Punk made in Sài Gòn: 7UPPERCUTS
Yo, check this out! Vietnamese mainstream music is pretty heavy on ballads – most tunes are all about love, heartbreak, and other emotional stuff. The beats are slow and fancy, the voices are dreamy and sad, and the instruments are mostly piano, keyboard, violin, and guitar. Seems like the Vietnamese soul craves warmth, harmony, and schmaltz, and misses out on different musical vibes and feelings.
Enter 7UPPERCUTS, an underground band that’s spicing things up with their fresh pop-rock-punk sound. They’re a young, multi-cultural trio from Sài Gòn that formed in 2017 under their own label to boost the growth of Vietnamese rock and punk. The crew consists of bassist and vocalist Aki Pham from Avalanche, guitarist and vocalist Vung A Dính from Stranded PXL, and foreign drummer Callum “Lâm” Rollo who used to jam with James and Van Der Beeks. 7UPPERCUTS dropped their first album “Summer Jam” in April 2018 and has been releasing slick singles since, which stand out from the norm and bring a more upbeat feel to the local music scene. Their music is a welcome change for the younger crowd (and for me too). Want to know more about 7UPPERCUTS and their story? Head over to Hidden Saigon for a longer interview.
But enough chit-chat and noodling, let’s rock! This is 7UPPERCUTS (I strongly advise you to check them out):
7UPPERCUTS – STUBBORN
7UPPERCUTS – TRỐN TÌM
7UPPERCUTS × SEACHAINS – NO INTERNET
7UPPERCUTS – Bullshit
Wanna hear more from 7UPPERCUTS?
Hero image: photo from 7UPPERCUTS’ Facebook page.
Reply Tweet Reply answer