Exclusive interview with Electrico

In an exclusive interview with the NDP 09 committee, we catch up with our home-grown band Electrico, who are leading this year's NDP theme song, and Bertrand, director of the theme song music video, to find out what they thought of their involvement in NDP 09! 

How does it feel getting commissioned to do this year's NDP theme song? 

David: It is a great honour and privilege for us to be able to undertake such a task for the nation! I don't think local bands have been featured before for NDP, so this is a first! With local bands like us being given the opportunity to write and perform the theme song, this is definitely a giant leap forward for local music. 

Desmond: To be honest, we never ever expected it! But since we have been entrusted with this responsibility, we accepted it and I am very proud of the work we've done so far. 

What is the biggest challenge you guys encountered making the song? 

David: It was definitely to create a song that would appeal to the masses, yet one that was edgy, and ultimately one that would retain the unique sound that is Electrico. So we hope we managed to do that with this year's parade theme song. 

Unlike the more rock style of music which we usually do, we also had to consider the theme of the parade and what the purpose of the song was about. 

Desmond: With a specific purpose like this, it also became more challenging to pen the lyrics to the song. 

So how did you guys find the music video shoot? 

David: This music video is definitely the largest one we've done so far! We've done music videos before but we've never had road closures just to shoot music videos! With more than 300 people involved and an aerial helicopter shoot scheduled, this is the most grand we've ever gotten! 

Desmond commented that it was a challenging task to write the song's lyrics, so did you guys draw inspiration from any previous NDP songs when writing for this year's song? 

David: As we wanted to do something entirely different compared to what people have been hearing these past few years, we did not refer to songs from previous years. We wanted to write something refreshing that would still appeal to Singaporeans but in a different way. 

During the video shoot, we went around asking people what they thought of the song, and we're glad to tell you that you guys have been getting a great response! With all this good feedback you're getting, how do you feel about your song now? 

David: It feels great! It is certainly an achievement for us when people endorse our work. This is afterall unchartered territory for the band and I hope it manages to break new ground for local music. 

As director for this year's theme song music video, we're curious, just how did you arrive at the idea/concept behind the music video? 

Bertrand: Initially, I was looking through the lyrics themselves, but after hearing the song, I was very much guided by its music and melody, so this music video is the product of that exploration. 

What is going to make this year's video stand out from previous years? 

Bertrand: Firstly, the song is a lot more up-tempo compared to previous years, and this is the first time in NDP that a band is leading the theme song, so fundamentally we're already not the same. Nonetheless, I believe we need to be up-to-date with our interpretation of the times in Singapore, so hopefully this music video will reflect that. 

Electrico mentioned that the greatest challenge they faced was keeping the song accessible to the masses. What about you? What was the greatest challenge you faced making the music video? 

Bertrand: For a video that was going to get out to the masses, I definitely felt the pressure to do a very very good job! 

So what do you hope Singaporeans can get out of the music video when it does eventually air on TV? 

Bertrand: That it would reach out to people on both an emotional and personal level! I hope that after people see this video, they'll be able to look at NDP music videos in a whole new light!  

We wish to thank you all very much for sharing with us your thoughts in today's interview. However, before we end, we would like to ask you just one final question. And that is …  

What is your birthday wish for Singapore this year? 

Bertrand: To grow and evolve into a better place! 

David: Good economic recovery and progress that we as a country have always been making! 

William: More local music and exposure on mainstream media! 

Desmond: Everyone be gracious in everything that we do! I hope everyone prospers and Singapore will become an even better place than what it is now!