Paperplane Pursuit: The Inspiring Story of How a Few M’sian Guys Ended Up Beating Maroon 5 on US Billboard Charts & More

“We’re living loud, nothing to lose!”

Who would’ve imagined that our own #AnakMalaysia could have come so far from just a simple high school band?

Beating Maroon 5 on the US Billboard charts

Five years ago, this funky band busted the norms and broke into the US Billboard charts with their hit song “Feel Good“. They ended up beating the famous band Maroon 5 as radio stations received more and more requests to play their song! Standing ovation, please. Upon staying on the Billboard for SIX WEEKS they finally climbed to number 30, and we couldn’t be more proud!

Source : TheHive

How did this band come to be and what makes them #POP? To find out more, we actually landed an interview with this evergreen band and got the low down on their insane 10-year journey.

It started way back in high school

The band actually started off with only two high school boys who simply enjoyed jamming together. As for the name, “Paperplane Pursuit” was birthed after numerous name changes in 2009 and they started to grow from there. After 6 years of ups and downs, The Chief (their bassist) joined in and finally completed the puzzle.

The band consists of four members:  John O (lead vocalist), Dru Yap (drummer), Isaac Ravi (guitarist), and The Chief (bassist).

 

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A post shared by Paperplane Pursuit (@paperplanepursuit) on Aug 5, 2017 at 10:01pm PDT

“Driving fast, open road,
Where we’re goin’ no one knows”

They handled everything by themselves

Building their stardom wasn’t easy. The band actually relied on their own two feet to get to where they are now.

“The biggest challenge has always been handling every single aspect of the business ourselves, from writing, recording and producing our own music, to management and marketing, and handling our own record label and more.”

What a legend! In spite of the busyness, however, they are contented and glad to have been the pilot of their own flight. In fact, giving up on Paperplane Pursuit was on their minds countless times before but they kept on grooving, aiming to become the household name and fight in the same ring as many other international stars. Not to mention they’ve always had each others’ back for support and guidance.

“Guess that’s part of the package when it comes to being a DIY band.”

Getting invited by 5 Seconds of Summer to open for their show

Paperplane Pursuit also shared some of their most heartfelt moments with us, one of which was when “Beat Of Your Love” first played on the radio and exploded. The song was played on the radio so often that they heard it almost everywhere they went.

Apart from that, there was also that time when 5 Seconds Of Summer actually invited them to open for their show! They didn’t think much of it at first but… (ohh boy)

“We were blown away at how everyone sang along to all our songs like we were the main act. It was a huge crowd, and it felt pretty awesome that they showed their homeboys just as much love as the big stars.”

That was definitely, as they put it, “next level stuff”.

But every good thing must come to an end

Sadly this talented bunch has decided to pull the plug and retire this year after a decade of writing and performing their catchy hits. When asked about what their plans are for the future, John O states that he plans to go solo, venturing into the international music scene while the rest of the band will continue their legacy of building the next generation of Malaysian artists.

“We’ll stay friends for sure, but there isn’t gonna be a desperate reunion thirty years from now when we’re all old and grey, haha!”

If there are things to be missed, John shares that it would be the excitement of learning something new, playing in a live band and playing for their supportive and loving fans. The band members have also considered each other as siblings where fights may break out (been there) but they never took the bond for granted and this is something they will miss as well.

Advice for the younger generation

For these wizards who practically helped put Malaysia on the map, they don’t believe in hocus pocus.

“Nothing magically falls into your lap. If you want something in your future you have to go out and pull it into your present.”

They are faithful riders of self-empowerment and they believe that the young’uns should believe in it too. Setting the stage for the greenhorns, Paperplane Pursuit hopes to leave a legacy of dynamic musicians. Ultimately, they want people to remember that,

“If these guys could do it, we can too!”

“We will make it, they can’t break it.”

The Final Flight

If you thought these guys are going to leave quietly, think again! Paperplane Pursuit may be retiring, but they are sure as heck going to go out with a bang! To wrap things up, they will be performing one last concert and they’ve even created two new singles as a farewell gift. The last concert will be on:

Time: Doors open at 7pm
Date: 28 September 2019
Venue: The Bee, Publika
Tickets on sale here.

Expect an all-out performance, hear the stories behind their songs, their decade-long journey, and maaaaaybe, prepare yourself for some manly tears.

“Baby please don’t cry. It’s time to say goodbye”

Regardless where the members of Paperplane Pursuit are headed to after this, we at WORLD OF BUZZ want to say thank you to the band for inspiring us and for giving us years and years of amazing music and helping us believe that “if these guys can do it, we can do it too“.

With that said, if you guys would like to catch Paperplane Pursuit live one last time, get your tickets here ASAP! See you guys there!