The Buckman Coe Trio were here in Singapore last week for Music Matters Live 2015, and The Fifth Parlour had the opportunity to sit down and chat with the Vancouver-based band before their performance on the first night of the 4-day-long event.

Led by Buckman Coe, together with Sam Cartwright on drums and Mary Ancheta on keyboard and vocals, the Buckman Coe Trio is an undeniable force — both in the musical and the environmental fields. Combining the two aspects they feel passionately about, the band strives to make a positive impact in their community by supporting causes important to them. Take a listen to their song “Love For All Living Things” here and you’ll understand:

For Buckman, Singapore is not a foreign country. With his Taiwanese and Malaysian roots, he blends perfectly in. Having explored Little India with his band earlier, he spoke to us with open-eyed fascination about the array of temples he saw. Buckman found the multi-cultural gathering of such temples to be really nice and loved how there was a real meeting between people and culture.

Buckman passionately talking about the temples he witnessed along the stretch of Little India

Here’s a picture taken off Buckman’s instagram:

It was Mary‘s second time to the country. She revealed that she worked in Singapore previously and was playing in a band at Scotts Road — that was her first time to Asia.

The lovely Mary sharing with us about her experiences in Singapore

It wasn’t the same case for bandmate Sam, who was on his virgin visit to the country. As he spoke into the recording phone, worried that I would not be able to catch his voice over the buzz of background noises, he commented on the humidity (yep, we know) and the vegetation (how much he enjoyed it). Sam found Singapore to be an expensive city to live in, though, on par with Vancouver.

Sam goofing off and speaking into the recording phone, for the benefit of the writers, due to the buzz of background noises.

Buckman Coe Trio describes their music as “optimistic, positive and feel good”. Most of their sounds are a soothing mix of folk, soul and reggae, and sends across messages of social consciousness. The band uses their music as a platform to spread positivity and addresses social issues in a light-hearted manner. Buckman, the main songwriter for the band’s songs, shared that he gets his inspiration for his music from his day-to-day activities and the people around him, choosing to focus on the current. Take for instance, a song off his By the Mountain’s Feet album, “Brother“, was written about the special friendship he shared with a friend who was then recovering from a surgery. “Stars Over Tokyo” a track off his Crow’s Nest EP was inspired by his interpretation of human experiences with nature, in which Buckman described:

“A month after the Earthquake and Tsunami that hit Japan last year, my friend’s mom went to visit family over there. She related to me of how she was walking in the middle of the darkened streets of Tokyo, which was still experiencing blackouts, and she could see the stars in all their majesty. By the look in her eye I could tell that this was a magnificent experience for her, and I could feel it as though I were there. Months later, under the stars in Hawaii, this song came to me with the ocean breeze all the way from the shores Japan.”

The band sure knows how to have fun as well. Buckman joked that he would write a song based off his love for durians, while Mary chirped in about a song on Stinky Tofu, something she’s discovered from their recent tour in Taiwan. We really can’t wait to listen to those singles, and we’re crossing our fingers that they do happen!

Interviewing Buckman Coe Trio

For first time listeners, Buckman recommends the band’s latest single, “Malama Ka’aina“. Buckman explains that the word Malama Ka’aina originated from Hawaii and translates to “respecting Mother nature”. He elaborated on it stating that it means more than just respecting the land we live on, but rather, living in harmony with the land.

Exciting things are in store for the Buckman Coe Trio. In June, the band will be involved in the ‘Sea to Seed‘ sailboat tour, which will be held in celebration and promotion of culture and local organic farming on the Coast of British Columbia. They will be travelling between Vancouver islands and the main land of Canada and visiting different farming communities with other musicians. For this project, the band produced the single “Sail the Seas, Sow the Seeds“. Check out the song here:

The Buckman Coe Trio will be releasing a new album this summer, and fans can look forward to a series of music videos by the band. The band has plans to return to South-East Asia too, before the arrival of 2016.

Local fans however, do not need to wait for long to see the band perform again! Buckman Coe Trio will be performing in Singapore again post-music matters on the 30th of May, this Saturday.

For more updates on the Buckman Coe Trio, you can check out their FaceBook, website and Twitter accounts.

The Fifth Parlour would like to thank the Buckman Coe Trio for their time and Sammy for coordinating the interview.