Launched in 2015, Carolyn Oei and Marc Nair initially came up with the idea for their Singaporean culture magazine Mackerel while on their honeymoon. As partners of the arts and culture PR firm, The Creative Voice, both Oei and Nair have always been interested in writing about and documenting the world around them. They decided to bring their passion to their magazine, focusing on interviews and stories that people don't expect. Their goal is to tell contemporary stories of beauty, truth and hope through essays, photographs, podcasts and videos. As responsible writers, Oei says they do a lot of groundwork for their articles including research and travel. They plan an editorial calendar and line stories up months in advance. The stories come from a variety of places and contributors, Nair says, and they are always looking for new ways to "tease out a sense of wonder along with the narrative."