Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster will be holding their “Q COMES Q GOES” concert at Zepp Kuala Lumpur on March 28, marking their fourth performance in Malaysia. The lead vocalist and guitarist, Kuo Kuo, represented the members in an online interview with the Malaysian media on Thursday, sharing his deep impression of Malaysia’s multiculturalism, and described the cultural vibe here using their 2018 song “Slow”. He also highly praised the Malaysian independent music scene, noting that there are many outstanding musicians, and expressed his anticipation for a future collaboration with local band Babychair.
Consisting of Kuo Kuo, bassist Hung Li, keyboardist Xiao Gan, saxophonist Hao Ting, and drummer Zun Long, Sunset Rollercoaster are known for their romantic, dreamy, and retro-inspired City Pop style. They have garnered many fans in Europe, the US, and across Japan and South Korea, and are called by many fans as “the most romantic band in Asia.”
Kuo Kuo candidly shared that among their three previous performances in Malaysia, the most memorable was in 2024, when they toured Malaysia as the special unit AAA formed with Korean indie band Hyukoh. At that time, Hyukoh’s stand-in drummer John Ashley Thomas was a Malaysian. “I know that the level of musicians in Malaysia’s indie music scene is actually very high, and there are many skilled musicians. That’s why I specifically went to see John Ashley Thomas perform in a jazz bar later on. During previous performances in Malaysia, I actually hadn’t really connected with the indie music ecosystem here, but after watching these live performances, I felt like I really got to know the Malaysian music scene.” He expressed that if time permits, he still hopes to visit more music bars and experience the live energy of the Malaysian indie music scene.
When asked whether there are any Malaysian artists he wants to collaborate with, Kuo Kuo laughed and said, “Many of our collaborations start out from friendships. Currently, we’re more familiar with, and also really like, Babychair.” He revealed that there are no concrete plans for cooperation as of now, but both groups often bump into each other at the airport and chat a bit. “If there’s a chance, we can sit down and strum our guitars together, and maybe let musical collaborations happen naturally through friendship.” He also shared that Babychair has been invited to attend this concert.
Mentioning the somewhat sentimental tone of their new album “Quit Quietly,” Kuo Kuo explained that when collaborating with Hyukoh on the AAA album, both bands operated simultaneously, resulting in a massive team. During the tour, 50 to 60 people would travel together, and since members came from different countries, communication involved a mix of English, Chinese, and Korean—the working pace was very intense. “When it was just the five members of Sunset Rollercoaster again, it felt like coming down from a high-energy state to the quiet of the deep night.” This contrast also created an obviously different creative atmosphere compared to the AAA period. He said that as the band members approach their late thirties, their health checkups have begun to show warnings of “three highs” (high blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol), prompting him to joke about taking better care of himself, with a bit more sentimentality. “Our bodies may age, but music can keep our hearts young.” Because of this mindset, the new album sounds lighter overall, carrying a subtle sense of melancholy.