Bastion of indie, electronic and jazz music – and home of local music in Singapore – the alternative radio station will cease transmission on 31 August
In the days before Spotify, radio was King and Queen. Whether it’s for a long drive, a house party, or burning the midnight oil, radio’s there to keep you company. For Singaporeans, they have access to a diversity of stations – pop music, golden oldies and even classical. But for years, there’s been one station that caters to more left-field audiences; an alternative-focused entity that dishes out indie, alternative-rock, electronic music and jazz. That diamond in the rough is Lush 99.5FM, and come 31 August, it’s throwing in the towel.
The radio station – a sub-brand of media mogul, Mediacorp – has announced that it will cease transmission due to falling listenership numbers (streaming services – we’re guilty of it too). Instead, all content that found a home on Lush 99.5FM will be distributed amongst Mediacorp’s remaining English radio stations. While this raises the exposure of underground music to a wider, commercial audience, it also means less time for airplay due to competition from an already saturated pool of music.
Not only is Lush 99.5FM regarded as a gateway for listeners into alternative music, but it’s also been pivotal in pushing the local music scene, promoting everyone from big bands like The Sam Willows to stars on the rise like FFION and Of Methodist. Lush 99.5FM has also been responsible for throwing gigs and parties – featuring homegrown musicians, producers and DJs – at iconic music events such as ZoukOut.
The fate of Lush 99.5FM might seem inevitable now, but if you want to be part of local radio that makes a difference, it’s not too late to tune in.
Lush 99.5FM will cease transmission on 31 August, 11.59pm.
If you want more homegrown tunage, discover these new local musicians in Singapore that we’ve rounded up. Otherwise, check out these best places for live music.