The Alex Blake Charlie II returns for its senior run after the pandemic with a whole new programme of female cultural forerunners.
This might very well be the best way to celebrate International Women’s Day in advance. The Alex Blake Charlie Sessions, the highly acclaimed women-fronted music festival, is back for its second instalment in a much bigger way — international and local acts, accompanied by (and for the first time) a pop-up bookstore, an art lane, film screenings and a Friday-night club party.
What was a one-day affair organised by 24OWLS, the folks behind Laneway Music Festival, is now stretched over five. Across two stages, the Alex Blake Charlie Sessions II introduce a thoughtfully curated programme of indie pop, rock, folk, shoegaze and techno music to our immediate radar — all equally eloquent verbally and nonverbally, overlaying a seriousness of purpose in the music.
On the international front, look forward to earworms from Filipino-American TikTok star Lyn Lapid, Vietnamese-American R&B soulstress thuy, American indie-rock darling Soccer Mommy, as well as the genre-defying sets of Korean-born and Paris-based house music DJ Didi Han and the moody takes of grunge and hip-hop by Seattle-native Deb Never.
As for the homegrown sounds that will fill the Pasir Panjang Power Station with both a comforting and experimental resonance, expect to see the performances of Coming Up Roses, an alt-rock trio that augment folk, grunge and shoegaze elements; Kindergarchy or Amanda Rizkita, the Singapore-based Indonesian selector who also co-founded party collective Strange Weather; rEmPiT gOdDe$$ and her well-loved industrial club trips.
Beyond the music front, The Alex Blake Charlie Sessions II is also determined to gather the best of Singapore’s arts and lifestyle scenes in an engaging and frankly impressive series of artistic collaborations. Together with The Projector, the festival screens two Singapore-exclusive premieres of Irish films Joyride and Nothing Compares, alongside Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist, a tribute to the legendary female trailblazer.
For book lovers and foodies, Sweet Somethings x Chio Books highlights the power of female wordsmiths with a dessert bar of cocktails, a supper club, and visually stimulating sweets by Ukrainian pastry chef Dinara Kasko — namechecked on the 50 Next List for trailblazers in the world of gastronomy.
EYES On…, the festival’s art lane, will feature contemporary works by Singaporean artists Quinatasya, who creates neuroanatomical structures, human figures in various mediums, and The Hydrogen Explorer, an architect turned interdisciplinary artist. They join Allison M. Low, Deborah Loh, and Geraldine Lim and an exhibition dedicated to the 20-year career of Kelley Cheng, founder-creative director of The Press Room — a key player in developing the nation’s graphic design scene.
To end it off, The Nest Club Sessions, a Friday-night DJ run by AYA, EJ Missy and Kylie Nicole, gathers a potentially female-dominated future of Singapore’s DJ game in a single-taster setting. Grab your tickets before it’s too late — you won’t want to miss this core-memory-making event (possibly of the year).
The Alex Blake Charlie Sessions II runs from 21-25 February at Pasir Panjang Power Station and tickets can be purchased here. Once you’re done with this story on cult bags, click here to catch up with our February 2023 issue.
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