Interview With... Folk-Pop Singer-Songwriter Ian Fisher

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Photo credit: Talitha Lahme

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I got to ask Folk and Americana Singer-Songwriter Ian Fisher a few questions about his latest single, "The Face Of Losing". The song is a tribute to his mom, whom he lost last year. You can read my interview with him below. Don't forget to check out the new single which is out now on all DSPs.

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THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What do you hope listeners ultimately take away after listening to “The Face Of Losing"? 

IAN FISHER: If a few folks were left with the feeling of being understood or less alone, then I would be happy. The topic of losing your mother isn’t one that you come across every day, not only in the form of a song, but also in conversation. Our society avoids talking about the death of the ones we love. It’s an inconvenient truth and by avoiding it we might make a short chapter of our life seem immortal and lite, but we are doing ourselves a disservice. For when it comes (and it will come) the lie of a story we tell ourselves offers no answers or comfort. Hopefully this song offers a little of that comfort.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: How do you think having called home to so many places like Toronto, Missouri, and even Germany, has shaped your songwriting or artistic worldview? 

IAN FISHER: If I had to boil down the US and Europe to their most basic stereotypical elements, then I would say that the US is more optimistic and Europe is more cynical. America gave me the naive confidence to get up on a stage and pursue a life as a performing songwriter, but if I would have stayed there, then I don’t think I would have had the same ability to stare into the darkness and turn it into song. I think I would be too much of a people-pleaser to sing to them the truth.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What's something you discovered about yourself as a person through your artistry? 

IAN FISHER: That I am my mother. Songwriting reminds me of my sensitivity and sentimentality. My daily life is often so rational and lived so distant from myself and others. Songwriting is a reconnection with her.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your art/music?

IAN FISHER: It’s just nice when I see tears in people’s eyes at my shows. Tears of joy or tears of pain. I am still fascinated by a song’s ability to make one person’s experience someone else’s.   

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What’s one important skill that you think every artist and songwriter in the music industry should have? 

IAN FISHER: Resilience. Being a professional performing songwriter fucking sucks. To be honest, I hate 99% of my job. It is constant thankless rejection. It is perpetual existential unpaid dread. Then there is a split second where you write a line that connects to your deepest truth or another second where you connect to a room full of people who make you feel like you’re transcending this world. That 1% keeps you going. Resilience walks you through the valleys of doubt in between.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Switching gears... What’s been a piece of pop culture from this year that's given you joy? 

IAN FISHER: Real “pop culture” is a little beyond me, meaning that I struggle to care in the slightest about most celebrities, but, if I had to pick something, then I do have to say that it’s pretty cool seeing people wearing Chiefs jerseys in Europe.  They’ve been my team since I was a kid. Thanks for spreading the word Taylor.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Who is your dream musical collaboration and why?

IAN FISHER: It’d be quite the dream to record an old country song with Willie Nelson, to be produced by David Rawlings, to perform live with Anais Mitchell, or to write a song together with Adrianne Lenker.  

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: If you could write a song about any fictional world from any type of media, what would you choose and why?

IAN FISHER: I always thought Italo Calvino’s “Invisible Cities” would make for a good concept album source. Each fictional city that he paints in words is basically a song in itself already.  

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Have you been working on any new projects lately? What's up next for you? Can you tell us about that?

IAN FISHER: “The Face of Losing” is the first single from my upcoming album Go Gentle. I’ll release a few more songs from the record as singles this year and then drop the full album in February. I’ll play a handful of shows around North America and then go on a longer European tour early next year. The path beyond that is terrifyingly free.  

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Lastly, Thanks for taking the time to speak with me at The Reclusive Blogger! 

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INTERVIEW WITH FINE ART + PERFORMANCE ARTIST DAI YING

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Dai Ying with her art

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In my latest interview on The Reclusive Blogger, I have contemporary fine art artist Dai Ying. 

Ying weaves intricate narratives of tradition with feminist-inspired innovation, creating captivating artwork. There are many. I interviewed Dai Ying to learn more about the artist. We get into her background, what inspires her artistic inspirations, and more. 

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THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Can you talk about who you are and what you do? And, how did it lead you to become a multidisciplinary fine art artist?

DAI YING: My name is Dai Ying, and I am a contemporary artist. I was born in Sichuan, China. I started practicing Chinese calligraphy and traditional ink painting when I was five years old. I have participated in Associate Fellows programs at the Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University and the Central Academy of Fine Arts in China. Currently, I live and work in New York, Los Angeles, and Beijing. I make mixed media paintings, large installations, performances, video, and initiate art projects. I am deeply interested in the political nature of the relationship between self and the world, as well as the connection between self-identity and the social events of the region I am in. My dissatisfaction with the limitations of traditional painting materials and mediums, the constraints of two-dimensional physical space in easel painting, and my strong sensitivity and innate energy towards materials and mediums have made me an interdisciplinary media artist.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: How would you say your heritage, culture, and homeland inspire you as an artist and your art per se?

DAI YING: I was born in E’mei Mountain, Sichuan, China, which is in the Kunlun Mountain Ranges, a place believed to be closest to the sky. As a result, it is a natural, massive energy field. Being born there, the water and soil nurtured me and made me a person with a naturally vibrant and strong energy. I was born at the beginning of China's Reform and Opening-up period. My father, who started as a construction worker, gradually made his way to becoming a leading figure in the industry, contributing his strength to the urban development of China.

As a result, my childhood memories consist of playing on the mountaintops closest to the sky and having the deepest perception of the land on construction sites, along with memories of touching and smelling building materials. Such a background of birth and growth has injected primal energy into my art creation, exerting a subtle and continuous influence on my work, making me a multi-media artist.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: How do you go about putting together each exhibition? Or Performance Art?

DAI YING: For all my solo exhibitions, I prepare for years in advance. The accumulation of life experiences, the creation of artworks, and the final presentation of these works require extensive time. Additionally, I need to coordinate with all staff members of my studio to facilitate various aspects of the exhibitions. Performance art requires a considerable amount of time for conceptualization and repeated refinement before the final performance. The final presentations of my performances are only 20% improvisation. The remaining 80% of the effort are, all in preparation and planning based on the extensive work done beforehand.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What’s something you learned early on in your career that made you a better artist?

DAI YING: In the early stages of my career, I visited a lot of art galleries and museums, immersing myself in their art collections. While learning from these works, I also realized that my artworks needed to avoid the hegemony of the art canons. Thus, I became more determined to take unique and innovative approach in making my works. The essence of contemporary art lies in expressing everything that is happening in the present moment through varied artistic languages. To become a better artist, I need to maintain the uniqueness, avant-garde nature, and subjective revolutionary spirit of my artistic language.

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THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What is your earliest creative or art-related memory?

DAI YING: My earliest memories related to art creation stem from my childhood in Emei Mountain, among the Kunlun Mountain Ranges of Sichuan, China, a place believed to be closest to the sky and a natural high-energy field. It also related to the construction sites where my father worked. These are the foundational memories of my art creation.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Who have been some of your inspirations, mentors, or role models in your career?

DAI YING: On my career path, the energy that my hometown bestowed upon me, along with everything I've felt in my living experiences, serve as sources of inspiration for my art. I am my own mentor. All individuals and artists with revolutionary spirits, bravery, and distinct personalities are my role models.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Who has been your biggest champion as an artist?

DAI YING: Myself, my family, all my friends who love me, and everyone who has helped me and appreciated my work.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What three words would you use to define your artistic self?

DAI YING: Independent, Revolutionary, Preeminent

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: You’ve partnered with the Pashmina Art Gallery in Hamberg, Germany to donate some of your art for their Louis Vuitton and Dior-sponsored art auction which will benefit the rescue of Asian street dogs. Can you elaborate more on this collaboration? And how much charity means to you as an artist?

DAI YING: The auction took place at Pashmina Art Gallery in Hamburg, Germany, but the host and organizer of the event was Ms. Maria, a collector with the largest German Expressionist Art collection globally. She is a passionate animal lover and rescuer, annually saving over a hundred stray dogs from Asia and finding them homes in European families. At the personal invitation of Ms. Maria, I attended the auction in Hamburg, Germany this year. I donated a small-scale artwork I created in 2016, titled Great Love, Saves All Lives, to the charity auction, which was acquired by a compassionate collector. Louis Vuitton and Dior were not sponsors for the auction, they both also donated their products. The proceeds from the auction were dedicated to helping stray dogs in Asia. Participating in this charity auction as an artist was very meaningful – I was able to use my artwork to help lives in need, which brought me happiness and satisfaction.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What do you think is the biggest challenge for someone wanting to make it into the fine art world as an artist? What advice would you give them?  

DAI YING: The greatest challenge in becoming an artist is to always be courageous and be dedicated to risk everything for the sake of art. My advice for people who wish to become artists is: follow the path you desire, never fear what others might say, and move forward bravely.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: And, lastly, what's next on the horizon for You, Ying?

DAI YING: I cannot say too much about the specific plans or projects, but I will be developing my upcoming projects in the US and Europe.

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DAI YING ARTIST

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INTERVIEW WITH ENGLISH GRUNGE ROCKERS TIGERCUB

Photo Credit: Lauren Carnell

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Meet Brighton-formed English Rock power trio TIGERCUB. The band comprises Jamie Stephen Hall (vocals and lead guitar), James Allix (drums), and Jimi Wheelwright (bass) and their loud, brash, and energetic sound. It’s a punch of grungy distorted rock that has them gaining fans from all over, including those of the famous rock-star kind… like Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam fame. I asked a few questions of frontman Jamie, which you can read below.

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THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Can you talk about Tigercub’s origin story? How did the band come together?

TIGERCUB: Tigercub met in Brighton on the south coast of England whilst studying at The University of Sussex. We all bonded over a love of Jeff Buckley, The Dandy Warhols, and Nirvana and just went from there

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: First, I want to talk about your new song “Show Me My Maker” and the inspiration and songwriting process? Also, how did the remix with Stone Gossard from Pearl Jam come about?

TIGERCUB: I’m inspired by a lot of classical music and that always finds its way into my writing, this song was inspired by Led Zeppelin and Rage against the Machine I wanted to write a banger.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: How excited are you guys for your upcoming Belasco show in Los Angeles? How did the opener spot for Porno For Pyros come to you guys?

TIGERCUB: SO excited we are so star struck and honoured to be opening for Porno for Pyros especially on home turf!

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Do you have a favorite Porno For Pyros song?

TIGERCUB: I love all their records, but Pets and Cursed Female are just so iconic it’s hard not to go to them first, I also love Tahitian Moon.

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What three words would you use to describe your band and its signature sound?

TIGERCUB: Big. little. Loud

THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: And, lastly, what's next on the horizon for Tigercub?

TIGERCUB: After the PFP we are sxsw. Then we head back to Blighty for a breather and it’s off to the states again for a headline show in May!

You can catch Tigercub out now on tour and stream “Show Me My Maker (Remix)”.

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