Meet Soraya Taib, Nazeera Taib, and Irena Taib from the Malaysian band The Impatient Sisters.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

We are three sisters who grew up in KL then moved back to our hometown, Kuantan when Irena was 13 years old. It’s a small town on the east coast, not as hectic as KL but still a place that was familiar to us as our grandmother lives there.  We started writing songs together back in 2011 right before Soraya finished uni. We did it for fun but it’s launched us to where we are now.

 

Describe the city you’re living in and what it’s like to live there.

We are currently living in KL. It’s definitely different not laid back like Kuantan but we like it here. Our friends and family are here. It’s vibrant and bustling just like most cities but we definitely love heading to the city centre. There’s just this electric energy that you don’t’ feel outside of KL.

 

KL is definitely an evergrowing and everchanging hub where the youth congregate to share their passion and ideas. There’s always something new to discover in the city.

What is the best and worst thing about living in your city?

The best thing about living in KL is there’s always something to do if you look hard enough (beyond the malls!) – events surrounding music & art, beautiful parks to visit. KL is definitely an evergrowing and everchanging hub where the youth congregate to share their passion and ideas. There’s always something new to discover in the city.

Worst things would be the air pollution, noise pollution and everyone’s always rushing!

 

Give us 3 words that describe what it’s like to be a creative in your city.

Collaborative – There are so many talented people to work with in the city. And they’re only a direct message away.

Empowering – To be able to collaborate with people in the city, feeds you creatively and empowers not only us but people who listen to our music.

Freedom – There are no boundaries in terms of how to be creative.

 

How did you start your career in music?

We started in 2011 when we opened for a friend’s album launch in Kelana Jaya. We performed cover songs and after the show the owner of the venue asked if we had any originals. We didn’t at the time but we got inspired to work on an original song. We wrote ‘Comets and Stars’ first and we just worked on more after that.

 

Were the people around you supportive of your decision on working as a creative?

Definitely. Our parents fully supported us doing music – they are very proud of us. Our friends always try to head to our shows and everyone else fully supported us by buying our music and merchandise.

 

What are some goals and ambitions you have for your future work?

Just keeping on making music and sharing them to the world. It would be great if we could travel more as a band too.

 

Just keeping on making music and sharing them to the world. It would be great if we could travel more as a band too.

If you could collaborate with any person in the world who would it be?

It would be great to collaborate with Bono Stellar. She’s a mixed media artist based in KL. Not sure how we would collaborate but it will definitely be interesting to merge music with art. She’s a close friend and it never occurred to us to collaborate with her until now.

 

How would you describe the women around you?

The closest woman in our lives is our mother. She’s loving, selfless and strong. Our friends are unique in their own way and very independent. They shine so brightly and they never let anyone dull their shine. Most importantly, they lift each other up and support one another.

 

The closest woman in our lives is our mother. She’s loving, selfless and strong.

Were there any local female creatives that you looked up to when you were growing up?

When we were growing up, music was not a big part of our lives. We learnt music separately – going to piano and guitar classes and we never thought to jam together. We listened to whatever that was on the radio, Britney Spears, Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton but we didn’t really have anyone that we looked up to per se. It was after we were involved in music we really started noticing all the local female acts that have paved the way for us, from Juliet the Orange, Liyana Fizi, Zee Avi, and Yuna.

 

Are there any challenging aspects of being a female in your industry?

Not that we were aware of. I guess with us, being sisters and all, we live in this bubble where we’re just a bit guarded and cautious and stick to people who we are comfortable with and who supports us no matter what. The three of us are introverts through and through. Our mother also teaches us to always assume the good in people so with that advice and keeping our head low, it’s been ok. With Irena, I suppose because she’s a girl and child-like, people just assume she’s one of the singers. She’s in fact a very talented guitarist and plays many other instruments such as the sitar and the banjo. I’d say she’s one of the best in Klang Valley but I’m biased! People tend to overlook her and maybe don’t take her as seriously but once she plays the guitar, you’ll be surprised.

 

If failure comes, learn from it and rise above it.

Do you have any advice to young women who are aspiring to work in your field?

Always be honest with your art and stay true to yourself. Never compare yourself to other people as your story is your own. Keep doing what you love and if you ever feel scared just look fear in the eyes and just jump in and do it. If failure comes, learn from it and rise above it.

 

 

Photos courtesy of The Impatient Sisters.