His decision all those years ago to start his career internationally was the reason for this story. Unlike most local musicians, Ariff AB chose to start his career abroad. It is a leap that few are brave enough to take, and those that do, thrive.

We met at a café named after a Little Richie song, ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’. It was my first in-person interview in a while. The third wave was just beginning at the time. It felt dangerous.

Ariff was easy going and told me the story that he has probably told countless time before, about how it started and where it all began. He credits his fighting spirit to boxing, a passion that he shared with his brother.

He talked about the differences between the local and the international music industry, gave advice to young musicians, and that one of the secrets to success is being prepared for it, to have the right attitude and mindset to seize it and not let it seize you.

One of my takeaways from the interview is that he is a writer at heart, he has a lot of potential, and he will hit the ground running once the pandemic is over.

Read the published story here.