Their laid-back persona and passion for their craft endear members of Mr to their fans, writes Loong Wai Ting
HONG KONG-based rock band Mr showed fans its secret to longevity at a recent mini concert in Kuala Lumpur promoting its new album, 100 Reasons To Fly.
Vocalist Alan Po, guitarists Desmond Tam (aka Dash), Quincy Tam (MJ) and Ronny Lay, and drummer Tom To made their debut seven years ago and continue to be popular in the fast-moving music scene, constantly churning out hits.
At the show, it was easy to see why they’re popular. The band members seemed genuine about their craft, with wonderful songs from the heart. They warmed up to the audience the moment they appeared on stage with their laid-back persona. Between performances, they even poked fun at each other and kept the audience in stitches.
Mr, or White Noise as it was previously known, began performing in underground circuits. Veteran singer and performer Alan Tam, who was impressed by their performance at a private function, took the the boys under his wings.
Following the release of its eponymous EP titled Mr, the band went on to release its first full-length album, People Sing For People, in 2011. Soon, after the release of its second EP, Misterdays, the band enjoyed another hit single with Yesterday, which took the number one spot in Hong Kong music charts such as 903 and RTHK.
100 Reasons To Fly marks a new direction for the band as it was recorded in Mandarin. It sees the band expanding its fan base outside Hong Kong and garnering praise in Mandarin-speaking regions.
To prepare for the album, the members moved to Taiwan and learnt Mandarin. Drummer Tom, who bears a resemblance to Harry Potter star Rupert Grint, says the experience was really challenging especially on lead singer, Alan Po.
“As native Cantonese speakers, we had problems mastering the language. Alan had the most difficulty as he had to learn how to speak and sing in Mandarin,” says Tom, adding that they brushed up on their proficiency in the language through constant communication with people on the street.
The album sees the members playing much mellower tunes compared to their previous releases as they strive to pay tribute to the Hong Kong rock music scene from the 1980s and ‘90s.
“Since our debut, we’ve been through a lot of ups and downs. Yes, we had our arguments, but in the end we turned it into a positive thing,” says Po.
Ai Yu He Ping, the third track from the album, addresses this personal experience. “It is an important song and features backing vocals from Taiwanese singer Freya Lin.”
The boys are planning to go back to the studio and prepare for their third studio album. “It’s going to be a full Cantonese album, with one or two Mandarin songs,” says Po.
Mr was also the guest band at the recently concluded Music Tornado Festival in KL which featured artistes from Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Local artistes included dayDream, Will Ng and An Honest Mistake.
100 Reasons To Fly is now available in all music stores.