THE band's songs are a catchy retro mix of grunge, psychedelic and pop-infused rock with Beatlesque leanings that carry singer Ojie's heartfelt vocal deliveries.
While local independent band Stonebay has gone somewhat silent for several years now, mainly due to the Covid-19 pandemic, its musical heart still beats with gusto.
"I've always had that itch to write songs and perform. So, during the lockdowns, I was still coming up with tunes and lyrics.
"We've got plenty of songs, some of which I had written before the pandemic. We're just waiting for the right time to come up with a release," said Ojie, whose real name is Awangku Huzriuden Mahmuddin.
Hailing from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, the Stonebay founder and frontman started the band back in 1997.
A few lineup changes happened along the way but the band continued to perform at many independent music concerts around the country, as well as overseas such as the Jakcloth Indie Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia.
In 2010, Stonebay was the third-place winner of the inaugural AirAsia Red Tix RedAMP band challenge.
Ojie, who has a day job in the corporate world, said it's always a good experience to see the band's fans appreciating their performances when they play live, no matter the size of the crowd.
The band recently held a live acoustic showcase at Flint in The Curve, Petaling Jaya, to mark the pre-release of their latest single, 'Selamat Datang Ke Dunia Ku' (SDKDK).
During the two-hour event, Stonebay performed 10 songs, including 'Layang-Layang', 'Kita Bersama', 'From the Black to the Blue', 'Name', 'SDKDK' (which also featured the vocals of Joanna Renisa from fellow indie outfit Joanna & Co.), and a cover of Coldplay's 'Fix You' (with Pesawat vocalist Jipie).
The band, comprising Sarawakian drummer Afiq Hakim Osman and Indonesian bassist Shahroni Hasbi with assistance from ambient guitarist Alvin Seah, also played a new track, titled 'Dari Sungai Hingga Ke Lautan'.
The moving song was an ode to the ongoing conflict in Gaza where the Palestinians are facing extreme persecution.
"We had planned to do a pre-release 'SDKDK' earlier but was sidelined by the pandemic and now with the Palestinian issue, so we decided to show solidarity," said Ojie.
All proceeds from Stonebay merchandise sales during the event were channelled to Mycare Malaysia to provide aid for the Palestinians.
The band took part in the 'Sound of Freedom: Sound of Humanity and Unity' charity concert with local indie artistes in Kuala Lumpur last December.
"That concert was also a collaboration with Mycare and we're continuing to help out.
"Hopefully, we can play in more ensemble gigs this year by partnering with the organisation to spread more awareness as well," said Ojie.
