Spotify spotlight: R&B Trio brb. is in full bloom with their sophomore EP Fleur

brb. is known for writing catchy AF songs. Their debut EP relationshit spawned monster singles such as cool with it and talking to myself. And the talented trio - comprising multi-instrumentalists Clarence Liew Oliveiro, Auzaie Zie and Marc Lian - had no problem winning over listeners with their modern, soulful production and irresistible beats.

Now they're back with a four-track EP, fleur, which represents an evolution of sorts for the group. The sophomore effort is, unsurprisingly, an upbeat affair with crossover tendencies, made more compelling by the trio’s more refined vocal chops.

Lead track "saint" embodies the potential of brb.'s future sound. Dark and sultry, the song incorporates brassy beats and guitar riffs that reel you into a swelling chorus of a certified bop. And from the group's recent performance video of the song, it seems like an absolute treat to experience "live" as well (we miss "live" music!).

We caught up with the gang to get the inside scoop on the latest record and why their music should be "felt", not just listened to.

What is the concept behind fleur and how does this collection of songs develop the band's identity after the first EP?

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Well, fleur means "flower", and flowers have traditionally signified growth and change. We wanted a sonic representation of our growth since “relationshit”. You can hear the difference in “saint” and “move”; we want to continue to push ourselves and create better music.

Lead single saint features all three band members on vocals for the first time. What was that like?

To be honest, we have all been doing this for a while now, and we have all sung before. So it isn’t exactly new to us! But it was still a lot of trial and error to see what would work best.

What role does each member play when it comes to the collaborative song-making process?

Marc is a beast! He is so prolific and we never run out of beats to write to - we’re really privileged to have him. The songwriting process is very collaborative and we each bring something to the table. Clo tends to write the bulk of it, and Zie is great with ad libs and spotting any clunky portions or finding better hooks.

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What are some of the lyrical themes that you explore in this EP?

There are quite a few. Quite embarrassingly, we did lean towards love and relationships again in this EP, even though we told ourselves we wanted to write about something different, haha! But “move” is something close to our hearts - it’s about not getting caught up in the vicissitudes of life and cherishing the everyday.

Your songs are certifiable earworms! What's the secret ingredient for making an earworm of a song?

Thank you so much, I think we try our best to write songs that we would be proud of. And in terms of the secret ingredient, it’s Marc. It’s always Marc. Haha!

How should your listeners feel when they hear a brb. song?

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We’ll do you one better - “feel something”. We just want our listeners to feel something. Listen to these songs in any way you’d like!

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This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.