The Life List

Accusefive are actually a trio

Accusefive comprise (from left) drummer Richard Lin, and vocalists Chuan Ching and Pan Yun-an. PHOTO: B'IN MUSIC INTERNATIONAL

Taiwanese indie band Accusefive might have found success in the big city, but they have not forgotten their roots.

The trio chose to record their second album in their home town, Yilan County. Titled Easy Come, Easy Go, the new work features tracks such as Mischief and Where I Lost Us, and was released in December last year.

Debuting in 2017, the band comprise vocalists Pan Yun-an, 26, and Tsai Hsin-lun, nicknamed Chuan Ching, 24, and drummer Richard Lin, 30.

Their first album, Somewhere In Time, I Love You (2019) was nominated for Best New Vocal and Best Musical Group at the Golden Melody Awards.

Over the telephone from Taipei, they talked about the "safety and ease" they felt during the two weeks of recording the album.

They revisited places filled with personal memories to take photos for the album: where Lin used to collect water for his family; a spot on a hill where Pan used to go to relax; and a fishing boat belonging to Tsai's fisherman grandfather.

Here are five things to know about Accusefive.


1. THE 'FIVE' IN THEIR NAME WAS CHOSEN AT RANDOM

The band's name in Mandarin is "gao wu ren", consisting of three characters - "accuse", "five" and "people". But the characters have no specific meaning.

While thinking about what to call themselves, the group passed by the bulletin board of a court. Each member then pointed to one word on the board and the choices were put together.


2. NONE OF THE MEMBERS HAS BEEN TO SINGAPORE

Before the pandemic, the band had planned to announce a concert tour, but this had to be shelved.

Pan said: "We really want to come to Singapore. We have never had a chance to come."


3. THEY ONCE JUGGLED OTHER JOBS

Music was not always their full-time gig. Tsai worked in a drug-store, Pan was a music assistant while Lin gave drumming lessons.

Around 2019, they held a concert for an audience of 2,500, singing more than 20 songs. After that show, they focused full-time on their first album.


4. THEIR SONGS CAN SOMETIMES BE SLIPPERY

Despite its name, their song The One And Only is not about a specific person. Rather, it deals with individual moments that form a unique experience.

Pan said: "In life, we might encounter moments which we think are unique. But what makes something 'one and only'? It is not easy to figure out. Like our band's name, we can't define it."


5. PAN AND TSAI ARE IN A RELATIONSHIP

Both attended National Yilan Senior High School. The fact that they are in a relationship is not a problem for the band.

Pan said: "We keep our private lives separate from what happens on stage."

Lin said: "There are only two opinions in this band. Yun-an and Chuan Ching form one opinion, and I, the other. As long as we can make things work, we are okay."


• Easy Come, Easy Go is available on music-streaming platforms such as KKBox, Spotify and Apple Music.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 08, 2021, with the headline Accusefive are actually a trio. Subscribe