"It's enough—and hard enough—for it to be honest." (an interview with Linying)
As we ring in this new year, the Half Mystic team is thrilled to introduce you to a musician who can work anywhere and everywhere in more ways than one—and our first Singaporean interviewee. Her work transcends time and space in a way that lets everyone find a home in it if they are only willing to listen. Please join us in welcoming the brilliant Linying.
HM: Describe your music using only verbs.
L: wallowing.
What about your music are you proudest of?
i listen back to the songs on the ep and despite distance and growth from them, i still think that they're the most accurate way i would ever have been able to put my memories and feelings into song-form. i'm really happy with that.
Your artistic background is very much an international one—you're based in Singapore, spent time in Paris, and have worked with music professionals from across the globe. Has that affected your work? If so, how?
i think it must, even if i don't realise it. having had my start in music in projects that were international and being exposed to much bigger and more mature industries before being involved in and then slowly understanding singapore's has really given me insight into the mechanics behind the business and how they differ across geographies.
You often refer to the songs in your EP Paris 12 as "snapshots" of your identity at the time you wrote them. What about music as a medium makes it suited to take those snapshots?
when i write a song, i need the melodies to move the lyrics along and vice versa - i never write them separately. i think that's how songs are different from poetry, or prose; there really is a different dimension to words when they are framed in musical terms. things are put in different ways when accompanied by music, and music fills in the blanks that words leave, so for me, it's a much less rational and more impressionistic way of remembering an experience.
To jump off of that: the act of making music can be deeply individual. How has gaining a (rapidly growing) following as a musician affected your view of that process?
i think it makes me a lot more aware that the music will be listened to, which is heartening only after the writing process, and frustratingly distracting during.
We here at Half Mystic especially love the startling yet perfectly apt imagery in your lyrics. What is the relationship between imagery and emotion in your work?
i'm quite a visual person, i think, and i read a lot more fiction than i do non-fiction, so maybe that has something to do with it.
We've also noticed that each of your songs has a distinct atmosphere; despite that uniqueness, each and every one is decidedly yours. What is the 'Linying factor,' so to speak, that ties them all together?
i guess no two combinations of personal experience and creative choices derived from the variety of art and literature and music consumed can ever really be the same... but other than that, i don't think my music is particularly unique, if at all. it's enough - and hard enough - for it to be honest.
What's one thing you'd like your future self to remember about your current self five, ten, fifty years from now?
that my present self is grateful to my past self five, ten years ago for making an effort to remember things that happened.
Bio: With moving lyricism and vivid production in songs about coming of age and coming to terms, Linying has amassed an international following and made firm believers of industry stalwarts like Bob Boilen of NPR's All Songs Considered, who compared her to Bon Iver; BBC Radio 1's Phil Taggart, who has her pegged for promise on his show's Future Firsts; and even celebrity blogger Perez Hilton.
In 2016, the indie-electronic newcomer quietly released her first single, "Sticky Leaves." Within weeks, it had climbed steadily up Spotify's Global Viral chart, causing a stir amongst critics and listeners across the globe before receiving its worldwide premiere on Billboard, thus launching the 22 year-old far beyond her tiny island home state of Singapore.
Following an overseas live debut at Tokyo's prestigious Summer Sonic Festival, her music caught the attentions of Universal Music's Asian offices, London-based boutique label Akira Records and US indie giants Nettwerk Music Group, whose rosters she promptly joined before embarking on a tour spanning across Europe, Asia, and Australia. With her first EP debuting at #1 on iTunes, a growing international fan base, and unfeigned praise from tastemakers all around, Linying is fast establishing herself as one of the most promising acts in music today.
Explore more: Website | Facebook | Spotify | iTunes | "Paris 12" (music video)