KICCC – The Water Knows

By starrymag | July 13, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) My sound is predominantly pop with R&B and rock influences. I truly have a love for so many kinds of genres such as Jazz, Dreampop, Grunge, K-Pop, Folk, New Wave, etc. that when I started writing my own material it never occurred to me to really stick to one thing. I think, for me, my sound and art always follow what I am trying to express. “Wine” is a song that reveals a part of me that hasn’t been shown before in my previously more upbeat dance tracks.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) Having been raised by my mom and sisters for most of my childhood, I always looked up to female figures and it is the same when it comes to a lot of my musical influences. I grew up loving (still do) the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cansei de Ser Sexy, Lush, Garbage, No Doubt, Fiona Apple, Róisín Murphy and Lykke Li, Feist among many other artists. Karen O, Lovefoxxx and Miki Berenyi are still huge motivators for me in my own professional life. Growing up I didn’t have a lot of people I could immediately relate to as an Asian person within English speaking mediums, so when I discovered these artists as a teenager it was transformative on many levels.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Wine.”

 

A) When I was writing “Wine” I was doing a lot of introspection into past relationships, not just in “love” but also friendships and, really, with myself. I was realizing that it’s quite difficult for me to allow people to know me thoroughly because I always feel like it’s going to be too hard or painful for others to understand me or accept all of me. “Wine” is a bit of a hopeful love song where I’m trying to reconcile with myself first and foremost. I truly believe that “self-love” is at the crux of so much of what we struggle to deal with as humans. It’s an ongoing process but it’s a step in the right direction.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I’ve been told that the sleepy melody and softer vocals on the track make it easy to listen to. When I worked on the song, I kept thinking of days where it’s a bit hard to get out of bed. Not necessarily in a dreadful way, but like when you are feeling relatively content and comfortable exactly where you are. To me, it’s my version of a nice, warm mug of tea in the morning (or whenever your circadian rhythm dictates).

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) The music video for “Wine,” directed by Brock Newman, shares similar thoughts about the desire to feel seen and loved for who you are. In the music video it sort of goes both ways between the lead characters. Keeping with the sci-fi theme of my trilogy of videos, we were playing with the idea of avatars and augmented reality. There are a lot of great distractions that make it hard to see what’s in front of you sometimes so it’s about seeing past all that sort of thing. It’s very stripping.

 

Q) What is your songwriting process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) I write in different ways depending on the song or project. Mostly I come up with new compositions, but I’m also doing more top-lining lately as it is a nice way for me to try new things and adapting to different styles. I also rely on the voice memo app on my phone a lot as it’s the best way of capturing the intent of my melody that I can easily share to a producer.

When I’m composing something original, lyrics (at least a key part or the main theme) come with the music naturally as it’s a part of the same expression. As the full structure of the song develops, I usually adapt the lyrics so it can tell a fluid story. So, in that sense, they arrive together but may grow at a different pace.

 

Q) ENAN handled production for much of the album, but how much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) Huge shoutout to ENAN for their guidance when it came to bringing my album to life. With respect to that, I do write all of my main melodies and lyrics of the songs present on the album. I am definitely more involved in the creative process of each song vs the more technical aspects such as arranging and mixing it on the computer, but I’m always right there in the room making sure it sounds how I imagined it (instruments, effects, ambiance, etc.) and ENAN will make it happen and make sure it sounds even better. It’s a really collaborative relationship so I am definitely involved with the production of my music.

 

Q) How do you shake off a long day in the studio?

 

A) A nice meal and a long sleep is always appreciated after a long day in the studio. It was especially exciting when I was recording in Seoul because no matter the time of the day, the streets are always busy with restaurants of all sorts still open. I love seafood so I always spoil myself with lots of it after being in the studio.

 

Q) What are some themes you will be exploring on your upcoming album The Water Knows?

 

A) The Water Knows will explore themes about (self) love, (self) validation, apprehension and persistence. It’s about taking care of yourself and putting effort inwards.

 

Q) What are some songs on the album that hold a special place in your heart and why?

 

 

A) I really do love “Mulled” and “Wine.” They are the songs I’m most nervous about having people hear because I’m sharing something I don’t usually talk about. My heart is on my sleeve and it’s like… please try to understand it before it shrivels up and I hide it away again. I’m a Cancer, so I’m sensitive… [laughs]

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from checking out The Water Knows?

 

A) I hope that people can enjoy my songs and find that they sound nice first and foremost. If they can relate to my songs and lyrics and decide to be kinder to themselves for a moment, that would be great.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) I believe in manifestation so I’m going to dream a bit and say Tyler the Creator.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) Right now, I’m revisiting Utada Hikaru’s English and Japanese discography. With a discography spanning about two decades, she shares so much of her life through her music. I’m listening to “About Me” on repeat. It’s so honest and easy to listen to and because I’m a Cancer it makes me feeeeeel sooooo muuuuch. [laughs]

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) My gripe with social media is that in some way we are all being forced to participate as a means of function, communication and expectation. Like all of the best restaurants (that I know of) in my city have an Instagram following and I only know about them because of it (or word of mouth but that happens over messaging or tags nowadays anyways). Even if there are actually way better places out there, so much of our perception is built upon what we see on social media. So as someone who is trying to share with an audience and my fanbase (thank you to all seventeen of you guys [laughs]), social media is important because it’s an accessible and direct platform where I can get information out there, be silly sometimes and let people know I’m still alive. To be honest, I miss the days of checking out music programs on TV Saturday nights but like… yeah, it’s just a different reality nowadays especially with media consumption in North America.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I’d like to say thank you. Thank you for hearing me. Thank you for seeing me. I exist because you allow me to and I will work hard to earn that privilege.

On that note, thank you so much Starry Mag for interviewing me!

 

Listen to “Wine”

 

Watch The Video For “Wine”