This was probably the first sign that young Efry was destined for a career in music. His earliest memories include sitting in front of the television watching iconic local singers such as Wings and Search.
“We had talentime performances when I was in kindergarten in Penang. Other kids would come dressed as pilots or policemen or firemen, but I asked my dad if I could go as Michael Jackson,” Efry told FMT Lifestyle with a laugh.
Today, Efry, 38, is a major force in the local music industry as a producer, performer, and former Artist & Repertoire (A&R) representative.
His achievements include writing and playing bass on the critically acclaimed hit “Dan Sebenarnya” by Yuna in 2007. The song placed second in “Anugerah Juara Lagu” and was awarded “most-performed Malay song” by the Music Authors’ Copyright Protection (MACP) organisation in 2011.
He has been the lead project/music director on programmes such as “Muzik Muzik 37” (2022) and “Akustika Raya TV3” (2021), as well as a musician on TV3’s “Mentor” (2016, 2017) and Astro’s “Sepahtu Reunion Astro” (2017-2019).
Efry credits the success of his career to having been exposed to the business side of the industry through his days as an A&R rep with Warner Music Malaysia from 2018 to 2023.
“Musicians need to know a little bit of business,” he said. “At the end of the day, you need to sell your art or you won’t survive. Even when you are performing, you have to be familiar with costs, how much to pay your crew, and other important issues like that.”
While platforms such as Spotify and TikTok have changed the global music landscape, it is important for artistes to know how to properly utilise these so as to constantly remain visible in a highly competitive music scene, he stressed.
Going Loco
Despite being involved in many aspects of music production, the man remains a performer at heart. “It’s still my favourite. When you perform, you channel parts of yourself you never knew were there.
“You can let go, take in the energy from the crowd, and give yourself back with your performance, like two-way communication.”
Presently, Efry plays bass for Alif Satar & The Locos, a homegrown band known for catchy tunes such as “Hey!”, “Isteri”, and “Kau Aku Satu”. Formed in 2018, the band also consists of Alif Satar on vocals, Faliq Auri on saxophone, Tam Cobain on guitar, and Rajwan on drums.
What’s Efry’s favourite song with the band? Undoubtedly “Anugerah Terindah”, a song he composed that won 3rd place in “Anugerah Juara Lagu” in 2022. “The name of the song speaks for itself, doesn’t it?” he quipped.
This month, Alif Satar & The Locos are performing in the United Kingdom. Their tour, fully sponsored by GB Gold, saw the band perform at an event hosted by Malaysian students in Sheffield on Saturday. This will be followed by a ticketed show at St John’s Hyde Park, London, on April 28.
This is Efry’s second time performing there with the band: he first performed in the UK several years ago alongside Yuna. “We’re excited to be performing, we have a following there. Our western fans tend to be more vocal than our Malaysian ones,” he said with a chuckle.
In the meantime, he and his bandmates are working on a few songs with the aim of releasing several singles this year. In the long run, they hope to finish their second album.
For someone already so active in so many aspects of the entertainment industry, is there anything Efry hopes to try in future? “Maybe acting in a drama or film. A comedy might be nice,” he concluded with a laugh.
Follow Efry Arwis on Facebook and Instagram. Also check out Alif Satar & The Locos on Spotify.