Jane Lui | “When you’re doing the thing you love you end up having a lot more endurance.”

Go see an artist live, and expect to hear them perform, then you clap. Go see Jane live, and don’t expect a performance. Instead, you’ll feel like you’ve known Jane since you were in diapers, and the two of you are hanging out in her room as she shares stories and music. The level of comfort you feel in Jane’s presence and her ability to connect with an audience is astounding. Born and raised in Hong Kong, surviving the culture shock of moving to the U.S. at age 12, and starting her solo career in 2004, Jane boasts a Best Recording Nomination for the 2008 San Diego Music Awards and was a featured artist on YouTube on 2009. This 2008 Kollaboration winner has not rested a day, and for good reason—she successfully raised $11,600 from fans for her third album, Goodnight Company, showcasing another round of chills-inducing beauty and, of course, quirkiness. But what’s more, we witness Jane’s personal growth. Join OA as Jane shares never-before-told stories of her eventful life, the reason for a 10-year silence between her and her father, and in her own words, how she has grown into “a joyful and life-loving person.” Well said, Jane.

Fun Facts:

• What takes up most of your time right now:  Managing my career … between emails, bookings, gigging, editing videos, making music, & connecting with people–it’s a lot of constant upkeep.  My favorite thing about being in socal is to be able to see my friends often; connection is my soul-juice.
• Guilty pleasure: George Michael!
• Favorite song to sing in the shower: I hear music that I want to write in the shower.  So it’s gibberish that I’m singing.
• Relationship status: I’m very much in love right now
• Pet peeve: I drink a lot of water, and apparently react strongly to people who don’t. I get a little offended and have no clue why.
• Your go-to food: Yakitori Ramen, yelp it.
• What you look for in a guy: nerds and dorks.  Its sexy when the guy has no ego and just loves gadgets.
• Favorite movie: Amelie
• Lefty or righty: Mostly a righty, but I do a lot of things with my left hand because it’s more comfortable.  It seems I’m better with my left hand in playing some instruments.
• What kind of car do you drive: Prius
• Can you speak/read/write Chinese: Yes, but handwriting is very ugly.
• Fun fact: I am mildly claustrophobic so I always know where the exit is.
• Funner fact: For a quick buck, I used to be a door to door sales gal to businesses, selling random stuff like stickers and BBQ sets. walked around for 10 hours a day.  I did really well, but one day I walked into an office and there was something fishy going on in the back.  I heard bags of money being poured out.  I was at the front door and politely said, “Hello I want to show you my specials today,” and the guy comes out, slams the door, and yells, “Sit down!  I’m calling the cops and making a citizen’s arrest!” He got so mad that he threatened to put a gun to my head unless I didn’t say anything.  The cops came but nothing really happened to the fishy guy.  Two weeks later though that whole place was emptied out, so something fishy was really happening there.  My life was at risk because I was selling Barbie stickers.

OA: Since there is no typical day for Jane Lui, give us a taste of what a week looks like for you.
JL: Lately I’ve been driving up to LA twice a week, which is not bad; it’s quite nice.  I like driving, except during sunset when the sun is in my eye.  I wake up at around 9:30am and I try to do work until about 4pm, then have lunch.  Then I come back for more work.  I like having my nights out so I either go support someone else’s gig or head out for a nice stroll.  The days of the week don’t make a difference so I hardly know what day of the week it is.

OA: One thing that strikes me as uniquely you is the way you connect with the audience at a live performance. It is as if you know every single person in that room, and rather than performing, you are sharing. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing you perform, and I’ve never been so comfortable. So, coming from the girl who is “painfully shy,” how do you maintain such an incredible presence on stage?
JL: I realized who my audience is. I am really shy in that I’m always slightly self-deprecating. But I think I know my audience well enough to know how they think.  There was a time when I was very serious on stage. I literally got bored of myself.  So I started to give more little bits at a time, revealing slowly and taking more risks. In the last year, performing with my audience has felt incredibly different.  The show I recently did in New York has been my favorite so far. It was a roomful of happy people, which made my job easy and so much fun. The room just lit up.. and went from being about me to being about us as a group.

OA: In 2010, you were able to raise $11,600 for your third album, Goodnight Company. I think most independent artists out there want to know how in the world you managed to gather support of this magnitude from your fans.
JL: There are a couple of forces at work.  One, you have to be really honest with your audience about what this money is for, and lay it down – the sound you’re going for–so when the product is delivered they won’t feel cheated. Second, because I’m shy and terrible at shameless self-promotion, I found it much more effective for others who believed in me to do the recommending.  I invited Goh Nakamura, Angry Asian Man, Disgrasian, David Choi, Jennifer Chung, and Gerald Ko to answer the question “Why should you support Jane Lui?” through an online video.  I really did not expect the pledge to meet the goal, but it couldn’t have hurt me to fail.  Slowly it began to build, you never know who’s watching and it just might work.

OA: In “Goodnight Company”, you play fourteen different instruments! Walk us through your music composition process.
JL:  I really enjoy producing other people’s stuff, but I’m not nearly as good when  producing my own material.  So I make sure I have another trusted brain in the room when producing my own stuff, for cross-check purposes.  While there’s no rule to writing songs, I usually hear a theme I want to keep, walk away from it, and wait awhile before finishing the song. If I can remember that theme in 2-4 weeks, then it was a memorable one. Otherwise, I move on. I don’t ever record snippets for that reason.

OA: Let’s talk musical influences. You’ve been classically trained in voice and piano; you grew up listening to cantopop, and somehow became the gorgeously elegant yet endearingly quirky musician you are today. How did that happen?
JL: Like any artist, I think you start by imitating, then slowly churn it into something original.  I’m a collision of influences, and I think you can really hear it in my music.  It’s a blessing and a curse.  It’s a curse because I have really gung ho fans who love the eclectic feel, but borderline fans can’t quite connect because they hear such different genres.  As a person, it doesn’t help that I’ve also changed drastically from my first album.  No matter where I am though, I am very careful to make the songs “Janesque”, and that includes recording as well as live performances with my band.  I want to create a mood no matter what mood it is, and that’s what feels most authentic to me.

OA: We’ve heard everyone else describe your musical style. How would you put words to it?
JL: Handmade Baroque Pop

OA: In high school, your parents discovered you singing with the karaoke machine, and that was the first time they realized you had something special. At what point did you know or decide that music would be your life?
JL: When I was 7 or 8. Always felt it.

OA: You grew up in Hong Kong and made the big move to California when you were twelve. Having had a taste of both worlds, do you identify yourself more with one over the other?
JL:  I grew up here in the West in my teens, so I would say this is my home.  (Sometimes, I wonder what I’d be like if I stayed.)

OA: Pursuing anything in the performing arts is a risk, and you’ve certainly had your share of tension with your parents. But what led to a 10-year silence between you and your father, and do you regret it?
JL:  My parents have seen me play twice: once when I graduated from college, and then again when I started my solo career.  Both times they were really ashamed, they didn’t clap and just sat in the back with their jackets zipped up to their faces.  There was no mistake that they really didn’t enjoy it. My mom didn’t like it because she didn’t pursue her own artistic endeavors, so to her, there was no reason for me to pursue it.  She’s a pretty traditional Chinese mom.  My dad knew I loved music, and said to me once, “You can either do what you love or have financial security.” We had a falling out in college because I decided for myself to pursue music.  Some would say I was disowned, but the irony lies in that it was the most liberating day of my life. I had never felt so excited for myself, and was ready to work hard.  We made peace at the end of his life.  I understand that he truly believed that there was real danger in me doing music.  The cultural gap gave us different definitions of “Success,” that’s all. During the more traumatic part of our relationship I wrote “Perished,” a real yet morbid take on the situation. I don’t regret what happened. It was essential that I broke free to be here now.

OA: Every beat of your music shouts heart, soul, and passion. Where do you primarily draw your inspiration from?
JL:  A lot of it comes from books and movies or just people-watching and daydreaming.  I think personal experience is a great place to run to when you have growing pains of some sort, but what’s really interesting is when you start making up the story, you get to direct where it goes, and its mood.  There were a couple of songs that were not personal experiences, ie “Widowmakers.” You learn something new when you can truly be empathetic.

OA: How have you grown as a musician and as an individual since your first album?
JL: From an anguished girl to a joyful and life-loving person.  I feel like a woman now! Falling in love helps. I follow my instincts much more. It took a while to learn to listen to myself, but knowing how to do that makes songwriting quicker.

OA: You’ve courageously and successfully trucked along the very risky independent route. What has this experience of producing and managing on top of singing, songwriting, and performing been like? Would you recommend this path for everyone?
JL: I’m still learning, myself. Definitely do what you love, but understand it’s never just about the music; or any artform that you do. It’s ridiculous hardwork.  You have to push your way through the crowd and give them a reason to hang on to you, while staying honest to yourself.  You have to be business-savvy, genuine, and the slave labor to your own empire. Always get better at your craft, please don’t be an opportunist. We have greater endurance for the hardwork when we are passionate!

How to stalk Jane Lui:
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/LuieLand
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/janelui
Website: http://janelui.com/
Forum: http://janelui.com/forum
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JANELUIMUSIC

Interview by Julie Zhan
Photography by Melly Lee