WIND MEETS WEST

Hello Wind Meets West. You just released a new single! Tell us what inspires your music?

Hi there! Thanks for having me, I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with me.

My music comes from snapshots of my life. I take those and dissect what emotions and thoughts are swirling around in my memories. A song is born from an idea that I can’t get out of my head, whether that be something that happens in my life like a breakup or battles with my depression, or it can be something as simple as a provoking chord progression. Anything is fair game!

“Technicolor” is a song that comes from a place of joy, a place of cherishing memories as they are and basking in their warmth⁠. I explored the happy memories from when I first moved to New York City. I thought about this Tinder date I went on with a girl in a bright blue dress in the summer of 2018 and the colors of autumnal landscapes that paint the sky with red and cherry gold. Especially given the dark times we live in, I think going back to your memories allows you to imagine a future worth living for, to have places, people, and experiences to create hope that one day we will be able to create new memories again.

How did you start your recording career?

I’ve been doing music my whole life, but I actually started my adult life as a software engineer. As a child of immigrants, I was told my whole life that a stable 9-5 job was the key to happiness and that music should just be a hobby. But in that year, I became so depressed that even getting out of bed onto the subway was a monumental effort. It was a really dark time because though I had done everything “right” and by the book, I was fundamentally unhappy.

So I decided that I should do something totally out of the ordinary, and something that’s considered the “wrong” “unsafe” move, I quit my job and made music my full-time career. I’ve learned in life that when you’re caught in a negative cycle, you can break it by committing to a decision that you wouldn’t normally make. This gets you out of that negative feedback loop and creates change in your life.

What is your genre of music and why that genre over others? 

I would say indie-pop! Contrary to the haters, I think pop is the most exciting genre to write and produce. It’s a genre where you can pull from so many different sonic palettes and use them as you wish. Pop is such an umbrella term, and as someone who can play every rhythm instrument, sing, and listens to everything from Ty Dolla $ign to Ravel to Lauv, I love that the only limit is that I have to make a song that connects with people.

Who are your influences?

Lauv and John Mayer are huge influences of mine in terms of songwriting and composition. I started out as a kid with my guitar sitting alone in my bedroom writing songs. What I love about both of these artists is how unfiltered they are: they write about whatever they want and are able to distill their emotions in such a way that other people are able to resonate and feel them too. I want my songs to create emotional space for people, to give them a chance to feel emotions they aren’t encouraged to feel, or are even barred from feeling in every day life. That’s what all my favorite artists have done for me, they gave me songs that make me feel less alone and that someone out there is going through what I’m going through.

How do you define success?

This sounds kinda terrible, but when people cry at my shows I know I’m doing a good job. When people tell me that my music has helped them process a breakup, or their relationship with their parents, or inspired them to live their life more authentically, that’s how I measure success. At the end of the day, music is a tool to connect with people, so if I keep on doing that then I know I’m a successful artist.

What can we expect from you in 2021?

I have finalized plans for an EP tentatively called “Songs to Sing to Myself”.  It’s an EP centered around my mental health struggles with depression and anxiety, being a 20-something processing the difference in values between myself and my immigrant parents, and my own journey in trying to live the life I deserve rather than the life that’s expected of me. Expect that sometime next summer!

In the meantime, you can follow my journey by following me on Spotify, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. I post about my life as a singer-songwriter/producer, production/songwriting/singing tips, and it’s where I keep in touch with folx. Hit me up, would love to get to know you and I welcome everyone into my space.

SPOTIFY:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/6pChcUUtN5zMjePmowofVt?si=gz_9aXqWTt6AagbD97sf2g

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/windmeetswest/

TIK TOK: https://vm.tiktok.com/J8LDpSD/

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/windmeetswest

End of Interview