Thaddeus Lin’s music is like rain on windows

At eight, Thaddeus Lin received his first acoustic guitar as a birthday present from his parents and it unexpectedly started his music career. 

He trained in music and occasionally performed live. He experimented with song composition and produced concepts for fun with his friends who were in the music industry. He gradually developed an affinity with expressing himself through song. Then in 2016, he released a few original songs.

He said about them: “It bypassed standard communication. It encapsulated stronger emotions.

“After experimenting with different styles in my first EP, I Wish It Rained Forever, I found my musical palette maturing to develop into a distinctive mellow tone influenced by elements of the Indie-folk genre.”

For Thaddeus, his music progressed naturally from interest in listening to interest in producing. “Folk music is my go-to on late night drives, nap time or a chill rainy afternoon. It’s easy on the ears, yet it offers well-rounded musical composition. My current favourite folk artists include The Lumineers, Hollow Coves and The Paper Kites,” he added. 

Thaddeus is currently pursuing his BA(Hons) Popular Music Performance. He said about music as a career in Singapore: “Putting a roof over my own head and food on my plate are concerns as adulthood looms. But I’m glad to have supportive family and friends, and beginning to find a balance between being able to provide alongside producing music.”

Young adulthood seems to be pivotal for creatives enlightened by the financial burden of creative careers. “As I approach adulthood, I realise my drive for music is less compared to my younger self,” he shared. 

Hey Son, Thaddeus’ recent single, is a reminder to keep on. He said: “The song is not written or produced in a genre common across Singapore’s music landscape. Most of my songs capture specific moments in my life, but this song will stick with me for a while.”

“COVID-19 restricted live entertainment, one of the avenues musicians have to showcase our work. But we’re adaptable. We have migrated performances online and collaborated digitally. I’m redirecting towards online music platforms and release,” Thaddeus shared. 

The pandemic also helped Thaddeus, who writes songs in his bedroom studio, make more music. He said: “I had so much more time to develop my music style and work on more production elements. I’ve been tuning into other genres of music too: R&B, Funk, Bedroom Pop, etc.”

Another recent single, Mother Earth, deals with Thaddeus’ agony over environmental detriment.

“I’m normally more a ‘to each their own’ type of person. But I wanted to urge people to be more aware of the damage we’ve done to our planet and what we can do to save it,” said Thaddeus.  His latest single, Mornin’ Song, is an anthem for modern relationships. The last verse of the chorus goes “In a bed of sound the moon died out again”. Less online dating, more sleepless city night adventures. 

Maybe uninterrupted time for creativity sparked Thaddeus’ love.

“I will continue to create music that I love and people are able to relate to. I hope for more people to find solace in my work. I want to make a difference in their lives — even if it’s for three minutes of their evening drive home!” he shared. 

He seems to have found the antidote to apathy: digging deep. “I’m focused on work that has personal meaning to me. It’s how I remain authentic,” he explained.

In many ways, Thaddeus’s music is an outcry, of his own and other’s pain, and to implore help.

“I hope that my music can help raise awareness of Singapore’s music industry and encourage public support for young artists,” he said.