Fresh Finds: Local a cappella groups to keep on your radar

“Frission is the brainchild of a passion project from yesteryear that has now turned into a full-on vessel for our shared love towards making music,” Yasira Hannan (the only girl boss in the group) shares with us. She’s also joined by founder Chase Rodrigues and three other original members – Ong Jun Da, Hadi Sudir, and Umar Sirhan. With their lush harmonies and distinctive melodies, the five-piece outfit easily sweeps you off your feet, taking you on a sonic trip through R&B, soul, pop, and even electronic music. 

But what sets them apart from other a cappella groups is their unique arrangement which is an amalgamation of pages taken from the books of pop powerhouse Ariana Grande, Grammy award-winning a cappella group Pentatonix, genre-defying band Thirdstory, and local singer-songwriter Charlie Lim, to name a few. Frission’s covers aren’t just straight-cut covers either – they’re layered with erratic sounds and rhythms.

Early this year, music lovers were treated to the group’s Esplanade debut where they captivated live audiences with Disney classics and new bops by the industry’s best. “We couldn’t be more addicted to the sheer rush and enjoyment of sharing our music in front of a live audience. We’re really hoping to perform live again when the time allows,” Yasira tells us.

And to answer the burning question on everyone’s mind (what’s the meaning behind the name Frission?), she explains, “It’s a pseudo marriage of two words: 'Phrygian' as in the musical mode, and 'Frisson', which basically means goosebumps.”

What’s next? “An original [release] is something that’s definitely in the works this year!”

When it comes to a cappella groups, none comes close to MICappella. The a cappella stalwart enjoyed meteoric success after debuting on the Chinese edition of the American television singing competition The Sing-Off. The six-membered vocal band repped Singapore on the global stage and managed to come in first runner-up. The sextet is known for flexing its vocal chops for popular hits across genres such as pop, rock, and even ballads. Even Deke Sharon, the vocal producer for Pitch Perfect, singled out the homegrown act for praise.

What’s next? Mark your calendar for MICappella’s biggest concert to date. Set to perform at the Sands Theatre over two days, the sextet is also giving audiences an exclusive sample of its upcoming EP.

You probably recognise these guys from Shopee’s GSS 6.6 Sale 2021 jingle, but don’t let that define New Recording 47. The five-member contemporary a cappella group has amplified its special vocal effects and unique remakes of songs by local hitmakers in festivals such as Esplanade’s Red Dot August and Sentosa Island Lights. Reimagining iconic local songs with the art of a cappella and the fusion of genres is quite rare here, but New Recording 47 nails at giving us a fresh new take – almost like a new recording. 

What’s next? Besides remakes, the group has also written and released original songs including What It Used To Be which reminisces about those salad days.

The more seasoned a cappella group on the list, the multiple award-winning The Apex Project is known for its theatrical twist to pop and jazz standards. Together, the five-piece outfit has set its sights on breaking the boundaries of a cappella and bringing a fresh perspective to vocal music. They have performed in various events including NParks’ Concert Series in the Park, Arts in the Neighbourhood, and Arts in the City Performance at Mapletree Business City. Besides wowing crowds in Singapore, the talented vocalists have also delighted audiences at the Vocal Asia Festival in Taiwan.

What’s next? More exciting collaborations! They recently joined forces with Cross Ratio Entertainment, National Heritage Board, and Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre to whip up a medley of Speak Mandarin Campaign theme songs for the Music at Monuments series.

Local rap isn’t the only genre that’s having fun with multilingualism. The six-membered a cappella group 1023 has always been passionate about spotlighting Singapore’s diverse languages and dialects, and has performed covers in English, Hokkien, Cantonese, Malay, and Tamil. And what’s a multilingual a cappella group without tapping into multi-genres including pop, folk, jazz, and more. No matter your age, 1023’s catchy renditions will captivate audiences of all generations.

What’s next? 1023 had their a cappella soundscape de.con.struc.ted featured in last year's Voices – A Festival of Song. The installation had visitors stand at a designated spot to listen to the tracks. And if this is just one of the many innovative ideas they have, then we can’t wait to see what else they have up their sleeves.