Jonathan Fong
Drawn by the artwork and imagery of rock records, his musical love affair was set in stone early in li fe. Apart from paying pilgrimage to major music festivals across the world, Jonathan is half of the indie electro-pop duo The Karl Maka.

What is indie?
Indie is an attitude, a belief. It is part of you, something that you don’t have to force and something that you can’t fake. It defines the way you do things, make choices and live your life. It is everything and nothing, all at once.

What is the “indie look”?
A healthy declaration of love for a band in the form of a t-shirt. Everything else is trend-spotting, cool-hunting, hype-beasting, hipster-following nonsense. Have confidence, not arrogance.

How do you support the scene?
Music now has reached the disposable state of ringtones and downloads that has resulted in major records chain stores all shutting down. If you really crave the indie spirit that music brings, you will seek out good music and give it your support by going to gigs, buying band merchandise, supporting small independent music stores, etc.

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Eileen Keh
Having lived in London for the past six years, Eileen has seen countless major and indie acts play live. To her, music is like an old friend that you can relate to any time a good song is being played.

What is indie mean?
It’s a free spirited feeling. It means dressing and behaving differently from the norm but not necessarily being radical and loud. It’s a feeling that you belong to a sub-culture and you’re always looking for new things to distinguish yourself from the rest. It could be the latest designer, an indie clothing label, and definitely bands.

Why do you think the Chuck Taylor such an iconic shoe for the indie generation?
It became something you wear because it’s a cool pair of shoes and it goes with everything! It’s very easy to make a statement wearing them. I believe I will be in my Chuckies for many years to come.

Do you think there’s a set “indie look”?
I don’t think there is necessarily an “indie look” because it’s all about the individual. It is more about what a person transmits and how they carry themselves than what they wear. Tight jeans do not make you “indie”.

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Heng Wei Wei
Wei Wei loves the excitement of hearing a great song. Being a firm supporter of the local indie music scene, she makes it a point to attend a diverse range of local gigs.

Why do you think the Chuck Taylor is such an iconic shoe for the indie generation?
It is universal and yet classic at the same time. It never goes out of style, it is effortless to put on and it goes with any outfit.

Do you have to dress a certain way to be indie?
Not really. One should wear what they want and what they like. I recently attended an event where the dress code was “Aristocratic”. Everyone was dressed to the nines and looking pretty in their designer suits and dresses, except this one guy who went in his pajamas pants. He didn’t care what others had to say - he just wanted to be comfortable. To me, that is the epitome of aristocracy and indie-ness. Just be yourself, be comfortable, and never conform.

What can be done to preserve the “indie spirit”?
Nothing. If you are, you are. If you’re not, then you just won’t be. You can’t force it.