Spreading the love
New band Voidavoid is eager to share its pop rock songs of love and heartbreak, writes Aref Omar
FRESH, creative and youthful, the boys of pop rock band Voidavoid are set to add more colour to the local music scene. In an interview with the quartet’s vocalist and rhythm guitarist Amir Mohsein Kushairi, the 18-year-old frontman describes the music as a winning blend of alternative, pop and rock elements.
“My voice is kind of pop, I guess, and the music and arrangement are very rock,” says the self-taught musician.
Formed about two years ago, the band recently released its debut EP digitally. Titled Lost & Found, it features five tracks: An instrumental tune, two songs in English and two others in Malay.
taLes oF LoVe
Mohsein, who lives in Bandar Sri Damansara, says that ideas “pop up at any time” and the creative process mostly happens in his bedroom. Right now, his band’s songs deal with life, relationships and that perennial condition called “love”.
Some are plucked from the imagination while others are based on personal experiences.
According to him, the titular track, Lost & Found, which he wrote with a friend, is about a guy who finally finds his soul mate.
“Demimu, which means ‘for you’, is our first single composed in 2016,” he says, adding that it’s a typical heartbreak song where a guy, out of love from a recent break up, would do anything to get the girl to come back to him.
Mengapa?, written late last year, has Mohsein singing about a girl who plays with the feelings of a lovelorn guy.
“A girl walks away from a relationship but still gives false hope to the guy,” he says of the melodramatic tune.
Something that focuses on the brighter side of things comes in the form of the tender Don’t Let Go.
“My friend Umar Marzuqi wrote the lyrics to this song. It’s about not letting go of people who are very precious to you. Appreciate them and hang on to them,” he says.
MUsicaL staRt
Music runs in the family as Mohsein’s older brother Amir Mukhlis Kushairi, 27, also plays the drums in Voidavoid.
“I started writing and composing songs in 2015. We wrote together,” he says of his brother, who is a freelance programmer with his own company.
His brother’s friend Tengku Muzani, 29, was later roped in as lead guitar. The band is completed by 19-year-old bassist Wan Adam Nuqman, who is currently studying music at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).
“During a Battle of the Bands competition in 2016, we needed a bass player to compete and a friend recommended Adam. We later came in at second place, so I guess that was a good sign,” he says of the bassist, whose father is also a bass sessionist for local artistes.
After his mother bought him a guitar when he was 8 years old, Mohsein says his interest in music got even more intense and learnt more by viewing instructional videos on YouTube.
“I was initially a fan of Justin Bieber,” he says with a laugh. Bieber performed in Kuala Lumpur back in 2011 when Mohsein was 11. He confesses to singing Bieber’s tunes in those days, which is when he discovered that he liked to sing as well.
soUnD aDVice
Mohsein names some of his influences as popular local rock bands Bunkface and Hujan, as well as Australian rock quartet 5 Seconds Of Summer.
He credits Bunkface as the main reason for getting him interested in music.
“I was 7 when I first saw Bunkface in a news article and then I started listening to their songs which introduced me to the pop punk genre,” he says.
He has met up with Bunkface several times and they have connected via their mutual love for music.
“They’re coming up with a new record label after Raya this year so we’ll be sending in our songs to them,” he says, his voice
hopeful.
Back in 2016, Voidavoid played at a music gig that was watched by Bunkface. For Mohsein, it was a good experience.
“We chatted and got some good advice from Sam of Bunkface. He said ‘just be yourself, sing out loud, write music from your heart and don’t think of how others will judge you’,” recalls Mohsein.
Of his future plans, Mohsein says he plans to study a business course, while doing music on the side. He also aspires to start a record label.
He is thankful that his parents support his passion for music.
“My parents come to my gigs and are all right with what I’m doing as long as I complete my studies,” he says.
Not surprisingly, his businessman father, Kushairi Abdul Karim, was a former composer and lyricist who created tunes for singer Jay Jay.
gooD ViBes
With Voidavoid’s EP out now, Mohsein says the group will be going all out to get noticed this year.
“We’ve been playing gigs extensively recently,” he says, putting the number at roughly three a month, playing at independent shows and school events.
“We want people to hear and see us,” he says, “including on radio stations. We love being on stage and we want the audience to have a good time too,” says Mohsein enthusiastically.
Listen to Voidavoid on Spotify. Follow the group on Twitter @voidavoidband.