iNCH.

Despite her name, Inch Chua has been making seven-league strides with her music career. Almost two years since her exodus to Los Angeles, we ask her: What's new?

Like her namesake, Inch Chua is wee. So dainty is she that, in all my time of knowing her, every time we part ways, we hug and I lift her off her feet. It might be, though it’s never really been confirmed, that she overcompensates for her petite stature in other areas of her life, namely her shocking blue mane.Of course, the change in her appearance isn’t compensatory; she just felt like changing her hair colour. And that’s the noteworthy thing about Inch: regardless of what people might say about her, she’ll march, hell, even krump, if she feels like it, to the beat of her own drum.Inch has always possessed a maverick nature, even when she sang with the now-defunct band, Allura. She’s attained the honour of being the first Singaporean solo artist to play at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival in Austin, Texas; released her first full-length album, Wallflower; and championed the copyleft movement by giving the album away for free online. She also made an appearance at TEDx Singapore. Then, in late 2011, Inch upped and left for Los Angeles for more opportunities in the music scene.

Since the move, she’s signed with Mighty Fresh Inc’s Richard Frias, who manages YouTube artists such as David Choi, Marié Digby and Kevjumba, opened for Katy Perry, Macy Gray and Vampire Weekend, and finished her sophomore album, Bumfuzzle.But for now, she’s back, albeit for a short spell. By the time you’ve read this, to promote Bumfuzzle, Inch will have played a few gigs at Starbucks outlets across the island and attended a wedding. We meet up at The Flying Squirrel, where Inch is still savouring her sushi when I enter the coffee and sake bar. “Sorry,” she says mid-chew, “guess you got to deal with this mess.” Same old Inch (well, with a new mop of azure), still self-deprecating.The phrase, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” might ring true, but to truly know someone, a proper examination of her composition is needed. These are the four parts to (an) Inch. - Esquire Magazine

Singaporean singer-songwriter Inch Chua, with her unique indie-pop sound, is invited back to the prestigious South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas.

Together with her backing band, The Metric System, they will perform multiple showcases from March 10-14, 2012 during SXSW.

Following SXSW, Chua will debut at Canadian Music Week (CMW) in Toronto from March 21-22, 2012.

Chua will be performing a mixture of tunes from her last album "Wallflower" (2010) and songs from her upcoming album "The Colour Wheel" with her backing band and are certain to generate much excitement and buzz at her showcases.

"I am always as nervous as I am excited when revealing new material," confessed Chua. "The new album is still in development and for the past few months I have been experimenting and recording with my band. As exhausting as songwriting can be, the process has been immensely liberating to incubate my ideas and develop as an artist."

Chua is now signed and represented by Mighty Fresh, an award-winning talent management company based in Santa Monica, California. Mighty Fresh has represented/developed/produced some of the Internet’s most famous and successful cross-over artist including KevJumba, Michelle Phan, iJustine, Esmee Denters, Rhett & Link, and David Choi. Mighty Fresh is well-known for producing projects with Justin Timberlake, Richard Marx, Jalen Rose, Jessica Alba, Baron Davis, Carson Daly, Iyaz, Tiësto, Auburn Williams & A-Track.

Her current tour is co-funded with her appearance at SXSW kindly supported by Aging Youth, Media Development Authority (Singapore) and Singapore International Foundation for the Canadian Music Week. - MTV ASIA

Inch Chua - The Indie Musician - ELLE Magazine Singapore

Inch Chua to play at SXSW - The Straits Times, Feburary 2010 - Singapore Press Holdings

Full page feature on Inch Chua - Alexis Fashion Magazine

Inch Chua at the Singapore Arts Festival. - Cleo Magazine, May 2011

Inch Chua on roster for School Invasion Tour - TODAY, January 2011 - Singapore Press Holdings

Inch Chua to perform at the NUs Arts Festival. - MyPaper, March 2011 - Singapore Press Holdings

When I first heard the Beatles cover of Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want)”, it was the opening line “The best things in life are free” that shook me up. Sure, I’m all for “Now give me money, (that’s what I want) that’s what I want” as a life motto too, but as one begins the downward spiral into adulthood, you began to discover that there are indeed things that money can’t buy. Like love, friendship, emotions and sometimes music too.

And recording artists giving away free music isn’t something new. Radiohead gave away their In Rainbow practically for free (they offered fans to pay what ever amount they want for the download) in 2007. A year later, Nine Inch Nails followed the trend of “free spirit” by offering their album Ghosts I-IV for free download on their official website too. The freebies are copyright-free MP3 files and served most importantly as a preview for the fans. When the bands finally released the albums in tangible format with super deluxe and elaborate packaging, true-blue fans lapped it all up. Despite already getting the music for free, fans are still buying the physical records, thus generating sales and income for their favorite bands. It’s all fair game, really.

Which goes to say, is giving away music for free a great promotional tool for bands? Most definitely. There are so many examples like Prince and Wilco that I could quote endlessly. I mean, hasn’t the phenomenal rise of the Arctic Monkey taught everyone a great lesson in the art of self-promotion via free distribution of your music?

And taking a leaf out of past great examples is Singaporean singer/songwriter Inch Chua. Dubbed a vocal powerhouse, the wee lass also fronts the Singapore-based rock band, Allura. While her most of her bandmates are serving the nation, Inch simply retreated to her bedroom and continued her solo musical quest. The music does not stop at all.

The result is The Bedroom, a 4-track EP of folk-tronica that showcases an intimate and introspective view into the whimsical world of Inch in her music wonderland. Best of all? The EP is available for free download right over at www.inchchua.com, where you can find loads more goodies like a preview of the music video for “Devotion In Reality” awaiting you.

- MTVAsia.com Blog

http://culturepush.com/2009/08/22/inch-chua-the-bedroom/ - CulturePush

Full page feature on up-and-coming singersongwriter Inch Chua - NuYou Magazine, November 2010

http://voize.my/music/inch-chua

- Voize Malaysia

http://ridgeonline.wordpress.com/tag/allura/ - National University Of SIngapore: The Ridge Online

http://www.junkonline.net/articles/2255-Download-Inch-Chuas-The-Bedroom-EP-for-free

Inch Chua of Allura has made her entire solo EP, The Bedroom, available for free download on her website. Think Yuna with a splash of Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust-era Sigur Rós that for some reason brings to mind small but sinister wood creatures. Like in that cartoon, Spirited Away. - JUNK Online

http://www.audioreload.com/articles/6801-inchterview-interview-with-inch-chua-of-allura-

Audioreload gets up close with Inch Chua – the feisty young lady behind Allura…

She’s been around since 2004, at the tender age of 16, fronting the now-defunct Auburn’s Epiphany. The band fizzled out a couple years later, due to “a series of unfortunate events” and that would have jaded anyone – but not Inch. She regrouped and resurfaced with Allura at the Mosaic Festival 2007, with new songs and a brand new sound to boot; and they’ve been making waves ever since. They released an EP, Wake Up and Smell The Seaweed, last year, which has since been sold-out. However, all’s been quiet on Allura’s front recently, and Audioreload.com caught up with Inch to find out why; rumour has it that she’s working on a solo album…

10 Questions:

1.What’ve you been up to lately?

I’ve been busy recording and preparing for the release of my solo album,The Bedroom. In anticipation for the album’s release, I’ve filmed a music video – but details will be released only when the album is released or on its way. At the moment, I’m still working on the artwork for the album.

As for Allura, we released our EP, Wake Up and Smell The Seaweed, last year on 7 June, and that led to a progressive surge of shows as we promoted it. However, with the guys going into NS etc, we’ve been playing less frequently and I guess the coming months for Allura will be quiet(er). However, but we’re not definitely not going to be stagnant or disappear cause we all still see each other all the time (practically family) and we’re still churning new material in prep for a future release.

Incidentally, our next album will be very different, but you won’t see it any time soon.

2. Why go solo?

It’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was young, and my mom has been incredibly supportive of this idea. However, I’ve never really felt confident of my own abilities, even when I’m with the band; I just never thought I was good enough or talented enough. I suppose, I just wanted to find out whether if I would sink or swim by throwing myself into the deep end – it’s as simple as that.
In a way, I see it as an opportunity especially since the band is going to slow down in the near future with the guys entering NS and all. I don’t want to just sit around for a couple of years and not do anything (musically), and I thought, ‘why not jump into my solo material?’.

Also, I’ve set myself a goal – to release my solo before I turn 21, which is the end of this year.

3. Who’s involved in this project, other than yourself?

Well, I’ve trying to go it alone as far as possible – afterall, it’s a test of whether I’ll sink or swim when i’m thrown into the ocean. However, the guys (in Allura) have been involved in this by providing me with advice musically, and answering my questions (about music). Mark will be playing a couple of leads for me, as I’m quite incompetent on lead guitar solos etc. As for drums, I’m using drum samples which I’ve programmed myself.

When I’m playing live, I suppose I won’t be having a drum-set with me, so I’ll fall back on my triggers and loops. However, I can still manage guitars and synths on my own. I’m a one-woman band!

4. Where will you be recording your album?

Well, the album will be called The Bedroom, and that’s where I will be recording my album – my room! The drums are basically software samples which i’ve created, while some of the samples are sounds that I get from the room itself, for e.g. by hitting my bedframe and using toys etc…

If I were to spend any money on the album, it’ll probably be on the post-production – on the mixing and mastering of the album. The mix will most probably be done by Leonard Soosay (of Snakeweed), and mastered overseas.
Basically, I want to redefine the whole idea of a bed-room artist, and prove that one can release an album independently, if he/she works hard enough at it.

5. In terms of sound, what can we expect? In contrast with what you’ve done with Allura, of course.

The album a feature a jazzy, electro, mild-ballad rock kinda sound (like Fiona Apple), and

Well for those who’ve heard of my solo material, they went like, “Woah, this is really different!” It’s different, all the way down to the method of singing; with Allura, it was using my chest/diaphragm to project my voice but on my solo album, it’ll be more breathy, in a honest, since way.

6. I bet you’ve great plans ahead for your solo work – could you let us in on the action?

Well, i’ve got a music video that would be up in the end of the year. We’re going to put it up on 99dollarsmusicvideos, a website with videos featuring videos madde under 99 dollars. Its a pretty cool idea that drives people to think intently about a strong video concept. I’ve teamed up with a film-maker from Mexico for this project.

I’ll be playing a couple of shows in the coming months, further details can be found on purevolume. I’l - Audioreload