Psyclo- Not for everyone, a place to escape.
Interview conducted on September 18, 2020
by Dan Locke
You are from Shenyang, China. What brought you to LA?
College.
What was your upbringing like?
The stereotypical Asian style.
How did you discover music?
Music is everywhere. It’s hard to not notice its existence.
When did you start to write music?
College.
What was your first performance like?
Fun.
What makes a good songwriter?
Being able to make others feel something.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
“Homeless”, yes.
Tell me about your last single “The 18th Floor in Hell”
Sometimes it feels like you can’t trust anyone and you cannot trust yourself either. This song is what paranoia sounds like in my head.
The “18th Floor in Hell” is related to Chinese mythology for 18 being a bad number. In the western world, 13 is the bad number. If you had to choose to stay on the 18th floor of a hotel or the 13th floor of a hotel, which floor would you stay the night on?
The 13th, I like number 13 actually just because too many people hate it for what all others say. Chinese people don’t have a thing about 18, some people try to avoid number 4 because it sounds like “death” in Mandarin.
Can you tell us a bit about your new single, “Los Angeles”?
“I’m in a crowded city where no one takes things seriously.” I like the mixed feeling of isolation and a sense of hope that LA gives me. I don’t like the typical Hollywood style that you always have to seek approval and validation from someone else but it is how it is as always.
How do you stay healthy while performing?
I don’t see any possible ways of damaging my health while performing.
As you are still in LA, have you tried your hand in acting yet? or plan to?
I have but I found that it was not my thing so no more plans.
Do you prefer digital or vinyl?
Vinyl.
In your opinion, how is Beijing approaching gender equality?
I don’t really know, I’m not from there. Human beings all around the world are pretty much the same no matter which part of the world they’re from, there are always different kinds of people with different beliefs wanting different things. Some care and some don’t, some fight and some accept.
What are your feelings about the social uprising going on in the United States?
I don’t read any news. I’m pretty much a caveman.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what does that song mean to you?
A song I wrote called “rainbow farts” came to my mind. It literally means farts to me.
How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Less festivals, less live shows.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Making music all day, my life didn’t change much at all to be honest.
During the lockdown you released a lot of music and videos. Which one is your favorite and why? Do you even have one?
“LITTLE”, the song has my entire heart in it.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Doing nothing.
95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. This includes people who don’t have television and using their computers to do streaming of programs and movies. Which is your favorite streaming channel?
Netflix. I cancelled it not long ago, not because I spent too much time watching something, it was that I spent too much time on picking.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook as they are cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses. How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
I don’t care.
With no real live music (mostly virtual shows, except for things like Drive-In Theater shows), what do you think will be the future of music?
There’ll be a rebounce. When the time the world gets back to normal people would appreciate more of the little things we took for granted before, like going to concerts and festivals.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merch to them at the show?
Making new music.
Do you think it will be possible to make a living doing concerts this way virtually?
Everything’s possible.
With Social Distancing being the norm, do you feel that it may be the end of musical festivals for the next couple of years?
Probably, but people will forget about 2020 pretty fast when it all goes back to normal. I’ve never been to any music festivals, hope I can be at one in 2022.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
That’s a great idea.
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
Rich and famous.
Anything you would like to say in closing?
Thanks for having me.
INSTAGRAM // WEBSITE // TWITTER // FACEBOOK // SOUNDCLOUD // YOUTUBE
