The Sandbox: Cruz

By Ben Bagley

Ahead of their set at Sounds of Sandy’s this weekend, Hearing Aid sat down with Ingrid Yeung, lead singer of Cruz, to talk about the origins of the band.

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“I first met Pop, Sam, and Jayne in my first year at a gig in Sandy’s Bar,” Yeung says, ahead of their own headline show at the venue this weekend. “They invited me to a rehearsal after the gig. Soon after we were jamming here and there, and the rest is history.”

Yeung, a third-year Philosophy and International Relations student, started playing piano at three before moving to guitar. “I also dabbled in a bit of bass,” she is quick to add.

The rest of the band are third- and fourth-years. Jayne Pornteparaks, the band’s pianist and co-vocalist, has also been playing piano since the age of four. Between them, there’s no shortage of experience.

Cruz have become a regular fixture at Signpost’s Friday night gigs at The Rule, winning crowds over with their eclectic sets. “Since we all have different tastes, our setlist ends up as a bit of a melting pot,” Yeung says. “It’s hard to pin our style down.”

Their repertoire ranges from Radiohead to the Marias, reflecting the band’s varied influences.

While primarily a cover band, their setlist also features Yeung’s original song ‘Aristotle’. “I wrote it back in 2021, inspired by indie-folk singer Luca Firth,” she says. “It’s a bit different from our usual sound, but it’s always fun to play during the gig as a break from the higher-energy songs.”

“We’re a versatile band,” Yeung adds. “We don’t let one genre limit our choices, and we always try to put our own spin on the songs we cover.”

Yeung tells me the story behind the band’s names. “We were covering Sufjan Stevens’ ‘No Shade in the Shadow of a Cross’ and drinking Cruzcampo,” she explains. Sadly Cruzcampo is unavailable at Sandy’s Bar, but others lagers are available at an extremely reasonable price. 

Unlike most bands in St Andrews, Cruz is made up of multi-instrumentalists. “The only person who sticks with the same instrument for the entire set is our drummer, Sam,” Yeung says. The band also share vocal duties, spending time fine-tuning their rich harmonies.

As they head into what may be their final year as a band, Cruz still have a few goals left to tick off.

“Our big bucket list items are landing a gig at Aikman’s and playing Garden Party,” Yeung says. “If anyone can hook us up, let us know.”