PennyLane's Guitarist, Shane, Curates For Naiise

Strumming his tunes while perusing his favourite design picks, Shane Low, guitarist of PennyLane, curates a list of masculine yet cheeky items that give a nod to  his creative inclinations, character and sense of personal style. Find out more, as well, about Shane's journey as a musician and design addict.

This is the second  in a 6-part "I Am A... Creative" series featuring six personalities from six diverse creative industries and their curated design picks on Naiise.

1) Tell us more about yourself and how you became a musician.

I knew I wanted to do something related to music since I was in secondary school, as part of my life. At 15, I remember my ambition was to become a "singing bartender with an engineering degree", and to that end I learnt the guitar, sang in a couple of small scale musicals, practiced flairing with bottles, and taking (ugh) further math.

I formed my first band at the end of my national service. Soon after I ORD'd, I started my first regular gig while in university. I carried on gigging through law school - I'm so glad I didn't end up in engineering because with all the classes I had to skip due to gigs ending at 5am the previous night, I would have flunked out!

After graduating, I was a lawyer for about three years, long enough to know I didn't want to be a lawyer for the rest of my life (although it was exciting), and to know that I couldn't ever give up music.

Right now, I play every Monday night with Ngak at Hood Bar & Cafe at Bugis+, every Wednesday night with PennyLane at Wala Wala at Holland Village. I also play for corporate events and weddings, and session record for other singers. My days are spent doing marketing and other stuff for a company that I helped to start, but that's a story for another time.

2) 3 things you love and hate about your job?

LOVE: 1. Not having to get stuck in rush hour twice a day, everyday! 2. I really, really, love seeing people light up and smile, or get up and dance, or in some cases, weep with emotion, as a result of the music that I played. I love how I can help make people forget themselves in music. 3. It seldom feels like a 'job'.

HATE: 1. Having to interact with rude people. Or worse, drunk and rude people. 2. Having to perform for zombies. I am thankful that at the places I play, I seldom encounter them. But once in a while, you get a table of customers who request songs, and while you play their song, they play with their phones. On behalf of all performing musicians, do try to show some appreciation when, and after the band takes your request, people! 3. That's all. I can't think of three things I hate!

3) Favorite bands/musicians and other sources of inspiration?

I play a diverse range of genres, so I can't possibly name them all! Currently, I'm digging the raw music of the Black Keys, and I've always liked rock and blues guitarists like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

4) Thank you for curating this collection. How does it reflect your personal style? 

I like leather, wood and metal, and combined in various permutations. This means I am totally into steampunk-influenced design, and industrial chic.

On a totally different note, I also like tongue-in-cheek and quirky things.

5) Top 3 picks from the collection?

The SoftRock Vesuvius. It feels like a bean bag but with a luxurious twist. It feels velvety, matches your chic interior design, and allows for a whole range of sitting positions. Of course, with the right partner, you can do more than just sit (wink wink nudge nudge).

Mountain Teak Roadie Collection. Like I mentioned, I like combinations of wood and metal, especially wood with a nice, raw grain. Add to that an industrial chic feel and a hint of rock concert (the furniture design is influenced by flight cases of concert gear, hence "Roadie"), and this piece is perfect!

Danger Keep Out T-shirt. Parts of Singapore are always under construction and we see this sign everywhere. I like that this sign is unique to Singapore, since you won't find these four languages together in many other places. I would totally wear this to a gig! I also like that because you see the sign everywhere, you tend to ignore it. This t-shirt pulls the image back into focus.

6) How is design relevant to your everyday life?

I like good design. Good design is as practical as it is aesthetic. Good design makes you stop and do a double take. Good design is everywhere if you pay attention, from the sexy curves of a Stratocaster, to a coffee table that's exactly the right height for your seats. Good design is in putting the right things together.

7) What can we look forward to from you in the year ahead?

I'm working with Zsa Zsa Scorpion, singer and guitarist of indie-folk duo Zsa & Claire, on a new band called "Hey Pelican!", and we'll be doing covers of electronic dance music, but with acoustic guitars. I'm also in the midst of recording guitar tracks for a couple of singers, and can't wait for their EPs to be released! Follow me on instagram @Fwoomp for updates!