9 Maps
Tonight, 9pm, Swindlers
Remember the big fuss indie lovers made when Feist first came out? Well, Hong Kong seems to be reliving the hype all over again with the emergence of 9 Maps - a female duo headed by Ciosa Houlihan (above right) on guitar and vocals, and Sherin Zhen Siew on piano, guitar and vocals.
They recently got together and began covering material such as Feist's Gatekeeper, and writing new songs that have been well-received by Hong Kong's indie crowd. The good reception may have been due to their soulful vocals, a willingness to keep things at a slower tempo, and subtle yet disarming harmonies. 9 Maps attribute much of their unique sound to a wide array of influences, including Sufjan Stevens, Annie Clark, Beirut, Laura Veirs, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead ... 'The list goes on. It's hard to listen to good music and not be influenced at all by it,' Houlihan says.
The duo describe their sound as an 'honest assortment of metaphors, visions, and existential ramblings delivered in full, harmonic ebbs and flows'. The act consists of only two members but, according to Houlihan, two is enough. 'Band dynamics are obviously important to get right, and more people means more possibilities for unnecessary complexity. Run a tight ship, it gives you more ownership.'
But Zhen adds the band might soon expand. 'Who knows, with the music constantly changing and growing we might find it necessary to add more people in the future.'
Tonight the band will be playing at one of the first of many free shows organised by Arthur Urquiola of the band Six Pack of Wolves. Other bands include Danny O'Connor and the Icarus Flight Plan.
Indie aficionados shouldn't miss this rare opportunity to catch great local talent for free.
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