Time Out KL continues its support for the local music scene with another edition of On The Up. This round, the stage will be taken by singer-songwriter Rendra Zawawi, emo acoustic group An Honest Mistake, bubblegum pop band Alaling + The Kaya Koks and newly formed trio, The Bassment Syndicate.

For this edition of On the Up, TOKL Music Editor Brian Kwan had a short chat with the lads from Alaling + The Kaya Koks:

Firstly, how did you come up with the name ‘Alaling’?
Ching: Uh, it was an online LOTR name generator; it was either ‘Alaling’ or ‘Ellwendiyr’ so I figured Alaling has a nicer ring to it. How come no one asks about how we came up with The Kaya Koks (Laughs)?

Tell us more about the band.
Boon: The ‘band’ is essentially Alaling a.k.a. Ching. An ex-bedroom musician who got bored doing lo-fi demos at home and decided to venture out to the local music scene. Initially playing small acoustic gigs with sessionists, she eventually founded her backing band The Kaya Koks (comprising of brothers PHYE Beng and PHYE Boon).

So how did you get into music?
Ching: Hmm good question. I hated singing when I was young! In fact I tried my best to avoid it at all costs, refusing to sing in class for the subject Muzik. My teacher said ‘Ok la takpe, tak nak nyanyi I bagi ‘C’ je lah’... and I just kept quiet and pretended I didn’t care.
Boon: Diva ...

I notice you have a number of DIY music videos on YouTube, what’s that all about?
Ching: Syiok sendiri; since we can’t really bring ironing boards on stage during our live performances (Laughs).
Boon: Youtube is just another way for us to reach out to a wider audience and to showcase our songs in a different light. Alaling has been around for a couple of years now, but you’re only just releasing an album.

Why‘s that?
Ching: We are constantly trying to evolve as a band, from singing sad R&B songs to angsty rock songs to hamsap songs... I think at this point we’re happy with what we are right now. We’re ready to capture this stage of our sound and share it with the masses.
Boon: That, and the fact that we can afford recordings.

How do you see the local music scene now compared to when you first started?
Ching: More support from the big boys (ie Nokia). They have opened more doors for little musicians like us, though I think nothing compares to word of mouth, which is why we love our friends so much!

What’s next after the album launch?
Ching: A nice, long bath!
Boon: And perhaps a trip to Ipoh for some salted chicken and kaya koks.

Thankfully Brian didn't came back insisting on using a LOTR moniker himself...

Catch Alaling & The Kaya Koks as they perform at Time Out KL: On The Up at No Black Tie, Nov 19.

Entry is just RM20 on the door but if you want to come and experience Malaysia’s top local live music showcase for RM10 – yup, just a tenner – all you need to do is print out the discount ticket here and present it on the door next month.