One of 2025’s converts to the delights of Cambodia and its music landscape was American-born resident of Denmark Brett Perkins.   Already on his second trip this year he’s set up annual songwriter festivals in both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh this month.  LengPleng had a video chat with Brett from Siem Reap to discuss the whys and the hows and the whos.

“There’s threefold purpose behind the festival.  Firstly is to highlight the existing scene of creatives, and the word ‘festival’ helps to draw potentially new audiences to the existing scene.  Second is the charitable factor, to bring renewed and added support to kidsonthebridge.org, the school that Kevin Sysyn started and has been championing – it’s a great cause, so we’re raising some funds for that.  The third factor is that personally it gives me a very good reason to come back to Phnom Penh every year, and a chance to support and encourage newer, younger artists.  The Siem Reap festival ended up with five official shows and eight events, and now I’m trying to drum up a couple more for next year.

“The other thing I’m pushing is the concept of the Listening Room.  It’s something that can’t be pushed down the throat of an audience – you need the right room, and you need to attract the listeners.  It’s a whole new way to experience playing and absorbing music.  I’ve set these up in different cities around the world.  For a lot of audience it will be a first time for them – I want to plant that seed, as we did in Siem Reap this week.  I still had to do a little policing – some people just didn’t realise they were speaking at full volume while someone was performing.

The Phnom Penh festival’s Listening Room concert on Friday 28 will include Ysabel Rubis, Kevin Sysyn, John Memery, Scott Bywater and Ben Etc..  “I think Stories is the right room – it’s distinctly separate, it’s not a bar destination as such.”

What else is included in the Phnom Penh festival?  “There are shows at Little Susies, The Silk Route and The Vine.  I’ve been asked to be a judge on Acoustic Battle #5, which is part of the festival week, at Big Wig on Thursday.   That will be interesting, again, as an opportunity to discover new performers.”

Brett hopes the festival will encourage those who are not known as songwriters to bring out their wares.  “I know, at least in my own experience, and with a lot of my songwriter friends, that those who play cover songs for a living tend to not water the songwriting plant as often, because you’ve only got so much time and energy.  I’m not at all critical of people who play covers, it’s a well-developed skill, and it teaches you how to write.  I made a conscious choice not to do that, I’m not very willing to rehearse so I can’t possibly split my time any further.  But I’d like to encourage people to go, yeah, I think I’ll revisit some of my originals and work them into the set.”

Other media:  Phnom Penh Post

 

Check out these shows as part of the Phnom Penh Songwriters Festival 2025:

Wednesday 26 November

Thursday 27 November

Friday 28 November

  • Listening Room Songwriting Workshop, 4 pm, Stories
  • Listening Room Concert Series featuring Ysabel Rubis, Scott Bywater, John Memery, Kevin Sysyn and Ben Etc., 8 pm, Stories

Saturday 29 November

  • PhnomPenhers, 8 pm, Stories – $2.50 entry

Sunday 30 November

 

By LengPleng Boost