Esty Richard was once the lead singer to a Malaysian pop-rock band, Once Upon A Time There Was A Sausage Named Bob.

The band had a cult following and was well known between 2009 to 2015.

At the same time, Esty also saw one of her singles Cupid’s Fall featured Grim Film’s Long Distance Relationship. The film gained a whopping 3.1 million of views on YouTube.

However, Esty decided to take a sabbatical from music for six years to focus on her career. She’s now back and we recently spoke to her to find out how different the local scene is more than half a decade later.

Esty, who also writes lyrics on the side on Fiverr shares some valuable thoughts for budding singer-songwriters to write better lyrics and get noticed.

Copied and pasted from Eksentrika.

Copied and pasted from Eksentrika.

Heya Esty, do you remember how old you were when you fell in love with music? What caused it to happen?

I fell in love with music around the age of 7 when I first got into the recording booth to do a jingle for a local dessert brand. I loved the atmosphere and my uncle taught me that someone has a job to write and create the melodies, immediately I knew that was what I wanted to do.

You’ve also made a comeback after close to 6 years of absence. What made you take a break and then make a return?

I took a break to build an awesome career in corporate sales. I guess at this point in my life I realised that I can’t neglect my first love and passion for music, that’s why I’m back.

How different is the music scene today compared to the last time? Was it easy to adapt following your absence?

Back in my band days, the rock and pop/punk scene was huge. It’s fascinating to see how different genres rotate taking place as current trends. For me, it wasn’t tough to get back into it and I am extremely happy to see so many types of platforms available today for musicians to get their music heard.

You also write lyrics on Fiverr. How is this coming along? Is this how you sustain yourself financially?

I do that on the side however I do wish at some point for songwriting to be my main gig. That would be my dream job! Currently, I run the sales department for a brokerage firm.

What are some tips you can share with budding lyricists who wish to become better lyricists?

I find expanding my music knowledge by listening to all types of songs every day, listening to what they write, really helps me with my own songwriting. Always write things that relate to you and find a flow. Emphasize the points that you want to make to create a great hook.

As a lyricist, what’s the best way to get yourself noticed?

I find versatility as a writer and collaboration with different types of artists are the best ways to get noticed. Showcasing your work on social media works wonders too. There’s a variety of platforms nowadays to achieve that.

Finally, can you tell me more about how you found Karazey and what led you guys to collaborate for your latest single, Through My Mind?

I noticed the remix he did for An Honest Mistake. I was so impressed and immediately looked him up on IG. I approached him and asked if he wanted to collaborate and was stoked when he agreed. We got on Zoom and I pitched in a lofi demo song that I had. 5 hours later we had Through My Mind turned into a dance track made from scratch!

All images in this feature were supplied by Esty Richard. 

Copied and pasted from Eksentrika.

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