Everywhere and Nowhere - The Interviews

We sat down with Asian Australian indie pop/electronic artist BIRDEE 王煒 whose soulful and expansive vocals have won our hearts unequivocally. We chatted about the importance of her Chinese/Greek/Russian heritage to her music and journey, and how her inwards-looking sense of lyricism is buoyed by her bombastic earworms. 

We invited our dear friend and founder of media platform ⁠Freshmusic Awards⁠ Yuneng Chen to join us on this very special episode of Everywhere and Nowhere titled 'COMMUNITY'. Inspired by the tireless work Yuneng and his team have been doing for the regional music scene over the last 16 years, we wanted to shed a light on what they've done for the community and get an insiders' opinion from Yuneng on who he felt should have made the ⁠winners' list ⁠at this years' Freshmusic awards.But more than that, this conversation was special to us because underneath it all, it's all about Community. About the work it takes from people who have no rational reason to do what they do; and how they create these magical experiences, spaces, conversations which benefit the wider music scene. I had the pleasure of attending the Freshmusic awards LIVE for the first time ever last month, and it really reminded me about the value of the communities people like Yuneng are building.It’s not just about being able to put on an event, a show, write a piece with the same 'quality' as a for-profit who’s getting paid to do it; it’s about all those little nuances that come together and add up to create something magical, something transcendent. Something bigger than us all. And those are the experiences we seek out, we live for, we remember the longest. Why? Because in shared experiences and spaces we find community. We find solace and a shred of similarity that tides us through for one more day. That feeling of being in a room full of like minded and well intentioned individuals is like no other. And these are the moments that contribute to a healthier, safer, prosperous music ecosystem.So grab a seat and let's dive deep into music nerdery as Yuneng and I deconstruct some of his favourite albums and artists of 2022 from across Singapore, Malaysia and the Greater China music space!More about the show/Listen to full show on demand hereFollow us on Instagram, Tiktok or Facebook for Podcast updatesHang with us on Asian Pop WeeklyFollow Freshmusic Awards on their website or Instagram

We welcome Wiradjuri/Filipino singer-songwriter and visionary Mo’Ju to the show to share their thoughts on change as they embark on a new sonic journey with their groundbreaking new album “ORO PLATA MATA”. A complex amalgamation of Mo’Ju’s culture, heritage, sense of self and worldview, it is a heartfelt call for change that touches on topics such as eco-anxiety and capitalism whilst elevating the singer-songwriter’s iconic alt-R&B sound to new heights. About Mo'JuRecent years have seen ARIA-nominated musician and songwriter Mo’Ju enter new realms of renown, their brand of visceral storytelling striking at the heart of a country whose social and cultural climate was manoeuvring a particular state of unrest and change. A full spectrum of emotion and sonic textures marry together in Mo’Ju’s music, producing sounds that can be equal measures of sensuality, vulnerability and hard-hitting strength. When their 2018 studio album Native Tongue was released to widespread acclaim, it was not without debate, Native Tongue ignited and inspired some long overdue, sometimes tough, conversations. The inability to categorise where an artist such as Mo’Ju fits has been a common narrative throughout their career. However, the Naarm-based musician, songwriter, storyteller and third culture kid (Filipino/Wiradjuri), is not here to be boxed in and commodified. Their music is created in alignment with a central artistic vision that is built on truth, authenticity and most importantly, legacy.Follow Mo'Ju: https://www.instagram.com/moju_music/More about the show/Listen to full show on demand hereFollow us on Instagram, Tiktok or Facebook for Podcast updatesHang with us on Asian Pop Weekly

CURB is one of Singapore's most promising underground rock units. Made up of some young veterans on the local indie scene with major credits under their names (Nick drums for Subsonic Eye, both Sam and Nick session for fauxe, Farizi produces for Mary Sue) Sam, Farizi and Nick who make up the band are here to recklessly make the kind of music that they enjoy, and that they don't see anyone else doing.In their words, "we just write the shit that we want to hear".Drawing frequently from emo-rock influences but borrowing from all genres such as punk, math rock and more the band pay a unique homage to the city they've centred their lives around on their coming-of-age album 'Hope You're Doing Well, Michaela', and shared with us some bizarre stories that inspired the concept as well as their takes on what's been happening on the local scene lately.Follow CURB: www.instagram.com/curballcapsMore about the show/Listen to full show on demand hereFollow us on Instagram, Tiktok or Facebook for Podcast updatesHang with us on Asian Pop Weekly

We’re floored to invite one of our favourite singer songwriters Diana Wang to chat with us on Everywhere and Nowhere and herald in the new lunar year together!Born in the Netherlands but having set her sights on the Greater China scene since her debut, the singer-songwriter and all-round creative who's known for chart-topping hits such as 'HOME' and '愛存在' as well as groundbreaking alternative R&B works such as 'Poem 一步成詩' spoke with us about how she usually celebrates lunar new year, how the moon inspires her creations (such as her mini album '月 Moon') and what's next for her as she prepares for her entrepreneurial debut <3More about the show/Listen to full show on demand hereFollow us on Instagram, Tiktok or Facebook for Podcast updatesHang with us on Asian Pop Weekly

Listen to our full interview with Swedish-Singaporean Jazz guitarist Andy Yeo who's fresh off releasing his debut album 'Haw Par Villa'. Inspired by the aged Singaporean theme park, we picked Andy's brain about how he's so deftly incorporated his culture and heritage into his music, where this motivation comes from, and went on some interesting tangents about our shared Hokkien heritage and what it feels like to be between cultures and identities.This interview originally appeared in our 'Everywhere and Nowhere' radio show on Indiego and Spotify as part of our 'Third Culture Kids' curation.

A full, unabridged interview with Asian-Australian singer-songwriter Yeo, who joins us for our 'CRAZY' episode of Everywhere and Nowhere as a guest announcer. We grilled him on his collaboration with the indomitable Kitty Purrnaz, his experiences as a veteran independent artist, and his love for cooking Southeast Asian dishes. Let's pack snacks and make tracks!

Armed with warm, velvety tones, singer-songwriter Krysta Joy gives us all the warm and fuzzies. Collaborating on the March episode of our Everywhere and Nowhere show titled 'Can you be gentle with me?', we spoke at length about the importance of being gentle with ourselves, and -in line with the name of Joy’s last album- ’embracing the progress’. Digging deep into her personal experiences and her most sacred anxieties, Joy is well on her way to becoming one of the most genuine Soul artists the Singaporean music scene has to offer.Putting together a mix of songs in line with the theme ‘can you be gentle with me?’, the 24 year old creative has dug up some of her most treasured, well-worn tracks that have weathered the worst of storms with her, including some sweet picks from Singaporean acts Charlie Lim, lewloh, Vivien Yap, nkei and Krysta herself.Listen to our interview with the self titled 'gentle giant'!