“What if only two people want to be famous? Does everyone want the same rewards from music? These are things you have to know from the start. We were blessed to be aligned on what we wanted to do and it’s saved us from a lot of grief.”

For Ng, that means owning his role as perhaps the glue of the band. “Every band needs to have someone doing the little things. From day one, everyone’s played their roles and hasn’t changed. I’m a jack of all trades; besides the music-making, I’ll be the one to execute details and tasks.”

Ng’s practical execution of aesthetics partly stems from his commercial design background. Ever particular about aesthetics, Ng’s focus is on the process of presentation and display. “The moment I know what the theme is, I identify what can or cannot be done as well as who can help me. ”

Recently, Ng’s theme in his personal life has been the word “dirty”. It can mean “not pristine” or “well-loved” but it will have a history, which extends from Ng’s love of vintage things.

Ng is not unprepared for responsibility of inheriting the heirloom. Part of Dear Jane’s longevity stems from Ng’s steadfast role as band mediator. “I’ll notice if someone is having troubles,” he says. “Conversely, I’m quite transparent if something is wrong with me, whether they can help or I just need to vent. Between these two processes, most problems can be solved, I think.”

This proved crucial during what Ng views as the group’s toughest time, soon after their breakout 2009 album XOXO. As the group picked up steam, concert opportunities in mainland China necessitated personnel shifts, with Nice Lai replacing then-lead guitarist Adam Diaz, shifting Ng to bass and Howie Yung to lead guitar in turn. Tim Wong continues to round out the group as lead vocalist.

“It’s not that we had no difficulties after Nice [Lai] joined,” Ng elaborates, “in fact after signing with Warner Music, problems became more complex, but as a band and with the label’s support, we’re more equipped to face those issues together.”

For Ng, his heart for people ultimately manifests itself in his art. Dear Jane’s 2020 album Limerence and its recent “What’s Happening” three-night concert run – built around the band’s recent music video for “What Happened” – both respond to the Covid-19 pandemic and the loss of relationships over the last few years.

“We had so many plans that we’ve made with family and friends who may have now left for one reason or another,” Ng explains. “There’s no answer, so we can only pose the question and wrestle with it. Sometimes, music can be a place where you can mourn and feel, just for a few minutes, so you can move forward.”

Jackal Ng’s most treasured timepiece

Richard Mille 65-01

“I like watches that are large in size, and I wear them purely to match with clothes. I have a clear vision for things, so when I pick my outfits, shoes and watch, it’s very quick because I know what I want.”

XXIV hours in Jackal Ng’s day …

Morning

“I wake up around 8am or 9am, and sometimes I will go for a run. I use the mornings to take care of paperwork and administrative tasks like answering emails.”

Afternoon

“I try to have my meetings and interviews in the afternoon, between lunchtime and dinner.”

Evening

“I’ll have a coffee after dinner. Coffee is a good friend to me – it wakes me up when I need to, but it never prevents me from sleeping. Usually this is the second one I have in the day, during which I’ll have at least one Americano and one espresso.”

Night

“Sometimes I’ll work on things for Dear Jane or I’ll be relaxing, working on figurines, just winding down. We don’t have a set few days we spend in the studio – if a deadline is approaching, then we’ll stay in the studio until it gets done if we have to. Otherwise, I prefer to be at home.”