It is a Summer of Love for the 1st anniversary of bc unplugged: We are bringing inLove and In Love and Pain! to The Wanch (54 Jaffe Road, 2861 1621) on May 21. On top of that we have a solo set by Yangyang Pang opening the night – the show starts at 9:30pm and entry is free.

In love
Formed by Lu (vocals), Dickie and Tszlok (guitars), inLove has been producing heartfelt and bittersweet tunes since the release of their first EP, Demitint, in 2004. Lu describes the band’s impending record and what to expect in their unplugged set.

Tell us something about the coming album, July.
The name July is a symbol for a new beginning in life – our band was formed in July, and to a lot of students it also means a new beginning because they will start summer break in July. This album is a new beginning for inLove too. Music wise, we continue to go with what we love – acoustic-based, pure and fresh tunes. A little bit different from before is that we will have more love songs this time. The album will be out in July and we will have a release concert for it as well.

Any new songs in the coming set?
Yep. Artist is a song from the new album written by Dickie. It talks about how film stars start to sing and put out albums – a lot of people may despise that but the song is about how we should be more open to it. It is produced by Kevan Frost (British musician, Tony Award nominee for the Boy George musical Taboo), our long-time friend. He is more of an electronic-music person but keeps our acoustic sound in the song. Another new song is Roaming Without You, a bossa-nova tune written by me and arranged by Taiwanese indie band Natural Q’s Chico.

What do you regard as your most memorable love song?
I have written a song called Promise after a very dear friend of mine broke up with her lover. I seldom write about break-ups and heartache because I am more of a positive person, but her story made me wonder what the promises and commitments are for when one is in love. I don’t know if I will let her know the song is about her though – it is quite a sad song.

Any favourite unplugged album?
Over The Rhine’s Good Dog Bad Dog: The Home Recordings. It was actually given to me as a birthday gift by Whence He Came’s Joshua. I love the simplicity of the music and the lead singer’s voice.

Yanyan Pang
The multi-tasking indie girl of our city is going solo – be prepared

What is this solo project about?
I have been a part of many bands (Chochukmo, Hard Candy, Guitar ’n’ Panties, Dr Eggs) – I simply enjoy playing different kinds of music. I am a big fan of acoustic songwriters like Elliot Smith, so a solo acoustic project seems to be the next thing I should do. This solo project is concerned more with myself, so the songs involve every little secret feeling I have.

Please share some of your music diet
I am a big fan of Elliott Smith. I am so crazily in love with him that I have tattooed his name on my arm and wrote a song dedicated to him in Hard Candy’s Deborah, Anne and Violet album [Elliott, The Moment You Stab On Your Chest]. So I have to say all of his CDs are my favourites, and among all, my most favoured would be Either/Or.

Which local band/act would you like to hear unplugged?
Shepherd the Weak or False Alarm. I think the members of Shepherd the Weak are very talented, so it would be cool to hear them in a clean version. For False Alarm, I'm confident they're creative enough to present a good, surprising acoustic show.

What was your most embarrassing moment on stage?
I was playing with Chochukmo in X'mas 2005 and I fell down because of a floor monitor and hurt my chin. And then my band mates repeated that scene in the video more than 10 times.

in love and pain!
Powered by Henry (guitar/vocals), Kid (guitar/vocals), Marvin (drums/vocals) and Satva (bass/vocals), alternative rockers In Love & Pain! do like stripping down a bit sometimes…

How will your unplugged set differ from your usual rock show?
It’s totally different! If you ever watched our plugged set, you will know we're a very energetic, in-your-face, a-little-bit-crazy kind of alternative rock band. We never stop moving on stage! But when we do unplugged we strip down to just acoustic guitars and bring a little more of the melodies, emotions as well as our darker side to the audience.

What are the key songs in the coming set?
I’d say Our Lives In Digitalism; it’s one of our heaviest songs of the plugged set, and the first time we played it unplugged, we all fell in love with it! And also On The Road, Into The Wild, which a lot of people have told us is their favourite In Love And Pain! song.

What is your favourite unplugged album?
Nirvana's Unplugged In New York, it’s one of the best examples of how to approach rock songs unplugged. It is a different game – if anyone thinks unplugged only mean playing the same songs with acoustic guitars, think again!

What is the best love song ever written and why?
This is a hard one – so many beautiful love songs have been written, and there’s no way to choose the best. But for the past few years I Found What Hurts The Most by Rascal Flatts is really one of the best. From the melodies to the lyrics and story and even the music video, the band are at their best.