Shadow Puppet Theatre - ‘SPT’ for short - are a four-piece Malaysian rock band named after the beautiful and ancient art of shadow puppetry. In keeping with their chosen name, they meld both storytelling and what they call "the feels": an indefinable element adding a special ‘sparkle’ of life into each, and every, musical note they play. With latest single ‘Codename Summer’ just unleashed, we caught up with the band for a chat.
Hi there Dzul! How, and where, are you today?
Hello! I am right as rain, can't complain, in the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, thank you for asking.
You have a new single out ‘Codename Summer’ – what is the song about? Is it something from your own personal experience or an imaginary narrative?
It's an imaginary narrative entirely, about an altruistic hacker who uses his talents to uphold justice and to expose corruption. Think of it as the imaginary child of "You" and "Mr. Robot", starred by Henry Cavill and his killer jawline.
Where did you get the name for the band ‘Shadow Puppet Theatre’ and what does it refer to?
The name of the band pays homage to our cultural heritage of shadow puppetry, and for us it symbolizes storytelling albeit in the form of music.
Were you pleased with the reaction and feedback to your debut album ‘John Doe’ in 2018?
Absolutely, we were honoured that ROTTW magazine reviewed John Doe as one of the best albums of 2018.
Is there a follow up album in the works?
Yes Indeed, we have mastered a few tracks and are working on a couple of other songs to be recorded and produced.
Famously the band are known for its eclectic output (and you say yourselves you are “Funk, Rock and everything in between”!) , is this because your influences are wide and varied?
Yes pretty much, we have an alternative vocalist, a blues guitarist, a soul/funk drummer and a prog metal drummer, so when you put it all together it’s a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.
What’s the music scene like in Kuala Lumpur, Does the general music culture & vibe there inspire you?
The music scene here is okay, not as prominent as overseas though, lots of talent shows for pop stars too, leaning more towards the local language. The music culture is pretty laid back in general but you do have some insanely talented musicians who shy away from the limelight.
We hear you’ve done some cool things as a band! Tell us about your record breaking Highest Altitude Live Music performance whilst playing a live set during an Air Asia Flight.
That gig was super fun, the passengers did not know we were performing so it was a surprise for them, and it was awesome to see almost the whole plane having hands up waving along to our song. Funny thing is when we started singing it was all mobile phones up recording.
Would you be up for more musical record breaking stunts?
Why not , depends on the stunt itself, nothing too extreme perhaps, maybe along the lines of a space gig sponsored by Space X.
What’s your (own) favourite song to sing?
I personally don't have a favourite per se, It’s almost like how some chefs or cooks don't like to eat their own cooking. I just enjoy working on new materials.
What would be our favourite ‘cover’ song to perform?
We did do crazy by Gnarls Barkley, but I wouldn't pin a favourite as playing the same song over and over gets boring.
What would be your dream celebrity dinner guest list be (alive or dead) and what ideal gig (again artists could be alive or dead) would you all go to afterwards?!
Just a chill meal with Dave Chapelle and Keanu Reeves would be cool, and then we would go to Live Aid and chill with Freddie Mercury after.
You can recently collaborated with Grammy nominated producer Clinton Sparks (Pitbull, Gaga) . Do you have any other dream musical collaborations in mind for the future?
A Duet with Dua Lipa would be great.
Will you be touring in 2022/3 – and where would your ideal tour dates be?
We hope to be back on the road by the middle of the year depending on how things play out, the shows earlier this year were put on hold due to the pandemic.
Where can we find you online?
You can find us at our website https://sptband.com/
Thanks for taking the time to chat to us! Hope to see you soon!
Thank you for the questions! Happy to have a conversation anytime.
Hello! I am right as rain, can't complain, in the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, thank you for asking.
You have a new single out ‘Codename Summer’ – what is the song about? Is it something from your own personal experience or an imaginary narrative?
It's an imaginary narrative entirely, about an altruistic hacker who uses his talents to uphold justice and to expose corruption. Think of it as the imaginary child of "You" and "Mr. Robot", starred by Henry Cavill and his killer jawline.
Where did you get the name for the band ‘Shadow Puppet Theatre’ and what does it refer to?
The name of the band pays homage to our cultural heritage of shadow puppetry, and for us it symbolizes storytelling albeit in the form of music.
Were you pleased with the reaction and feedback to your debut album ‘John Doe’ in 2018?
Absolutely, we were honoured that ROTTW magazine reviewed John Doe as one of the best albums of 2018.
Is there a follow up album in the works?
Yes Indeed, we have mastered a few tracks and are working on a couple of other songs to be recorded and produced.
Famously the band are known for its eclectic output (and you say yourselves you are “Funk, Rock and everything in between”!) , is this because your influences are wide and varied?
Yes pretty much, we have an alternative vocalist, a blues guitarist, a soul/funk drummer and a prog metal drummer, so when you put it all together it’s a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.
What’s the music scene like in Kuala Lumpur, Does the general music culture & vibe there inspire you?
The music scene here is okay, not as prominent as overseas though, lots of talent shows for pop stars too, leaning more towards the local language. The music culture is pretty laid back in general but you do have some insanely talented musicians who shy away from the limelight.
We hear you’ve done some cool things as a band! Tell us about your record breaking Highest Altitude Live Music performance whilst playing a live set during an Air Asia Flight.
That gig was super fun, the passengers did not know we were performing so it was a surprise for them, and it was awesome to see almost the whole plane having hands up waving along to our song. Funny thing is when we started singing it was all mobile phones up recording.
Would you be up for more musical record breaking stunts?
Why not , depends on the stunt itself, nothing too extreme perhaps, maybe along the lines of a space gig sponsored by Space X.
What’s your (own) favourite song to sing?
I personally don't have a favourite per se, It’s almost like how some chefs or cooks don't like to eat their own cooking. I just enjoy working on new materials.
What would be our favourite ‘cover’ song to perform?
We did do crazy by Gnarls Barkley, but I wouldn't pin a favourite as playing the same song over and over gets boring.
What would be your dream celebrity dinner guest list be (alive or dead) and what ideal gig (again artists could be alive or dead) would you all go to afterwards?!
Just a chill meal with Dave Chapelle and Keanu Reeves would be cool, and then we would go to Live Aid and chill with Freddie Mercury after.
You can recently collaborated with Grammy nominated producer Clinton Sparks (Pitbull, Gaga) . Do you have any other dream musical collaborations in mind for the future?
A Duet with Dua Lipa would be great.
Will you be touring in 2022/3 – and where would your ideal tour dates be?
We hope to be back on the road by the middle of the year depending on how things play out, the shows earlier this year were put on hold due to the pandemic.
Where can we find you online?
You can find us at our website https://sptband.com/
Thanks for taking the time to chat to us! Hope to see you soon!
Thank you for the questions! Happy to have a conversation anytime.
