Musician Jeffrey Chan has released the superb single ‘Try’ in November 2020. We caught up with him for a full interview, enjoy now!
Tell us about yourself?
My name is Jeffrey Chan, and I’m a singer-songwriter/producer based in Sydney, Australia. I’m a multi-instrumentalist and constantly looking forward to what I can explore next. My sound is very synth/dance pop-oriented, although I am classically trained.
I have been in love with music ever since I could walk (I’m pretty sure there’s clips of a 3-year-old me dancing and singing with a headset on) and I have been writing music since I was about 12. I just love that music can be both a therapeutic output but also a form of escapism.
Tell us about your latest release ‘Try’?
‘Try’ is my new single which just came out about a week ago (Fri 27 Nov) and it’s a retro/synth-pop track that really draws inspiration from 80s ballads and new-wave music. I just released the music video that I self-directed with my co-creative director (Nick Karras). Given that we had to shoot this during quarantine, we worked with a very limited team of about 4 (which meant I was also moving sets and cleaning haha), but I couldn’t be happier with how it’s turned out. And it’s a really fun throwback style video that pays homage to the one-take styled videos that used to play on MTV.
You worked with producer Dibs (Carly Rae Jepsen, Melanie Martinez) on ‘Try’ what that process was like?
It was so amazing to work with Dibs; he was able to take my idea, influences, and inspirations and create something that feels uniquely me. This is the first time that I’ve let someone else take the creative reigns in terms of sound and production, and I really am so happy with how ‘Try’ turned out.
‘Try’ is the first single from your upcoming EP, can you tell us any more?
‘Try’ is actually the second single I’ve released this year after ‘Glow’ back in June. I always like to release albums/EPs because I feel I’m able to tell a cohesive story that way. The EP is still in its early stages, but I’m really inspired by music from the 80s-00s right now so sound-wise, I know it’ll be a retro throwback! Who knows, it might even by an album if I end up with too many songs!
What message do you think your music conveys to your fans?
I think the over-arching message I have in my music is that of inclusivity and love through feel-good pop. As much as I have songs about heartbreak in my catalogue (‘Tell Me The Truth’, ‘Didn’t Need’), the tracks that I love the most are the ones that have a feel-good message about embracing yourself, and that’s exactly what this new ‘era’ is focusing on.
Who are your non-musical influences?
Honestly, my non-musical influences are the people who surround me on a day to day basis; my friends and my family. I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by some of the most resilient, caring and hard-working people I’ve ever come across – so just seeing that really inspires me. Otherwise, I usually hone in on a specific piece/time to draw inspiration for certain records. For example ‘FaultLine’ (album) was initially very influenced by Dante’s ‘Inferno’ poem and Bauhaus art.
Your previous release ‘Glow’ gained over 100,000 streams in a short space of time, how does that feel?
I was actually quite surprised and still am that ‘Glow’ managed to get so many streams in such a short amount of time. It’s my first track to do so on Spotify, and it’s a track that has resonated with a lot of people. The funny story is that ‘Glow’ was not something that was on my radar or a track that I had planned of releasing this year. My initial plans were to take some time to work on music in the States, but when the world turned upside down, I shifted gears and started to write as I’m a big believer in “making the best of a bad situation.”
What’s the best gig that you have ever played?
I think the best gig that I’ve ever played has to be the launch party gig I threw for my first official album ‘FaultLine’ back in 2018. It just felt like a huge party with about 100 people or so, in a nice intimate venue and the energy was electric. People were singing and dancing along just a week or so after the album had come out!
What do you think are the biggest obstacles for bands/artists today?
I definitely think that it’s easy to get lost in the noise of it all now with so many artists releasing music. I think the best thing you can do is learn how to best utilise social media + find the type of music that works for you and what you best excel at!
What advice would you give to other bands/artists starting out?
Release singles! I think this was something I wish people had told me early on. I think the best thing artists who are starting out can do is to release a handful of singles over the course of a year or so, and see what sound resonates with people. This will also give you time to test different marketing avenues and see what works best for you.
What are your hopes for the next two years?
Hopefully, once this nightmare of 2020 is over and things start going back to normal, I’d love to be able to continue on with the plans I initially had for this year; travelling and writing/producing this next record with a bunch of different musicians. Hopefully, the next time you hear from me, we’ll have passed another milestone; let’s say 1 million? (that’s the optimist in me talking!)
FV Music Blog December 2020
https://www.jeffreychanmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/jeffreychanmusic
https://www.instagram.com/jeffreychanmusic
Twitter: @tweetswithjeff
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