Have you ever wondered how a band comes up with their name? Do they use an online band name generator? Is there a band name search engine that they can consult? Local rock band, One Band Short, found their tag after a brainstorming session over cups of teh tarik and roti canai. They began by listing down a bunch of names and one-by-one struck off those that didn’t work. And that’s how they became christened ‘One Buck Short’. Pretty uninteresting really, isn’t it?

Still, there’s nothing dull about the group themselves. ‘One Buck Short’s’ humble beginnings started in high school when two close friends, Hafiz and Rahul, decided to perform together at school events and from there entered some competitions. ‘The Buck’ were born.

Although Hafiz, the bassist, left the first incarnation of the group, Rahul kept going, holding onto the name. And it paid off. The current line up now includes Mundzir — or Mooky to his friends — taking on vocal duties, while Izal fills Hafiz’s old bass spot. Veteran members Imran (drums) and Rahul (guitar and vocals) round off the troupe.

With passion and friendship as their encouragement and fuel, One Buck Short have journeyed on to make a career out of music. The boys started by taking every gig that came their way. Big shows, smalls gigs, underground gigs, any chance to perform, they would be there. They ust be one of the hardest working groups around and this enthusiasm comes across o stage. If you every get a chance to see ‘One Buck Short’ in action, you can help but respect them. It’s not often you see a band rocking out full force at a gig in MCPA hall with only a handful of people in attendance. But that’s just what the boys do.

Having Izal in the band has boosted ‘One Buck Short’s’ live performance no end. He jumps around the stage, acting all Flea-like (as in the ‘Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s’ bassist, although the bouncy insect also works as a comparison). The crowd gets pumped up by his infectious energy, and it also seems to lift the band’s precision performance. With years of performing together, the band know each other so well that musically each tune performed is polished and accomplished.

However, no matter how experienced and enthusiastic these musicians are, they still need day jobs to pay the rent. And that means rehearsals don’t come easy. ‘We used to practice when there’s a gig but we knew that is not going to work out,’ explains Izal. ‘Now we have set apart two days in the week for rehearsals, regardless if there’s a gig or not.’

‘One Buck Short’s’ fan base is ever-expanding and you’re more likely to have seen them than you might realise. They have performed at ‘Rock The World IV & V’, the inaugural ‘Sunburst Festival’ and the ‘Asian X Games’. They have also crossed the Causeway to perform at ‘Baybeats’ and ‘Singfest’ in Singapore. Not only that, but the boys have opened for some huge international acts like ‘Fall Out Boy’ in Singapore, ‘The Click Five’, ‘Good Charlotte’ and ‘My Chemical Romance’ here in KL. Their single ‘That Day’ from 2003 EP ‘Where is the Mouse?!’ got into the top five of the Hitz.fm Malaysian Top Ten chart. In 2004, One Buck Short was also nominated for the ‘Best Newcomer’ award in the first Hitz.FM Malaysian English Top 10 Awards.

Two years down the road, the band were nominated again for ‘Best Rock’ and ‘Best Live Act’. On top of those favourable recognitions, their tunes have garnered much airplay over the Malaysian and Singaporean airwaves as well.

To top it off, an MTV Asia Marketing and Communications Manager once commented of the band. ‘One Buck Short is power-packed urban punk rock, they represent the best in raw, home-grown talent – and with a litany of chart-toppers, awards and fans across the region to boot.’ They’ve sure come a long way since the school yard.

But hold on a second. So you might have heard of One Buck Short. Or even caught their songs on the radio or TV. Maybe even walked past one of their performances at Laundry Bar while going to catch a movie. But have you seen their album in stores around town?

Although they recorded their debut EP in 2003, they never did manage to release it under their previous recording label. Rahul explains that ‘the label decided that they didn’t want to be a recording company anymore but produce more live shows and promote them.’ Worse, the label proceeded to keep the band in cold storage with no word on future plans. How do you like that?

Regardless, the band continued to perform and work in the studio to complete their first full length album. With the help of prolific producer and arranger Greg Anderson, whom the band consider their fifth member, ‘Halal & Loving It,’ their debut album, was completed at the end of 2006 despite the fact that they had absolutely no idea when they could release it.

Their hard-work paid off though when the boys caught the attention of Homegrown Records, Michael Christian Simon. The company was only formed in 2005 specifically aimed to promote and help local young musicians. While Simon initially had a difficult time getting hold of the unreleased album, he wasted no time in signing ‘One Buck Short’ once he heard it.

Proving that hard work pays off, not long after that ‘One Buck Short’ were also chosen to be ‘Jack’nJill RollerCoaster’ brand ambassadors. From not knowing what’s going to happen to having signed on to a new label with a big sponsorship deal, ‘One Buck Short’ are definitely on a high. With the appointment, the band even appeared in a ‘Jack’nJill RollerCoaster’ TV commercial.

The Rock Gods are being very kind to ‘One Buck Short’ in 2008. On the back of this exciting record deal, the band is scheduled to tour Malaysia and other parts of Asia to promote their debut album. The challenge now will be to maintain the passion and enthusiasm from their earlier gigs, now that their on the cusp of something big.

‘Halal & Loving It’ is now available at most major music stores around Malaysia.