Aiden Adams
In all honesty, before the successful ‘Sounds of Hope’ Charity Gala Night concert, I, like perhaps many or some Bruneians out there, was never really familiar with the two-member local band calling themselves ‘The Seeds’.

However, this is mostly due, admittedly, to my own ignorance – as opposed to a reflection of their work – because The Seeds have been extremely active in the country’s entertainment scene, with already a string of national radio Malay hits, as well as a number of awards and many stage performances.

In the past month, I have had the honour of becoming more closely acquainted with The Seeds’ famous singer Dillah and quiet but passionate guitarist Hardee, who took time out from their busy schedules to share with me their story and for the reading public.

The humble beginnings of their adventure together started back in April 2006, when The Seeds were officially formed and just trying out their luck by showcasing their exceptional talents at small but public venues, including cafés and hotels, as well as private wedding ceremonies.

Dillah and Hardee are, in fact, best friends who have known each other from their early schooldays and list Easy Listening and Acoustic as their chosen genre of music, while counting Chris Daughtry, Maroon 5 and Jason Mraz as their strongest influences.

Even so, The Seeds are always quick to point out that they are striving for real originality, instead of, say, replicating regional favourites or only catering to a limited market. Their first, almost-big break could be traced to a Father’s Day song-writing competition organised by RTB’s Pelangi FM.

Although their entry called “Mahkota Hati” failed to win over the judges, they were noticed and approached by Eswandee HS, who offered them a recording deal and some studio time. This way, their future as established artistes was then sealed and what follows – the rest, so to speak, is history.

Their second release entitled “Rahsia Hati” entered the Kristal FM chart in fourth position, while increasingly more and more companies signed up The Seeds to entertain audiences for various corporate events, not to mention road-shows, carnivals and Raya programmes.

The biggest turning point though came in 2007 through a duet with Bruneian singer Maria, “Kau Tetap Milik Ku”, which unexpectedly for them stayed at number one in both Pelangi and Kristal charts for whole weeks.

In addition, aside from it boosting their confidence and getting them the attention that they deserve, it also garnered two trophies for The Seeds – Best Song and Best Group Duo – at the Pelangi Awards in the same year.

As a result or another wonderful consequence of all these little achievements that gradually added up, The Seeds have also been chosen to be Ambassadors for the Brunei National Association of the Blind – something they are rightfully proud of to this present day.

Their next hit was “Cerita Aku Dan Dia”, another long-stay No 1 hit by I-Sam, but between that release and “Kau Tetap Milik Ku”, they continued to record and perform ‘quality’ (which they focus on more than ‘quantity’) songs, while continuously getting recognition through more award nominations.

In May this year, their two hits and another track from I-Sam called “Erti Hidupmu” were made available on a CD album entitled “TIGA” made at Kristal Studio that also featured two other well-known acts – Rafiz and Nash.

This week, Dillah and Hardee, like so many of Brunei’s stars, are preoccupied gearing up and preparing for the upcoming Pelangi Awards next Saturday night at the Jerudong Amphitheatre with an exciting ‘fantasy’ theme.

While they honestly would be happy with any outcome, especially given the series of accomplishments that have pleasantly surprised even them, they hope that fans and followers can find time to take part in the ongoing “BMobile Most Voted Artist Award” invites (for more information, visit www.pelangifm.com).

I believe that the secret to The Seeds’ success, apart from their whole-hearted commitment, is down to their deceptively simple formula: Tell a story; continue practising; stay connected with the listeners, audience members and indeed all supporters; and most importantly, create your own sound.