Basic HTML Version
AriffAB, amusical rising starwho traded in his boxing
shorts and gloves for aviators and amic.
Tunes
62 | FireFlyz
The Rise of AB
W
ith
his sultry
voca l s, bad
boy persona
and s l i cked
back hair, it’s
no surpr i se
that Ariff AB,
a local artist, has got a very musical future
ahead of him. Capturing the hearts and
interests of fans from as far as the UK, this
one-man show has gotten comfortable
on the local music charts with songs like
Elena
. With scheduled tours in the works,
it doesn’t seem like he’ll be putting down
his mic anytime soon.
1. Howdidyouget into the scene?
It all started on a trip to Birmingham to
visit my sister. The family decided to stop
in Uzbekistan for a quick holiday when I
was around 14 years old. At that point, I
was still one of those super sporty, active
children and I decided it was time I did
some soul-searching. I wandered the
streets and started thinking about the
future, most importantly, my future. Upon
my return home, I decided to raid my
sister’s room, knowing that she had an
eclectic taste inmusic. I took refuge in her
collection of the greats: Oasis, At the Drive
In, Mars Volta, HIM, Jimi Hendrix, Janis
Joplin, and lots more. After that intense
musical epiphany, I knewwhat I wanted to
do. I slowly started with the guitar, but my
focus was always on the lyrics. I wanted
to emulate greats like Johnny Cash, Billy
Idol, The Doors, The Kinks, Joy Division,
David Bowie and Bob Dylan.
2. Describeyour lifeusinga song.
Track 1 off my debut album
Transmission
.
A song called
Satellite
. It describes the
starting of my journey as an artist. It’s a
song about reaching beyond the stars and
believing that anything is possible.
3.Whenwasyourfirststint inthelimelight?
My first official appearance as a singer-
songwriter was in 2010. With the kind
support of my family and close friends
P h o t o s :
I a n & D h a r i u s P i c t u r e s
from school, I’ve kept it going till now.
4.Whatwas thefirst tuneyou learned?
Star man by David Bowie from The
Ziggy
Stardust
Album. All-time favourite!
5. Who has been your greatest supporter
inyour pursuit?
My family. They have always been there
for me, always giving me that extra push
when I need it. They give me the strength
to keep chasing.
6. Tell us about your tour life.
My first ever tour was in Shanghai, China
in 2010. It was done under a Tourism of
Malaysia division with a company called
Doppelganger. I toured with local acts
such as Liyana Fizi, One Buck Short, Izzy
Mohd, Ady Suwardy and Zalila Lee. We
played at the 2010World Expo representing
Malaysia. From then on, tours have led
me to Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand,
United Kingdom and even an Australian
tour in 2014. The best tour experience was