Singapore band In Each Hand A Cutlass resurface after long hiatus with Esplanade gig
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Singaporean progressive rock band In Each Hand A Cutlass.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
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SINGAPORE – After nearly eight years away from the music scene, Singapore progressive instrumental rock band In Each Hand A Cutlass is rising again.
The band will perform at the Esplanade Annexe Studio on Jan 17 for In Each Hand A Cutlass – The Kraken: 10 Years On, a self-funded headlining show. The gig marks a decade since the release of their acclaimed sophomore album, The Kraken.
For guitarist Daniel Sassoon, 50, the long hiatus that started in 2018 was never intentional. “It wasn’t a planned disappearance,” he says. “Covid happened, everyone went through personal journeys, and you start asking yourself big questions: What does music mean now? What does it mean to be doing this at this stage of life?”
The band, formed in 2008, stayed in touch, occasionally exchanging ideas and demos via a WhatsApp group chat, but did not rehearse together in the same room until June 2025. Says Sassoon: “There’s a huge difference between sending clips and actually standing in a room, playing together and dealing with the real thing.”
Drummer Jordan Cheng, 41, never lost faith that the band would resurface. “Cutlass have always been my baby,” he says. “Even when I was sessioning for other artistes or running my own businesses, this band stayed close to my heart. When life gets noisy, I put on our records and remember why I play music.”
Each member spent the years apart reshaping their lives.
Guitarist Sujin Thomas, 47, underwent a mid-career switch from journalism to the banking industry. Keyboardist Amanda Ling, 41, moved into wellness coaching and healing arts, while Cheng diversified his business ventures after the pandemic upended his former projects. Bassist Nelson Tan, 44, was busy with his own solo music career, as well as collaborations with other home-grown musicians.
Their time away has deepened their conviction towards the band. Says Thomas: “We’ve always called ourselves semi-pro, very serious about the music, but with day jobs. Now we’re clearer about why we do this, and what’s worth our time.”
The Esplanade concert celebrates 10 years of In Each Hand A Cutlass’ second album The Kraken.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
That clarity was tested in their recent performance at a multi-act concert at local live music venue The Blackbird.
The mid-December show was plagued with technical mishaps, but the band view it all as necessary growing pains. “One live gig is worth 10 jam sessions,” says Sassoon, who, together with Ling, were former members of home-grown chart-topping band Electrico. “You learn disaster recovery, you learn humility and you learn how much you still care about playing music.”
The Jan 17 show will see them perform key tracks from The Kraken, alongside material from their 2011 debut, A Universe Made Of Strings. Released in 2015, The Kraken became a landmark local post-rock album, lauded for its cinematic build-ups, crushing riffs and immersive, oceanic atmosphere.
The concert will feature projected visuals designed to complement the music and heighten its emotional pull. It will also feature supporting sets by fellow instrumental acts Monda(e) and 7nightsatsea.
Cutlass plan to work on new music in the coming year. Sassoon says: “We’re not interested in revisiting old glories. If we came back just to be a shadow of ourselves, that would be pointless. But now, I know we can still fire on all cylinders.”
Book It / In Each Hand A Cutlass – The Kraken: 10 Years On
Where: Esplanade Annexe Studio, 1 Esplanade Drive str.sg/KERj
When: Jan 17, 7pm
Admission: From $50 via Eventbrite; go to
