Wonderfu 2013 Live Tour

TAIWAN - After 10 years of dating, WonFu lead singer Hsiao Min finally popped the question to the Taiwanese group's bassist, Twiggy. In a music video (sort of), no less.

Speaking over the telephone from Taipei, he tells Life! that he had been mulling over the best way to do it for a while. "I can't just propose to her when we are walking along the street or when we're in the middle of a meal.

Maybe that's okay, but I wanted something better. I couldn't think of something cooler though."

So when the director of the music video for their new song, Love You A Trillion Years, suggested a wedding scenario, a lightbulb went off.

After all, the song was written by Hsiao Min about the two of them. The opening lines, "When the wind blows, when the rain drops/Glad you live close by", already gives the game away.

As Twiggy says: "We do live quite close together actually, so he would say it's written for me. It's a little embarrassing for me to say it though."

The lyrics are quite playful ("Want to be with you like a USB so I can plug into your mind"), and Hsiao Min says it reflects the way they behave. "That's how we would talk to each other. We would joke about and think of ways to make each other laugh."

The track is from the indie band's new album, WONderFU, which peaked at No. 10 on Taiwan's G-Music album chart. The group comprise lead singer and guitarist Hsiao Min, 35; female lead and guitarist Mami, 30; bassist Twiggy, 33; and drummer Tu Pi, 32. They are currently touring to promote the album and will play at Switch on Wednesday.

In the video, Hsiao Min objects to a wedding that is taking place, but his object of affection turns out to be the bridesmaid played by Twiggy, and not the bride (played by Mami).

At the end of the shoot, the director yelled "time to pack up", and that was the cue for friends and family to come streaming in.

When Twiggy first saw their friends, including music group Cosmos People, her first thought was: "Oh great, everyone's here, we can all go for a meal."

Then she saw her mother and she had an inkling of what was to come.

Hsiao Min read a speech he had prepared, but was so overwhelmed that he started to cry. He says: "When I watch movies, it always seems so easy to propose, but when it came to me, suddenly, it didn't seem to go so smoothly."

The proposal itself was a success, though, and Twiggy said yes. A video of it was posted to YouTube on July 24 and has garnered more than 295,000 views thus far. The music video was posted on YouTube on Aug 13 and has more than 146,000 hits.

Wedding bells will have to wait as WonFu are now busy with promotional activities and touring. They were last in Singapore in January 2009 when they performed at the Esplanade Recital Studio.

Hsiao Min says a lot of their songs will have audience interaction worked in, and adds: "Through that, we hope to narrow the distance with the audience, since we haven't been here in a while."

Those going can also expect a cheery atmosphere given their sunny peppy brand of quirky pop.

Asked what makes the band happy and the answers circle around food and music. For Mami, it is something as simple as having a late start at work and having a leisurely breakfast, while Tu Pi loves eating pizza.

Twiggy says: "Being by myself and listening to music, and just singing and dancing as I please. But there has to be no one watching."

Not even Hsiao Min? "Yeah, that's something very private," she says. She started dating him a few years after the band were formed in 1998.

Hsiao Min himself paints a specific picture: "After work, I like going into a small cosy restaurant, take along two or three comic books, order food and beer.

This would make me very happy. "Twiggy has accompanied me before.

We would have our own reading material because we have different tastes."

Book It

WONDERFU 2013 LIVE TOUR

Where: Switch, 73 Bras Brasah Road

When: Wednesday, 7.30pm

Admission: $35 from Sistic (call 6348-5555 or go to www.sistic.com.sg)

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