Recently, we touched base with an act we never thought we’d call a duo – Zsa Zsa Scorpion and Amanda Tee have been performing and writing their original songs in Singapore for over a decade each, and yet never crossed paths with each other until not long ago.
Just a few months after they decided to work together as an original duo, the two singer-songwriters are now embarking on their first overseas tour – in Tokyo.
Here’s the twist – Amanda broke her foot less than a week before they were to embark on their tour, which starts today. The ladies give us the lowdown of what they’re going to expect on what seems to be an interesting tour.
Popspoken: First off, why Japan of all places?
Zsa: I made a promise to the sushi chef of my favourite sushi place in all of Tokyo that I would come back and perform in Toyko.
Amanda: The sushi is indeed very delicious.
Really? As simple as that?
Z: Yes. Also, the people there seem to be very receptive of original music, and we do want to play somewhere different. Japan seems like a good place as any to start; this tour was done up at a very short notice because Paul from the Good Heavens British Bar in Shimokitazawa actually gave us a chance to perform at his bar, and we decided to take this opportunity to turn it into a Tiny Tour. The other venues we contacted were so accomodating even though they usually plan their programmes months before.
A: Their friendliness, even though we’ve never met most of the venue owners or managers before, really made us feel warm and fuzzy. We’re looking forward to being there!
You guys will be playing your originals during this tour – how did some of these songs come about?
A: Various experiences over the years I guess. For example, The Unbearable Lightness of Your Being was written in 2011 as a breakup song. Five years later, I decided to break something else. Most of our songs come with the different situations we’ve faced in our lives over the years.
With one foot down, how’s this tour going to be different from what you’d expected?
A: First of all, lugging equipment around from country to country – and venue to venue – is going to be quite a challenge. We’re looking at ways to reduce baggage, like borrowing guitars from a brand in Japan. A wheelchair would make travelling from place to place a lot easier, but we do know some of the venues we’re going to play at require ascending or descending at least a flight of stairs – that’s going to give us quite the workout. All in all, we’re probably going to end up really fit and can afford to eat as much sushi and ramen as we like!
You guys play covers as well – what would be the one song you would play at a bar if nothing else mattered but what you wanted to play?
Z: (immediately) Crash Into Me by the Dave Matthews Band.
A: Probably a Backstreet Boys song. (laughs) I love anything from the 90’s really. Maybe Take A Picture by Filter, or No Rain by Blind Melon.
Random question: Are you cat or dog people?
Z: CATS! MEOW!!
A: The other one. But she wins cause she has two cats and I only have one dog. Guess who’s going to become a crazy cat lady.
Lastly – what do you think you’ll be able to take home from this Japan tour?
A: It being our first few major shows featuring our originals, it’ll be a good gauge of how people who don’t know us would take to our type of music and writing. It’ll also be a good test on how we’d fare with a foreign audience, in a forign land.
Z: I’m still getting over stage fright, so it being a different country is definitely going to put me out of my comfort zone – with any luck, I’ll learn to be a little bit more confident. On a sidenote, maybe I’ll be able to bring home more choice Japanese phrases!
Zsa Zsa Scorpion and Amanda Tee will be playing at a few venues in Tokyo, Japan from 1st – 5th April, so if you know anyone in the vicinity who would love to catch some original music fresh out of Singapore, check out their tour details in their poster below:
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