Syafiqah, on the other hand, is more deliberate in her approach. Her various projects are, in her words, a kind of “bucket list”. 

As guitarist for Fuse, Wreckonize and EXCEL, bassist for xdetesterx and vocalist for Mystique, Syafiqah’s portfolio is built almost entirely within the hardcore scene. And yet, each band scratches a different itch, whether through its sound or ethos.

Starting most bands with her friends, she is particularly drawn to EXCEL and xdetesterx, both of which are rooted in the straight edge subculture of hardcore. For Syafiqah, there is a sense of kinship in sharing that ethos with her bandmates.  

“There’s so much principle [behind] and meaning to the band”, she says. “I feel it’s really powerful, like we have a special bond.” 

Sharing most stages with Syafiqah is Lucas, who plays in eight bands. He drums in indie outfit Subsonic Eye and hardcore acts Mystique, Fuse, Wreckonize and EXCEL. On top of that, he sings in hardcore bands Charm and Flames of Conviction, and does vocals and guitar in emo trio Curb.

It’s a sprawling musical palette, but Lucas sees the hues blending the different genres together. Surprisingly, his musical roots are in jazz—but he found himselfplunging down the hardcore rabbit hole during the pandemic, falling head over heels in love with the music, history and meaning behind the genre.

“What drew me to the jazz tradition was the whole idea of expression and being true to yourself. And then you go to hardcore, and it's the same thing, you know…like you hear Pharoah Sanders or Coltrane playing the saxophone,” he offers. “They're like f—ing screaming their life out through the horn. It's the same f—ing thing.”

Meanwhile, for Syafiqah, playing across different bands has meant stepping into different versions of herself. 

Playing guitar and bass for most bands, she comfortably eases into the background on stage. But as the vocalist and frontwoman for Mystique, she’s forced to come out of her shell and use the platform she’s been given to be a voice for her community. 

“When I wrote the lyrics to the album, there were a lot of themes that came up, like self-reflection. We also wrote about voicing out political issues, and taking a stand on important issues that are happening in the world right now”. 

Being in different bands has also taught her to navigate disagreements, communicate her opinions and be vulnerable around other people. 

“It's so special being in a band together. You get to share parts of yourself in making the music together, and that's such an intimate thing. Maybe you fight, but it’s all part of the process.”

“Oh, actually, there are people outside of hardcore that listen to us?”

Syafiqah almost couldn’t believe her ears. Mystique had just played a surprise set at the Fellowship of the Scene gig at *SCAPE, and the crowd was singing along to their songs. She looks around in awe—was this not supposed to be an indie rock line-up? 

“Singapore’s scene is very fluid”, she muses, when asked why an indie crowd would know the lyrics to a hardcore band’s songs. “You don't have to just, like, stick to one thing”. 

The reason is surprisingly straightforward: proximity and a lack of choice. With venues shuttering over the years, few underground and DIY spots remain in this little island. As a result, it's commonplace for local shows like the one Blush held at Room 526 to pull together bands from all corners of the scene.  

You can hear that fluidity in the music, too. As genres bleed into one another, new sounds emerge, especially among younger bands today. 

One example is Change in June, a shoegaze band that debuted in 2025. Blending shoegaze sensibilities with screamo vocals, it has Denzel firmly in its corner.

“It's f—ing cool,” Denzel enthuses, urging me to catch them at their next gig.

“It's super raw, like the guitars are blasting and then straight screaming. I f—ing love them so much, they’re f—ing insane.”

Being in multiple bands can be exciting, but in a city built around practicality, passion has to fight for space.

For Denzel, Syafiqah and Lucas, multiple music projects are something they juggle alongside their daily responsibilities. When they’re stretched too thin with rehearsals, shows, tours, and the rigours of real life, exhaustion sets in. 

After MUFF released their EP in April this year, a constant stream of shows left Denzel struggling to keep up with work, school and music. “I was actually contemplating whether I should just stop music because the burnout was that bad”.

He’s exhausted, but the community is what keeps him going. “It's been my dream for like so long, and it’s happening now," he grins sheepishly.

“When people listen to my music, and they're happy, that makes me happy.”

Syafiqah and Lucas know the feeling too. With more experience in the scene, they have each found ways to manage the workload.

Syafiqah’s approach is simple: “The most important thing is just being patient with the whole process. Being in a band is like working in a team, so you have to be okay with accommodating each other’s schedules”. Overseeing schedules for Fuse and Mystique, she makes a point of not overbooking the bands, so that each have enough time to practise and play.

For Lucas, the scheduling is a bit more personal. Being in so many bands, he’s constantly surrounded by people. So whenever he can, he carves out pockets of time to eat alone, fish alone, or bike from one spot to another.

“I cherish those moments.” He pauses. “Just, you know, take time to be in my own head.”