Urban Ignite Meets Butterscotch'd Ink

In our weekly feature, this time we want you to get to know more about the guys from Butterscotch'd Ink. Find out how the 5 guys came about together and all their moments as a band. Read on to find out. Photo courtesy of Butterscotch'd Ink.

How did you guys get together as a band?

Daryll: Me and Melvin met each other in church first and wanted to form a band. We found Darius in church and included him. Ryan was Darius' friend and he joined the band as well switching between bass/guitar with me before settling on their final chosen instruments. 


After almost 2 year with old singer under the name Sunset Boulevard, we parted ways with him and after a period of unactivity, we recruited singer Azio and resumed the band under the name Butterscotch'd Ink.

Challenges when you first started out the band?

We were young when we started out, so everywhere we went, we were being labelled as “small boys”, we always felt like we were getting sympathy. 


Another thing is that we have different influences, but now we’re tighter and going into one direction together.

What kind of genre would you define your band to be?

Very difficult question! We started out very classic glam rock, after we found Ryan we found more of “new school” stuff. 


We kinda decided to modernise ourselves abit after discovering “Alterbridge”. So maybe we’re considered “Hard Rock” now.

What do you guys do besides playing together as a band?

WHOAAAA! We hang out alot and go to each other’s houses to play Fifa, jam, watch movies. We don’t just see ourselves as a band but also as a brotherhood. We really spend time together.

But sometimes we have conflicts,  and a big issue of being late and yelling at each other, but we don’t take it too hard and learn to let it go.

Why the name “Butterscotch’d Ink”?

We were drunk, HAHA!

We had an old name called “Sunset Boulevard”, but every other band had “Boulevard” in it and it wasn’t very special anymore. 


One day we were at Odeon Towers McDonalds for 2 to 3 hours just figuring out a band name. We had so many names like “Cherry” or something but we decided on this name.

Opinions on the local music scene?

I think all of us have varied opinions.

Ryan: Being in Republic Poly, we have gigs like Ignite Music Festival and Reflections Arts Festival. I feel like we could see more exposure. We need to get the word out about other guys otherwise it’d always be the same old people.

It seems like your aspirations all come from big rockband names like “Led Zepplin” and “Avenged Sevenfold”, any reasons why?

We kinda grew up with them while some, we grew into them. And back then being a young band, we really learn from the other bands and their lifestyle. Over time we learnt to respect them...

Bassist of Butterscotch'd Ink - Daryll David 

You have an original song called “Take Your Life”, what made you want to write this song?

Daryll:  I was doing a project in my school and  I was thinking whether to use my band or a band outside, so I thought why not use my own band.

Ryan : It was kinda weird because I had to write a song based on something that was already written, which was suicide. It was basically about a girl being suicidal over problems in her life  and I’m telling her to not take her life and all that.

Guitarist and back up vocals, Melvin Cyril

Tell us about your experience playing for “Xpectations live @ Scape” .

This was our first real gig here in Scape and also where we said you know what, we’re never going to get crowds from there itself so we had to bring our own army. So all of us had one month building up to the gig, We took 40 tickets to sell and ransacked facebook inviting everybody to come down.

We sold all the tickets in the end! It was a huge crowd and Azio managed to crowd surf during the last song! That was how big the crowd was that we managed to throw him off the stage.

It was great, we did a cover of Hinder’s “Lips of an Angel” where we sat down on the stage and everybody cheered and sang along, it was good.

So where was your first gig then?

Ryan :  It was at Assumption English secondary school (Where Ryan and Daryll studied at). My dad got us the gig. It was at a carnival. We got our previous singer two days before that. Our singer couldn’t sing for one thing and he pasted the lyrics on the floor!


And the words were too small he couldn’t see it on the floor. I was hiding behind Melvin and Daryll was facing the bass amp and the volume was down. His back was facing the crowd.


It was really really bad man. But we came a long way from that.

Plans for the upcoming year?

Right now, we’re waiting for Baybeats this Friday. Basically just get out there in terms of performing to bigger crowds and trying to make more contacts and record more songs. Right now we have alot of ideas for the next song but it’s moving kinda slow so we want to take it up a notch.

Who is the most outgoing in the band?

All: Melvin. He gets into alot of trouble and fun, he has alot of stories to tell.

Melvin: I was born to do stupid stuff. I’m always getting caught for it. That’s just me I always get caught for doing stupid stuff.

Darius : We were going to record “Take Your Life”. Ryan, I and Azio came from school so we all said meet at Bishan at 5. But we got there early at 4.30. But Melvin woke up at 4.45 when we were there at 4.30, but he reached earlier than us cos he knew the place when we were lost. But we still love him la.
One crazy moment with the band?

All: There is really too many!

Ryan : This story is about Daryll . Last year, we went out to have a few drinks and then after that went to Daryll's house. His house was like our crash pad la, when we know we can’t walk we go to Daryll's  house. 


We were all knocked out and suddenly I felt like I needed to go and puke cos I felt really bad. I was walking to the kitchen and almost made it to the toilet then I fell down on the floor and started to puke there then he pushed me into the toilet and I puked there. 


After about half an hour I came out and then I saw him like, his shirt was off and he was mopping the floor and I was looking at him and asked “What’s that smell” and he said “I’m making you pancakes, Melvin wants one also” and he was just mopping like it’s normal to him and he has had a grudge against me ever since.

Melvin: Right before we came to this Scape gig right, I actually made Daryll eat dog food!



Daryll: It wasn’t even dog food, it was like some shit food!

Darius: It was before the Scape gig, we were just chilling in my room and I have this tray full of chocolates with potato chips and everything and I had one bottle of dog food for my dog, so Melvin was like, “Since Daryll is taking so to bathe, let’s punish him. 


I’m going to give him dog food okay but I’d say it’s chocolate, you all don’t say anything.” So Daryll came in and Melvin said "Daryll try the chocolate it’s damn nice”

Melvin: No I didn’t say it chocolate because Ryan was eating the chocolate so I said it was fish cracker or something.

Darius: Yah then Daryll was very suspicious and said “Don’t want, you eat la you eat la!” then Melvin said “No you have to try it, it’s damn nice” So Daryll took it, put it in his mouth and chewed on the dog food.

Melvin: He was going to swallow it you know, then I started laughing and he just spit it out.

Joker of the band?

Melvin and Azio. These two are kinda gay la.

Melvin: Until today Azio doesn’t know where West Mall is. He only knows Jurong Point and Causeway Point sudah.

Who is the biggest eater of the band?

We all eat alot you know hahaha!

If you got a chance to perform with anyone and anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Daryll: Alterbridge

Azio : Guns n Roses

Melvin : I wouldn’t mind Lady gaga, I wanna see how she writes her songs.

Darius: Avenged Sevenfold. 


I think for us, the list would be uncountable, there would be alot of bands that we want to play with.

Ryan: We just want a good time la, anyone that can promise us a good time.