You’ve transitioned from classical piano to electronic music. What inspired you to make this bold shift, and how has your classical training influenced your approach to electronic production?
I have always been fascinated with electronic music because you can be your own band with the use of technology. As a classical pianist I’m alone when performing so I am used to owning the stage. With electronic music I wrote, arranged, programmed, produced, played and sang all the songs, which is rare nowadays. By default, I’ve done everything on my own without anyone’s input. I am a disciplined person as well. You must keep that in mind when playing Bach or Mozart because the written music is right in front of you. You respectfully play what the composer(s) intended. I then, applied that mindset into writing and completing the compositions on the “Anywhere EP” and the full-length debut album.
Your new EP, Anywhere, showcases a synth-heavy pop style. Can you tell us more about the vintage synths you used and how they shaped the sound of this project?
To be quite honest, I used a keyboard module and my laptop. Garage Band has loads of sounds and I chose the ones that suited the overall vibe of the songs. Luckily, the sounds were vintage sounding enough that I was able to select other sounds that complemented the initial choice(s). I attended a summer concert this past year and Thomas Dolby, alone on stage, used his laptop and Garage Band. He projected the sequence onto the screen behind him and it was an added visual bonus to his performance. Good to know that what he accomplished is what I am doing.
Existential lyrics seem to play a significant role in your music. What themes or ideas do you explore in the tracks on Anywhere?
The songs on the “Anywhere EP” deal with being isolated, which is basically the theme of the debut album. It’s a sense of being alone when you don’t want to be. You try to connect with good intentions but sometimes it just doesn’t happen, so you feel lost. The exception is the EP’s title track. It’s about traveling (especially with someone whom you love) and experiencing something new and exciting. I consider myself an experienced traveler as I am lucky to have visited fifty-three different countries. I purposely wrote the song to sound upbeat and positive because, for me, traveling lifts me out of my ordinary and predictable surroundings.
As a solo artist who writes, produces, and performs all your music, what challenges and rewards come with wearing so many hats?
The challenges for me as a self-contained artist is that I must make all the decisions. That takes plenty of time and energy. I’m concerned there may be certain regrets after a decision is made when everything is recorded (i.e., keyboard sounds, a line from a lyric, editing and mixing, etc.). The reward would be that every aspect of the music came from me, and I am more than happy to tag my name onto the work afterwards. Another reward would be for the world to hopefully take me seriously as a musician as, I believe, I am capable of producing music on my own terms.
With the EP Anywhere serving as a teaser for your full album, what can fans expect from the rest of the album that isn’t on this preview?
Fans may expect that the other songs are catchy, melodic, moody, atmospheric and lyrically honest. The purpose for writing and recording the debut album is for me to finally express myself. The listeners may hopefully personalize the songs and apply them to their own lives to create a meaningful connection. Also, the listeners may expect songs that feature acoustic and electronic guitars since I am also a guitarist. I wish to not be pigeon-holed as a keyboard musician.
What’s your favorite venue to perform at?
I would love to perform at dance clubs, especially at the beginning. It would be great to be an opening act or co-headline with certain bands that I admire and respect like Erasure, Pet Shop Boys or Empire of the Sun. Hopefully the venues would expand in the future.
Do you have a specific process or ritual when creating new music?
Melodies would sometimes appear in dreams and would loop over and over. I would wake up, take my phone and record me humming the melody so I don’t forget it. I would later compose the bass line and add other musical elements until an entire song is created. I then add the lyrics afterwards. Other times, I sit at the piano and just start playing or strum the guitar to create chord progressions in no specific order.
If you could collaborate with any artist, alive or dead, who would it be?
I would love to collaborate with Emma Anderson or Miki Berenyi from Lush. I admire that band since their song “De-luxe” inspired me to learn to play the guitar. This was during my classical piano era. Emma and I briefly corresponded on Facebook, and I saw Miki’s new band, Miki Berenyi Trio this summer. She was actually six feet away from me on stage and I knew all the Lush songs they performed. For someone not with us anymore, it would have been great to work with Burt Bacharach since he wrote incredibly strong melodies in the following songs: “Walk on By” and “Always Something There To Remind Me” (covered by the electronic band Naked Eyes).
What is the biggest challenge you find in today’s music industry?
The biggest challenge in today’s music industry is to basically stand out and be noticed. I believe my “brand” is that I’ve done everything musically possible to create something on my own. With some artists today, they work with songwriters and producers which is fine. I happen to fulfill both those roles myself. During the recording sessions for the debut the only people in the studio were my engineer and me. I say less is more, but I believe that working with other people in the future will be a positive learning experience.
