touches on a theme that matches its formidable physique, one of multi-versal proportions. 

"I've always been a fan of straight-ahead indie rock & roll with strong melodies and sweet twangy guitars,” Kelvin reveals as the single’s primary songwriter and singer. “I had been reading up a bit on a multi-dimensional universe, and the fact that there are realms out there we don't have any idea of – the fourth dimension, string theory and stuff like that. I wanted to write a song about not letting the virus get us down; to cut our losses, learn meaningful lessons from it, to roll with the punches, and to rise above all that. I started to think of multi-dimensions as world-like, running into each other while we are totally unaware of it. So in the chorus, borrowing from the Beach Boys, I imagined us rising above the sorrows, loss and fears of the virus, and just surfing above it all, and watching imaginary dimensions collide.”

The reinvigoration of The Oddfellows proves that it’s never too late to make a comeback (Credit: KK Wong)

It’s ambitious, poetic anecdotes like this that show that the creative juices of The Oddfellows as songwriters are far from running dry. Their new material reveals a band revisiting and reinventing, addressing how their identities fit into a modernised music scene that they helped forge. Most bands, especially in Singapore, don’t last this long, often walking off into the sunset after a good run. But for The Oddfellows, they have finally made their trip back around the sun. And boy, do they sound magnificent.

Listen to “Silent Worlds” by The Oddfellows on Spotify now. Their new album, What’s Yours And Mine, will be released on 24 September 2021. Follow The Oddfellows on their official website.