Firsthand: Gen Z goes from music hater to flamboyant frontman of a rock band

The 19-year-old hopes to revive the energetic spirit of the 2000s pop-punk music scene, using rock music as a platform for fostering empowerment and acceptance among young people.

By Ng Miao Qin Megan, Chew Ying Xi Stacy, Ong Yun Kai

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Rene Gene Chew posing by his electric guitar at his house. (PHOTO: Ng Miao Qin Megan)

Growing up, young Ren Gene Chew absolutely hated music. He had never understood the point of the audio medium. Especially with a former director as a father, he was more of a film buff, handling cameras rather than microphones.

“The initial 3 years of piano lessons and Choir Co-curricular activities (CCA) felt like a mistake to Ren Gene personally. He was very adamant against continuing past grade two,” said Tze Chuan Chew, 52, a manager of an engineering company and Ren Gene’s father.

Being forced to learn the piano and never advancing beyond grade two only deepened his aversion to music.

Now, as a 19-year-old, the final-year Business Management student in Nanyang Polytechnic is Last Minute’s singer and frontman. A rock band in Singapore. Something that his younger self would never have expected to be his future path to partake in.

Since then, Ren Gene has gone from singing in the shower to releasing tracks and being invited by the National Arts Council (NAC) to perform at the NAC new years countdown, including soon having his band open for a local renowned singer, Shye-Anne Brown.

Furthermore, Last Minute’s latest track, Bullet Train, has recently surpassed 27,000 streams on Spotify. This achievement marks a groundbreaking record for a brand-new Singaporean band, given that they have only released their second song in their discography thus far.

Huge Dreams, Humble Beginnings

“I was so impressed by his vocals that it inspired me to start singing,” said Ren Gene.

Brendon Urie, the Panic! at the Disco frontman, was the one who changed the music perspective of the 14 year-old then. The wide vocal range and bright spikey tone were something that he had never heard before.

Moreover, two years later, when he stumbled upon Machine Gun Kelly’s Tickets to My Downfall album, it was the turning point that completely changed his opinion on music.

“And that blew my mind because it was my first time listening to the electric guitar,” said Ren Gene.

Being a visual learner, in that moment, he was able to visualise the instruments playing in real time. Compared to the usual modern day computer generated instrumental sounds, using actual instruments like the drums was a feast for his eyes.

In that instance, that's when Ren Gene realised his passion for rock music. A resolution to embody himself in the body of music.

“I was so hungry to prove myself. I was so eager to prove myself, I still want to just get our name out there and everything,” said Ren Gene.

During his first year of polytechnic, joining the Crew Studio, his school’s very own jamming student club, was the first step towards his music journey.

Despite not having a musical background, Ren Gene was determined to form a band. He would go from door to door, crashing into each studio band’s session to find individuals he could jam music together with. However, each time was futile and met with countless rejections.

Nevertheless, Ren Gene ended up meeting his members at the Khatib basketball court. Thus, marking the beginning of his goal of starting his band.

(FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) Last Minute members John, Ren Gene, Messiah, Edric and Meryl performing outside Wisma Atria as part of VOICE OF MY GENERATION Block Party. (PHOTO: Last Minute)

From Auditions to Live Shows

At first, all Ren Gene really wanted was to obtain a busking licence from NAC, but little did he know, a whole new world of possibilities was about to open up for them.

“We just played, and they liked us so much, in fact, they invited us to do the New Year’s countdown,” exclaimed Ren Gene. “It was kind of crazy, but I know we were just entertaining one side of the stage.”

After performing at the busking auditions, the judges were so impressed that they invited the band to participate as one of the featured performers of the NAC new years countdown.

It was a major milestone for them in being able to perform at The Lawn at Marina Bay Sands, with some of the biggest names in the Singapore music scene.

“We just played for The Lawn and we got the backstage pass, so we could actually walk to the Mediacorp site and say hi to every celebrity that you could meet there,” said Ren Gene.

Besides performing at the New Year’s Countdown, they are also going to open for Shye-Anne Brown, a local singer-songwriter with over 179,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.

When asked about Shye, they shared that she will be hosting an initiative called Hear Me Up to support unknown local bands that are on the rise.

“To open for her, you have to go through two rounds of auditions. So, we got through both rounds and are opening for her with other bands as well on Nov 25.” said Edric Lim Kay How, 22, final-year Robotics & Mechatronics student in Nanyang Polytechnic and Last Minute’s Drummer.

Last Minute performing for the Flatflattoms gig on Sep 9. (PHOTO: Last Minute)

The band operates akin to a well-oiled machine. In their words, their team’s dynamic is like a messy yet well-coordinated car that still works in perfect harmony together.

When describing his role in the band, Ren Gene explains that he is simply the person who thinks about where he wants the band to be, as well as the message he wants to put across.

Early Struggles

However, it was not always like this. Back when Last Minute had yet to be formed, Ren Gene struggled to find members, let alone start anything at all.

“I don’t think that, at that point in time, he was trying to create the rockstar, best band in Singapore. He just wanted to go there, sing his music, enjoy the music, and vibe with the people,” explained Edric. “He tries very hard, to the point where he will go to every single band session to see his options.”

Ren Gene, on the other hand, simply said that he always believed that he would meet the right people.

Personal struggles aside, the band itself faced challenges as well.

“The biggest and the most general challenge would be the Singapore audience, it’s very hard to make it in Singapore,” said Edric. “It takes a lot of effort to be in a band. The work in the band, doing music, and knowing that there is no promise of making it in Singapore. The promise is not there.”

From producing and recording the tracks to renting studios for band practices. It all came from the band member’s personal life savings.

“Don't even say we even have extra pocket money to go and eat for our work. We can’t even cover our own expenses,” said Edric.

Forming A Symbiotic Relationship

Ren Gene's encounter with the band’s benefactor, Shin Thant Te Aung, 19, final-year Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics student in Nanyang Polytechnic, encouraged him to dive headfirst into the music industry, a passion that Shin discovered in the most unexpected manner.

“I met Ren Gene when he first came down to the crew studio session to say hi, back then I think he was still banned from the studio because he had jumped on stage during one of the events so he stayed outside and talked to the people that he knew,” shared Shin.

Their meeting at the crew’s studio set the stage for a meaningful connection.

“It wasn't until we went to supper that I really got to hear more from him when he was talking to the rest about Last Minute, and that was when I actually managed to talk to him properly,” said Shin.

“It was just the way that Ren Gene expresses himself in his music. He wanted to pursue things from start to finish, and it was akin to the way that I did business.”

As their conversation continued, Shin grew impressed by Ren Gene's unwavering dedication to music and realised a striking similarity in their relentless pursuit of their respective passions.

The conversation between the two would eventually lead to a powerful connection. Shin recognised Ren Gene as a leader, someone who approached music with unwavering confidence and a commitment to staying true to himself.

This partnership is not just about fostering the music but also about nurturing the aspirations and spirit that drive Ren Gene's journey in the music industry.

"I always loved how strong and steadfast he was in his direction, and I loved it because he was a leader and pushed the way he saw it and I had the confidence and trust in what he did,” said Shin.

Shin’s ongoing support and belief in Ren Gene's artistic vision emphasises the important role of benefactors in Singapore's contemporary art landscape.

Their collaboration not only provides financial assistance but also serves as a source of guidance and mentorship, strengthening the bonds within Last Minute and nurturing the aspirations of budding artists.

"I hope that Ren Gene aspires to change a generation to pursue them to be themselves, and the only thing I expect of him is to always be himself and never change for anyone or anything, and above all, to keep true to himself and do what he loves,” shared Shin.

Breaking Through Social Norms

Ren Gene in his signature skirt, performing for the Flatflattoms gig on Sep 9. (PHOTO: Last Minute)

Freedom in self-expression has always been of great importance to Ren Gene.

“I seriously don’t get it, where if I wear a skirt, it's weird,” said Ren Gene. “If I look good in that skirt, that's fine, alright.”

Throughout the years, he has felt trapped, struggling to be himself because of societal expectations and his peers around him. The social norms of what was right and wrong made him feel suffocated.

“You want to make a statement? You want to stand out? You want to be a rockstar? Yeah, just wear a skirt, I am not for gender norms,” said Ren Gene.

During performances, he would often don a skirt part of his outfit. As a way to rebel against society and be himself.

“I just want to bring back the energy from the 2000s, like the lack of fear of being yourself because there weren’t many cameras around back then,” said Ren Gene. “And I feel like social media has brainwashed us and changed us so much.”

Whenever Ren Gene is at a concert, he finds swarms of phones raised up in the crowd. As a firm believer in living in the moment, seeing people record videos frustrates him.

“Everyone is so aware of what they're doing wrong. Nobody dares to try anything anymore. Because you are constantly reminded of the people that succeed on social media and it feels like if you're not amazing, you're nothing,” said Ren Gene.

(FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) John, Ren Gene, and Edric, the first 3 core members of Last Minute, posing for an Instagram post to promote their first busking session at Orchard Road on Nov 30, 2022. (PHOTO: Last Minute)

A “Last Minute” Plug-in

Last Minute is a tribute to local bands, embodying the “YOLO” spirit of seizing the opportunity to see your favourite artists before it's too late.

“Have you ever considered that it might be the final time you’ll ever get to see your favourite (local) artists. This Last Minute is your chance to make it an unforgettable experience,” expressed Ren Gene.

According to statistics by NAC in 2012, in the year 2021, among the 67 percent of Singaporeans who listen to local musicians, they only spend 11 percent of their time listening to them.

In the sea of Singaporean musicians, JJ Lin, Stefanie Sun Yan Zi, and Dick Lee stand as the top 3 pop song artists favoured by local listeners. Ren Gene hopes to make a change to the music scene in the country, adding alternative rock into the mainstream mix.

Having only released two songs on their Spotify profile, the band managed to garner an astonishing 2,080 monthly listeners. Their track titled “Bullet Train” achieved a remarkable 27,770 plays in a mere two months to date.

Last Minute is set to perform for hearmeup’s original live music showcase supported by Shye, and joined by four other local bands, spanning a range of music genres. The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Nov 25, 2023. Notably, ticket sales reached their maximum capacity in less than an hour after the announcement.

Moving forward, Ren Gene hopes to produce and release a complete album for his band, as a milestone for his final year as a teenager.