At 24, Vancouver-raised electro musician Tei Shi is a rising star, cropping up everywhere from Vice to Italian Vogue. It’s easy to understand why: her breakout EP, Saudade, melds danceability with haunting poignance.
Heading to Toronto’s NXNE music festival this week? You’ll get the chance to check out Tei Shi live in concert—an opportunity you should definitely seize (let’s just say we’re fans). We caught up with the thoughtful and enigmatic songstress before her flight east to chat about everything from esthetics in the music industry to her favourite things to do when back in Van.
Read on for our exclusive with Canada’s most exciting electro-dreamgirl. —Adrienne Matei
Q: Tell us about yourself, and the beginning of your interest in a music career?
I’ve always had a very strong connection with music, although I didn’t really grow up in a very musical context or household. I moved around a lot with my family growing up which exposed me to a lot of different music, and during that time I always sang and wrote music, but the writing part of things was something that was very private for me for a very long time. It wasn’t until I went to music school for college that I realized it was possible to carve out a career in music. I met Luca Buccellati, who produces my music with me, during my last semester at school…we worked together on a bunch of songs I had written, and they really came to life as a result of our collaboration, which ultimately took the form of the EP. So I’ve definitely always been very musically inclined, but it really wasn’t until the conception of this EP that I began to believe in myself more seriously as an artist.
Q: The title of your album, Saudade, gestures towards feelings that are hard to articulate, at least in English. How would you identify the emotional atmosphere you convey in your music?
At the time I was working on the EP, Saudade was a very fitting word to describe the general tone and mindset that I was in. Most of the songs on the EP were written throughout my years at college, and it was a very up and down, emotional and isolating time. As a result I guess most of what I was writing was somewhat darker and more melancholic, and I definitely wanted to convey that int the final EP’s sound. The EP largely deals with those feelings of isolation, doubt and a kind of lost longing. I loved the idea of Saudade –a word that evoked such a strong and specific emotion, that it couldn’t be described in any other language or translated really. We all know that emotion, but it’s hard to pinpoint. Working on new music since the release of Saudade has also been quite different. I have found myself writing brighter and more upbeat, more heavily instrumental stuff. I think it all depends on the head space I am in, but I definitely aim to express an eclectic emotional atmosphere. I’d like for every project I make to be very different, and cover different emotional ground.
Q: How are you approaching your aesthetic as an artist in a field that emphasizes a look as much as a sound?
As an artist I think there is, and has always been a lot of weight in how you represent yourself visually, and we live in an age where this is magnified. Everything is so immediate and accessible, people don’t just want to listen to music, they want to be able to attach a strong image to that sound. I think this is something that is great in a lot of ways…it allows for creativity and more extensive experimentation as an artist. That said, I tend to not think about it as much personally, and kind of just represent myself in the most natural way I can. I’ve always been someone who really appreciates aesthetic and style, and I’ve always made a point to express myself in a unique way through the way I present myself visually. I try to constantly express something through the way I look…not out of a desire to appeal to people, or look perfect, but to present myself without shame or doubt.
Q: What’s been your most fun experience during your career so far?
I still think the most fun I have ever, is while making music. Sitting in my room or at a studio space or wherever, recording, and making an idea come to life. It’s exhilarating to me. I think that is when I’m the happiest and the most in sync with myself. But maybe that’s because I haven’t had that many wild experiences yet…haha. Time will tell.
Q: What are you current projects, and near future goals?
I’m aiming to put out a second EP later this year, so this past month has consisted heavily of writing and recording the material that will eventually lend itself to an EP. So for now my most immediate goals are just getting some really great new music made, and releasing new stuff as soon as I can! Aside from that, working on my live show and trying to start experimenting with it more is definitely a priority.
Q: You grew up in Vancouver – can you share something about your experience here, like a treasured Van-centric memory, or a favourite spot to go hang out, have fun, or be with your thoughts?
Vancouver is such an incredibly beautiful and serene city. Oddly, one of my favorite things to do is to just drive around the city. For some reason I find it really soothing and introspective, and I never really drive unless I’m home, so every time I am I make a point to go for a long drive and kind of revisit old spots like the house I grew up in, friends’ neighborhoods, my old school, all that. I’m a highly nostalgic person haha. Anywhere where there is a seawall is a prime spot for me in Vancouver. And then of course there is the food in Vancouver, which is probably as important and meaningful to me. Vancouver sushi it just incomparable, I always make a point to eat as much of it as I can when I’m home!
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