30/04/2026

LYFE THURSDAY | APR 30, 2026

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Heartbreak, tears, honesty o Singaporean singer-songwriter Charlie Lim’s upcoming third album Daydream leads with Nobody’s Home, accompanied with music video

S INGAPOREAN singer-songwriter Charlie Lim has recently released Nobody’s Home , the lead single for his third full-length album Daydream slated for launch at the end of 2026. Tender and unguarded in its instrumentation, the single draws listeners into the songwriter’s dark and quiet interior, setting the emotional tone for the forthcoming record. It is accompanied by a music video directed by Jonathan Choo. Nobody’s Home emerged during one of the most difficult periods of Lim’s life. Written and recorded in a makeshift studio in a cottage in Devon with UK artiste Sugi.wa (Will Goldsmith), who co-produced the track, the song represents a rare moment of unfiltered emotional release. “I was going through a really difficult time. I usually mull over things a lot when it comes to writing, but Nobody’s Home was one of the rare songs that just poured out in one sitting. The vocals and piano were written and recorded in one take. I remember just collapsing on the couch after finishing the song and having a good cry – something that doesn’t really happen to me either. It was quite an overwhelming experience,” Lim explained. The result is a track of profound intimacy – tender and unguarded, showcasing Lim’s ability to create emotional connection through restraint. It is a quality that has made him “one of Singapore’s more prominent voices in contemporary pop music” – as acknowledged by the National Arts Council. melancholy On Daydream , Lim descends into a tender de profundis – an inward reckoning that marks a return to his signature singer-songwriter melancholy, refined by years of live experience and creative rupture. Having written, performed and produced his own music, Lim approaches this album as an act of alchemy and surrender, where breaking open becomes a prerequisite for transformation. For fans of James Blake, Chet Faker, Bat For Lashes and Beth Orton, Daydream emerges as Lim’s most delicately crafted body of work to date. Since his debut album Time/Space , Lim has explored an Return to singer-songwriter BRITISH indie mainstays Swim Deep has returned with its new single Mud , arriving as the band bridges the gap between its Birmingham roots and its status as icons of the Asian alternative circuit. Produced by Bill Ryder-Jones, Mud is a cinematic anthem featuring an outro inspired by Teenage Fanclub’s The Concept . While the track is a personal tribute to frontman Austin Williams’s wife, its soaring chorus is designed for the massive festival fields that the band has come to command globally. The release follows a period of rejuvenation for the group. After a line-up change – welcoming JJ Buchanan (Fur) on guitar – and a sold-out December tour across Thailand and China, Swim Deep is sounding more confident than ever. “We have had so much Asian history as a band. Back home we play

Australian cellist Ng Pei-Sian. The album was produced with Sugi.wa, with additional production from Aneirin Wee, Ian Lee (PK Records, nkei, Rhyu) and Kin Leonn. These collaborations give rise to a sound that feels expansive and deeply intimate – a homecoming that reaffirms Lim’s place as one of Singapore’s most resonant and emotionally incisive artistes. Career of emotional honesty Lim has been part of Singapore’s contemporary pop music scene for over 15 years. Known for emotionally honest songwriting and evolving sonic approach, his music has accumulated more than 20 million streams across digital platforms, earning two “number one positions” on the iTunes Singapore album charts for Time/Space (2015) and Check-Hook (2018). His accolades include Compass Young Songwriter of the Year (2017), Indie/Alternative Artiste of the Year at the Youth Music Awards (2021) and the National Arts Council’s Young Artiste Award (2021). As a live performer, Lim has appeared on prominent stages across the region, including Summer Sonic (Tokyo, 2018), Bigsound (Brisbane, 2018), Java Jazz Festival (Jakarta, 2016), Wanderland Festival (Manila, 2019), and Urbanscapes (Kuala Lumpur, 2012). He has collaborated and shared stages with internationally-acclaimed artistes, such as Khalil Fong, Kimbra, Kan Sano, Miho Fukuhara, Bibi, Taku Takahashi and Clara Benin. Beyond his solo work, Lim has played a significant role in national cultural initiatives as a songwriter and producer. He was commissioned to write and co-produce a reimagined version of the 1987 classic We Are Singapore for National Day 2018, which achieved nationwide resonance. He continued this contribution with Breathing City (2021) and the 2025 National Day theme song Here We Are , which he performed live at the National Day Parade alongside Singapore icon Kit Chan as assistant music director. shop Fueiho Boogie, named after a Swim Deep song. Its cross-continental reach further expanded through Good News , a collaborative track with Thai indie pop duo Dept. Mud serves as the centrepiece for its upcoming fifth studio album Hum , coming out on June 19. The album explores the aftermath of transformational life events, exploring loss, family and the responsibility of building a life. “I’ve now got someone to inspire. That’s the ethos on this album – turning struggle into momentum,” Williams explained. With a history that includes sold-out headline dates at Bangkok’s Bantadthong Art Space and Shanghai’s Yuyintang Park, Mud is the next chapter for a band that has turned personal upheaval into collective, international uplift.

Daydream marks his most stripped-back and emotionally vulnerable body of work to date – a quiet, yet deliberate evolution shaped by personal rupture, artistic renewal and a commitment to truth over spectacle.

evolving amalgamation of styles across the last decade. This new record strips back to emotional essentials – eight tracks where moments steeped in pain and regret are held in balance with pockets of reprieve, a quiet surrender and acceptance that offers breath rather than escape. “It’s a delicate equilibrium,” he reflected, of love and art. “This album taught me that clarity often comes from taking things away and trusting silence, space and vulnerability to do the heavy lifting.” While the album’s themes trace loss, longing and a search for redemption, Daydream is not a solitary journey. Lim finds international company in the album’s collaborators, featuring Scottish singer-songwriter Tamzene, pianist and organist Chok Kerong, as well as

Daydream is Lim’s third album after eight years.

Swim Deep unveils new single Mud , cementing status as Asian alt-indie icons

This connection is rooted in genuine regional collaboration. This April, the band partnered with Japanese indie outfit Helsinki Lambda Club for a special release, following the honour of having a Tokyo record Swim Deep’s fifth album Hum features 10 songs, coming out this June.

Swim Deep has been widely recognised for its music style in Asia. – PIC BY LUCA BAILEY

to crowds of hundreds across the UK but in China, we play to tens of

thousands. The energy there is unparalleled,” the group shared.