We need to be honest with ourselves. For many Singaporeans, the local music scene remains a niche creative sector — one often viewed as an occupational gamble, if not a punchline. Even as homegrown acts have steadily gained international recognition, local audiences have not always extended the same generosity.
In 2023, when homegrown indie band Sobs partnered with Singtel for a social media ad campaign on TikTok and Instagram, it met a wave of immense online ridicule. The performance became less about the music and more about a new opportunity for Internet spectatorship. Perhaps this was one of the earliest examples of algorithmic dogpiling in the TikTok-era of social media.
It is what many musicians in Singapore are facing: the risk that comes with the reward. “Trying too hard”, “wannabe”, and, perhaps the most damning of all, “subpar” are criticisms hurled with remarkable ease. Yet therein lies the contradiction of the Singaporean creative spirit. It is precisely because the landscape is so harsh and resistant to change that artists continue to push against it.
For SCUMBOYS, resistance means life. After releasing its debut album, CORPSE PARTY, last year, the four-piece electronic/hyperpop/digipop outfit returns with its sophomore project, exHUME. Scrap the saccharine, beige, NDP-headlining popstar that everyone expects of a local musician. Men’s Folio formally introduces the minds behind the noise: demostar, vyn!, ITCHYNAPPER, and jumble, as we ask: Is there any space left for an anomaly like them?
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Please describe scumboys in the most SEO and PR-friendly way possible.
vyn! (v): We’re a Singaporean four-piece boyband and an artistic collective that works primarily in the field of electronic music. We want to be unconventional rockstars.
ITCHYNAPPER (I): The term “boy*band” is a term of endearment for us. The word “boy*” has absolutely nothing to do with gender, age, or background. If you genuinely enjoy our music and what we are creating, you’re already a part of SCUMBOYS.
What does scumboys mean to all of you?
demostar (d): It’s an alternative lifestyle in a country that typically holds a very traditional outlook on life. SCUMBOYS is about creating music where there’s no judgment. Through this collective, so much of our individual personalities can come to life, allowing us to achieve creative results that we otherwise would not get.
(On demostar) Coat, Stylist’s own; Shirt, pants, demostar’s own; Sunglasses, vintage Vetements (via Upstairs Garments); (On jumble) Jacket, vintage Undercover (via Upstairs Garments); Pants, hat, Stylist’s own; Bracelets, ISCARIOTPISCES (via Upstairs Garments)
Do you guys actually want to be famous, or do you just want people to care?
v: It would be disingenuous to say that we don’t want to be cared about or recognised for what we do. However, our core motivation has primarily been intrinsic. We started out creating our music without anyone listening to us, and we would continue doing all of that even if we had no audience.
d: In some way, many artists in this day and age like the abstract idea of being famous, but there are so many unerasable repercussions that come with it. I’ve learnt to care deeply about people, and I want people to care about what we create. Fame and care usually come as pairs.
When you look at other bands or singers in Singapore, what differentiates you from them?
jumble (j): Our sound occupies a very unusual area that borders between mainstream influences and underground sensibilities.
I: Every member brings a completely different variation to the table in terms of singing, screaming and production. We marry these different styles into a completely new entity.
From left: Bracelets, ISCARIOTPISCES (via Upstairs Garments); Pants, jumble’s own; Shirt, pants, all vyn!’s own
From playing gigs at RASA, the infamous Room 526 and Phil’s studio, do you ever want to see yourselves at a larger stage or performing at festivals overseas?
ALL: (Unanimously) Yes!
d: Maybe we’ll see you guys at Coachella next year!
If your first album, CORPSE PARTY, was about destruction, what;s your new album, exHUME, about?
j: Revival.
Do you think being based in Singapore is disadvantageous as an artist?
v: In terms of publishing, music distribution, or capturing a wider audience, there’s not a very big scene in Singapore. It’s much harder to push ourselves out there. It’s not impossible, but we’re trying our hardest.
(On jumble) Jacket, vintage Undercover (via Upstairs Garments); Bracelets, ISCARIOTPISCES (via Upstairs Garments); Pants, hat, Stylist’s own; (On ITCHYNAPPER); Jacket, vintage Levi’s Red (via Upstairs Garments); Tank top, pants, ITCHYNAPPER’s own; Sunglasses, Stylist’s own; (On vyn!) Pants, vintage Kapital (via Upstairs Garments); Necklace, ISCARIOTPISCES (via Upstairs Garments); Jacket, Final Home (via angel_gears); accessories, Stylist’s own; (On demostar) Sunglasses, vintage Vetements (via Upstairs Garments); Shirts, pants, demostar’s own; Coat, Stylist’s own
And why do you think the music scene is not as big?
d: There are people who are quite interested, but they’re typically younger and belong to the emergent generation. It has not caught on completely yet because of the general interest of artistes and listeners in Singapore. Perhaps our songs are not exactly what the wider public wants to hear at this literal moment. But we hope it comes around.
j: It comes down to the specific way culture spreads here.
v: It’s difficult to build creative synergy here, which is why we’re especially proud of what we’re doing and proud to be Singaporeans doing it. Even if the country does not always pay attention, deep down, all of us are proud to represent Singapore.
(On ITCHYNAPPER) Jacket, vintage Levi’s Red (via Upstairs Garments); Tank top, pants, ITCHYNAPPER’s own; Sunglasses, Stylist’s own; (On vyn!) Pants, vintage Kapital (via Upstairs Garments); Necklace, ISCARIOTPISCES (via Upstairs Garments); Jacket, accessories, all Stylist’s own
When people eventually look back on SCUMBOYS, what do you hope they say the group changed?
j: At the bottom line, I want us to be remembered for doing something completely different.
d: I hope our future success encourages others to follow their own genuine interests rather than conforming to societal views. We need healthy competition in the scene because you can’t be the only fish in the pond. I want us to start a larger movement regarding how people view art and make music in Singapore.
I: Singaporeans often immediately shut down things they don’t understand. We hope to change that exact perception through our music.
(On jumble) Jacket, vintage Undercover (via Upstairs Garments); Pants, hat, Stylist’s own; (On vyn!) Necklace, ISCARIOTPISCES (via Upstairs Garments); Jacket, Final Home (via angel_gears); Accessories, Stylist’s own; (On ITCHYNAPPER); Jacket, vintage Levi’s Red (via Upstairs Garments); Tank top, ITCHYNAPPER’s own; Sunglasses, Stylist’s own; (On demostar) Sunglasses, vintage Vetements (via Upstairs Garments); Shirts, demostar’s own; Coat, Stylist’s own
Editorial Director Izwan Abdullah
Photography Sherman See-Tho
Interview & Styling Dhani Salbini
Art Direction Danessa Tong
Grooming & Hair Ann Lin
Photography Assistant Shiro Kuan
Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our August 2026 issue.