Hameer Zawawi

Coming from a family of music composers Hameer was exposed to writing and performing at the tender age of 6, when his father Dr. Wan Zawawi was actively writing songs for Malaysian artists Ramli Sarip, Amy Search and Khatijah Ibrahim. In his teens, Hameer had also supported his brother Rendra Zawawi (Award-winning composer @ “Ola Bola”, Composer Asst. @ “Mr. Robot”, “Screams Queens”, “American Horror Story”) in live performances and recordings that would strengthen his inevitable inclination towards music. After high school, Hameer then joined Alternative Nu-Rock band Ask Me Again as the vocalist and songwriter where they would go on to record and self-publish their first album A Step Back Forward. They had also performed alongside Secondhand Serenade [USA] during the Malaysian leg of their Southeast-Asian tour.

Within 4 years in Kuala Lumpur, Hameer has managed to perform for numerous Malaysian-based festivals including Penang Island Jazz Festival [2013], Urbanscapes [2013, 2014], DiverseCity KL [2015], Mercedes’ Urban Hunting Art & Music Festival [2016], Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival [2016], and was one of the headlining acts for Johor Bahru Arts Festival [2016].

In March 2017, he had gone on tour in Europe and America to promote his debut album “National Fantasy”. The tour consisted of acoustic solo shows in Germany (Berlin, Cologne, Leipzig), the UK (London, Brighton, Glasgow) and the US (Los Angeles, Anaheim, New York City) with the highlight of it being his shows at House of Blues (Anaheim), The Viper Room (LA) and Rockwood Music Hall (NYC).

It was right after finishing his “National Fantasy” tour mid-2017, that Hameer was approached by NYC-based Recording Artists Development (RAD) to record his next EP. The 3-song EP “Plug Out The Machines” saw involvement of musicians and engineers from several parts of the world such as Kuala Lumpur, France, Los Angeles, and NYC. In just 4 months, the EP was completed and self- released in NYC followed by a month-long tour at the east coast of the US with shows in Boston (MA), Long Island (NY), Brooklyn (NY), Harlem (NY) and Manhattan (NY). By this time, he had also put together a rock band that eventually transformed his live acoustic performances into one that is more rock-inclined. Notable venues where Hameer had performed for his “Plug Out The Machines” tour included The Way Station, Starr Bar, Greenpoint Gallery (Brooklyn); Shrine World Music Venue (Harlem); and Pianos, The Duplex, Rockwood Music Hall, The Bitter End (Manhattan). The tour also included radio interviews with WEMF Radio (Boston), Radio Free Brooklyn (Brooklyn), and Village Connection Radio (Long Island).

Aside from touring, during his time in the US Hameer was also invited to perform for the annual indie-festival For Us Fest and the Arts in Bushwick “Community Day” that was held at Knockdown Center (Queens) and House of Yes (Brooklyn) respectively [2017]. He would occasionally be invited to also perform for “backyard/living room” shows around Manhattan and Brooklyn organized by Artery (www.artery.is, Brooklyn). The band was also invited to record a live session with WEMF Radio (Boston) as well as for the “Office Sessions” with indie-record label Leesta Vall (Brooklyn). The result of the “Office Sessions” were 23 unique 7” vinyl that were a sell out after the band’s final 2017 show at Rockwood Music Hall (NYC). The live recording with WEMF Radio on the other hand will be released alongside a documentary in collaboration with French filmmakers Maxime Pau & Audouin Rsk (ESRA, NYC) sometime in 2018.

Outside of the US, Hameer’s latest songs have also been featured on the “Monday Club” segment of Wandsworth Radio (London, UK) and the “La Stud” segment of Cave Carli Radio (Marseille, France). His song “Plug Out The Machines” from the EP has also been used in a French/NYC-produced short film “Birthday Girl” (directed by Raynald Leday, Paris) that is now listed on Kickstarter.

Currently, Hameer’s most immediate plans involve bringing his NYC-based rock band for a tour in Malaysia. He then plans to bring the band for a tour in Germany and to more international festivals within Europe and the US. He aims to be based in New York City by mid-2018 to focus more on the band.