Up-and-coming singer/song-writer Lijie (pronounced Lee-Jay) was on the road toward a life and career of finance, before she made a sharp turn in the other direction and found her way back to her original loves -- strawberry ice cream, long walks on the beach, and making some heart-wrenching music.
It's all about her voice. It's one of those voices that catches you off guard. One of those voices that would be perfect to have singing in the background during an intense moment of a scene between star-crossed lovers, because even if you were watching the most god-awful film or television show on the planet, Lijie's voice could have you mesmerized, fooling you into thinking you're watching some serious high-quality drama. (I believe it's the movie trailer addicts and the closeted WB fans who know exactly what I'm talking about. But I digress.)
Comparisons are likely to fly, as they tend to do when new artists emerge -- in this case, Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, and Rachel Yamagata may come to mind -- but Lijie can hold her own. She has an openness that comes through in her voice. It's not shielded by anger or animosity or bitterness, which is part of what gives her music strength while retaining its wistful, haunting beauty. You can especially feel that in "Blue," which happens to be her own personal favorite song off her CD, because the universality of the emotion. As she says, "it doesn't matter if you're 13 or 17 or 26, when you get your heart broken, it feels the same."
Lijie was born in China, but she moved to the United States when she was five. After college, she decided she wanted to forgo her finance degree and instead, move to Los Angeles, wait tables, and pursue her dream of being a singer. Ah, every Asian parent's dream. She started writing music, playing at open mike nights, and booking shows. These shows led to her meeting other musicians who she started playing and making music with. The key players include her drummer, Curtis Byrd, who she met at an open-mike night, and her guitarist Adam Schuman, who she met because they were both waiting tables at the same restaurant. She was eventually approached by an indie label, and even though that didn't go through, it was through this process that she met Erik Colvin, a "nice, kind, amazing musician," alumni of the renowned Berklee School of Music in Boston, who helped her produce her first CD, Roam.
APA talks to Lijie about her songwriting, her goals as a musician, and her next album she's currently working on.
-- Ada Tseng
Interview with Lijie
October 24, 2005
Interviewed by Ada Tseng
Transcribed by Ana La O'
APA: Can you start by introducing yourself to our APA readers?
Lijie: My name's Lijie and I'm a Gemini. I'm a musician/ singer-songwriter. I was born in China and I lived there until I was five, and you know, ran around the neighborhood like a tomboy.
APA: When did you begin singing and playing instruments?
L: I used to sing into a marker when I was really, really little. In photographs, I'd be playing an air piano and stuff. But, I took actual piano lessons from when I was eight until I was thirteen. Then, I picked up the guitar in college.
APA: Where do you find inspiration for the songs that you write?
L: Bad relationships. [laughs] It's the truth.
APA: Heartbreak…
L: Yes, and you know, some good relationships too. But I like to write about love, the people around me, my family. I write about them a lot. My dad always says, "Write something nice about me!"
APA: How do you write your songs, what is your process?
L: I keep a journal with me at all times, and usually you hear something in your head, like a melody, or you start humming something that sounds good. Or, you hear someone else's music, and you feel inspired to write something from another song.
APA: When you write lyrics, do you pay attention to the poetry of the language, or do you like to tell a story?
L: I don't see myself as a story-teller. I wish I could be better at storytelling – Bob Dylan, he was a great storyteller. I more just write about how I feel. But I love Sarah McLachlan, and she's more of a songstress, in terms of talking about how she feels, what other people feel and love, and all that stuff.
APA: You hear about pop stars and how image is so important and how they're packaged, etc. As a songwriter, where it's supposed to be more about the music, is image not as much of a concern– or it that still something that you still have to pay close attention to?
L: I'd be lying if it wasn't. It's always looking for a balance between who you are as a person, and who people want to see you as. Hopefully those two match. I'm just going to be how I feel is honest and who I am. I just know that when I'm wearing a tube top onstage, or heels, I'm not comfortable. It's hard cause sometimes you want to wear your new heels and look nice. But at the same time, I realize… I might fall on my face. [laughs] So I take off my shoes and go barefoot.
APA: Do you usually perform barefoot?
L: I do now, yea. There's just no point. Don't get me wrong. I love shoes. I'm a typical woman. But it really comes down to being comfortable, being who you are. People are here for the music, not for your shoes.
APA: How would you like to distinguish yourself from other female singer-songwriters?
L: Well, obviously being Asian is something that I'm very proud of and that I think is special. Not that I want that to be the reason people are listening to it, but you know, there's really no big Asian musicians. There's some that are up and coming, but none that are really mainstream yet. But at the same time, I want to be seen as normal. You always hear stories about how musicians are crazy, but I live a pretty boring life. All I do is write and work and do gigs.
APA: No wild parties?
L: Not very many wild parties. I babysit a lot. I really like children. I have a weakness for them, actually. What else do I do? Besides liking long walks on the beach and strawberry ice cream, I like the internet and I like to watch Sex and the City reruns, because they are great. I like to listen to new music, and I like to go out every once in while. I know it's probably not the most exciting life.
APA: What about in terms of your songwriting, how would you ideally want to distinguish yourself?
L: Oh, wow. I'd just be happy if people thought I was a good songwriter. Someone who writes really honestly.
APA: You attended Santa Clara University in San Jose. What did you study there?
L: I studied finance.
APA: Finance… How did you make the decision to go into music?
L: Actually what happened was that when I was interning my junior year of college, I kind of realized finance wasn't exactly what I wanted to do. So, I told my dad on his 50th birthday that I wanted to move to L.A. after I graduated, wait tables, and be a musician…
APA: What was his reaction?
L: I walked home that night. [laughs] He wasn't very excited, but he's so supportive now. He's really supportive. I was really surprised actually. It was like a 180 turn. It's been good. It's been really good.
APA: What are some of your musical influences?
L: Oh my God, where do I begin? I love Coldplay. Chris Martin, if you ever see this, I love you! I love U2, The Police, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, Creedance Clearwater, Radiohead, Sarah McLachlan, Fiona Apple, Jewel, Madonna… Anyone good.
APA: In terms of your own music, do you have a role model that you are inspired by, that you ideally want to emulate, or do you just want do your own thing?
L: When I first started playing, I was playing guitar and learning a lot of Jewel. I idolized Jewel. I wanted to live in a van.
APA: In Alaska?
L: Yes. [laughs] Learn how to yodel and do all that. But, I think as an artist, you do want to differentiate yourself. So if someone says to me that I sound like Jewel or Sarah McLachlan, I am so flattered -- it's a huge, huge compliment -- but at the same time, you kind of want to be yourself.
 |
|
Playing the djimbe. |
APA: You produced your first CD with Erik Colvin.. What about him and his style meshed well with you and your music?
L: He writes great pop songs. He plays the drums, guitar, and bass. He just has a great ear for music. He would tell me which hooks in my songs were strong, and if I should hold a note longer. He could hear something and tell me if it worked. Or I would sing him something, and he'd say, "No, that's not catchy." It's the attention to detail that he has that really made the music so much better than I thought it could be.
APA: Can you talk a little bit about the CD you're working on?
L: I've been writing for the next CD. I've been writing for it for about a year now, and now it's just a matter of either fully producing it, and if I do fully produce it, I need a producer and capital. I need money to get into the studio, because it's pretty expensive. Or, I could just record it myself in my living room – do it all garage band, have a very organic sound.
Some of the songs are definitely a little dirtier, like it's not your typical chord progressions. And I'm still trying to figure out what I want the next CD to be. I think if anything, I might make it a EP, so there's only 4 or 5 songs on it, and there'd be a taste of everything. We'll see.
APA: Where do you kind of envision yourself going with your music?
L: Honestly… without sounding totally cocky, I want to be touring internationally and playing. Because I think that there's not enough Asian people -- there's no Asian artist that's been recognized in the music business.
Oh, I want a Grammy, Best New Artist. [smiles]
Listen to some of Lijie's music from her CD Roam here:
Blue
Roam
So High
lijiemusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/lijiemusic.