FEATURE:
Spotlight
from Towa Bird this year. The most recent, Drain Me!, was released in October. The Hong Kong-born singer-songwriter is an amazing name that should be fimrly on everyone’s tongue! I think that she is someone who will have a phenomenal 2024. I am going to come to some interviews with Bird. Here is someone who is writing extraordinary queer love stories for the ages. Towa Bird has already won some hugely popular fans in the form of Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish. I will come to interviews so that we can learn more about her. Earlier this year, Udiscovermusc.com highlighted a wonderful artist who shared an incredible debut single. One that made an instant impression:
“Rising singer-songwriter Towa Bird has shared her explosive debut single “Wild Heart” – an attention-grabbing first taste of a wider record to come.
“I could smoke you out/For fun in my leather vest,” the Hong Kong-born artist sings in the juggernaut chorus. “I love you till the death/You’re a bullet in my chest.”
The single was produced by Thomas Powers from the New Zealand indie-pop band The Naked And Famous, with Powers serving as Bird’s main collaborator on her upcoming album.
“It’s energetic and bold, but also incredibly vulnerable and soul-baring — more of that to come,” Bird said in a press release. “The song is about personal growth within my romantic relationships and addresses my past self and actions I’ve taken. I’m personified as a reckless cowboy who meets a girl, gets caught in her grip, and — to his surprise — becomes completely devoted to her. It illustrates the person that I once was and the person I’ve grown into not nearly perfect, but definitely not as much of an asshole.”
Although born in Hong Kong, Bird – who is half-Filipino, half-English – spent much of her childhood in Thailand and London. She began playing guitar at the age of 12, honing her skills and technique by strumming along to bands she discovered through her father’s record collection, like The Kinks and The Who. She formed her first band at 14 and cut her teeth playing dive bars and street festivals in Hong Kong before attending Goldsmiths, University of London.
After two years at the university, she dropped out and focused on music instead, getting her start producing and co-writing for other artists. At the same time, Bird was sharing videos of herself soloing over hip-hop, pop, and R&B songs – something which garnered the attention and admiration of the likes of Willow Smith and Tyler, The Creator.
Bird’s debut album – whose title is yet to be announced – is due for release later this year and will find the exciting young artist offering up an intimate exploration of queerness, identity, and the complexities of love”.
I am picking various sections out of particular interviews. Hopefully it helps paint a picture and broader impression of Towa Bird. The best proof and hit comes from listening to her music. I have put some links at the end regarding where you can find and support her. I am looking forward to seeing whether 2024 sees a Towa Bird E.P. or album - it does seem more than likely. NME have featured Bird a couple of times this year. The first, back in May, reacted to the growing love for an immense and supremely talented musician:
“NME: It was a Jimi Hendrix documentary that partly inspired you to start making music. What was it about that film that struck a chord with you?
“I think seeing how Hendrix expressed himself on stage was the main thing. Live shows drew me to music in the first place, and being able to be a personality on stage and show parts of yourself that people don’t get to see when you’re just having a conversation with them. I think that I present as a generally calm person – or at least that’s what people have said about me – but when I’m on stage I’m like the complete opposite. So it’s nice to be able to have that side of who I am and get a moment to express myself. Watching Hendrix do that – set his guitar on fire and just do crazy stage stunts while also keeping a beat and having the audience engaged – was really inspiring, and just filled me with so much energy.”
Did you need an outlet for that energetic side of your personality when you first started playing live?
“Yeah, I think I’ve repressed that side for a really long time. I wanted to be seen as quite cool, collected and put together – but I don’t think anyone is really cool. We all have sides of ourselves that are completely unravelled and very intimate, and I think performance, songwriting and music in general is a way for me to access that and break down the wall that I’ve built so perfectly.”
You’ve previously worked on other people’s projects as a producer, songwriter and guitarist. What have you learned from working with other musicians that you’re now bringing into your own music?
“There’s a lot of stuff. I think playing with Cassyette, for example, and just watching her on stage – she’s such a lovely person, so charismatic and so in touch with herself, and that really comes across in her performance. It’s so natural, and I really enjoyed playing with her for that reason because it just felt so authentic and she sings like a motherfucker. Being able to watch that every single night and it be consistently great was really inspirational for who I want to become on stage”.
You also have a full album on the way. What can you tell us about the rest of the record?
“There’s so much excitement there and so much energy. We’re kicking the door down with ‘Wild Heart’, which is ridiculously fast – 196 beats per minute, which is stupid. So there’s a lot of energy, fun and playfulness, but then it slows down and there’s space, intimacy and vulnerability as well. There’s real pain and real happiness, too. It’s more just showcasing sides of my personality, which I’m really excited to start sharing with people – more dimensions of me”.
I will wrap up fairly soon. In September, For the Punks spotlighted the fact that Towa Bird was embarking on a new chapter in her musical story. Such an arresting and fascinating artist who is growing stronger with every song that she puts out:
“Towa Bird has become synonymous with her guitar. The musician found her love for the instrument through the classic rock music that her father showcased. That ultimately led her to pick up the dusty guitar that sat in her living room when she was just a child. Since then she has had a love/hate bond with it, noting that she even stopped playing for four years. “It is just that, it is like a relationship. You have to put in the hours and you have to put in the time or else it is not going to serve either of you. It is a lifelong relationship.” Her recent songs use the guitar not only to highlight her music influences, but also as an extension of herself. Vocally the tracks are soft and tender so the instrument brings in a rugged layer to fully embody Towa’s defining character traits.
The latest single “This Isn’t Me” was written based on the singer’s experience at Paris Fashion Week. Examining her place in the entertainment world, the song touches on the feeling of loneliness as a result of being surrounded by people who don’t have the purest intentions. She told us that although she was grateful for the opportunity to have gone to the event, she did feel incredibly isolated during it. In some ways it was a blessing in disguise because when she got back to the recording studio from Paris, she was able to pour her unfiltered emotions onto a page which became this song. Now it’s Towa’s favorite track, especially to play at shows. She said that “Being able to do the arrangement live for it and put it on the stage was the reason why I wanted to put it out so bad.”
Another song that was released earlier this year is “Wild Heart,” which has quickly become a fan favorite due to its upbeat tempo and lively guitar solo. She explained to the press that “‘Wild Heart” was about the way I used to navigate romantic relationships. I used to not respect my partners as much as I do now. And it’s kind of about emotional growth and learning how to respect myself and how to respect other people.” Authenticity is the ingredient that makes Towa Bird’s music so likable. She is not afraid to speak her truth even if it doesn’t always shine the brightest light on her actions. Her goal is to touch on the human experience; the good, bad, and everything in between. Staying true to herself, Towa Bird also openly bares her queer identity in her craft which is especially evident in the music video for “Wild Heart.” When asked about what role her sexuality and identity play in her songwriting Towa said:
“I think it is such a beautiful form of expression to be able to songwrite. To create and draw from real life stories and life experiences and then to make that into a piece of art. I think that is a high form of privilege for me to be able to have. It really solidifies feelings when I.. because when I experience something, to be able to write it into a song really helps to create my mindset around that experience and sort of helps for me to put a lens over what actually happened and be able to introspect and reflect upon it. So like through songwriting it is a wonderful way to learn about yourself and learn how you respond and learn how you feel.”
Something that adds to the visuals of these projects is Towa Bird’s distinctive sense of fashion. In the “Boomerang” video she wears a turquoise sequined suit that features flared bottoms. “Wild Heart” goes a step further by having Towa in an Elvis style glam jumpsuit (another homage to her roots). You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but the androgynous style that the singer has acquired pairs perfectly with the rock n roll aesthetic of her songs. That was intentional on Towa Bird’s part because she views music and fashion in a similar manner:
“I think it’s another medium of expression. Like just as important as music and guitar and lyricism. I think fashion and the way I decorate myself whether that be like through tattoos or like through jewelry or through outfits is just another way for me to be the truest form of myself. It also makes me feel so confident and cool and that’s such a wonderful thing to tap into”.
I am going to come back to NME for the final bit of information. So accomplished and so young, there is so many years ahead for the remarkable Towa Bird! I am pretty new to her work, though I am already compelled to follow her and see what steps come next. She is one of the brightest and most talented artists coming through:
“Meet Towa Bird: 23, four singles out, living the life of a rock star. She’s got effortless glam-rock curls that bob to the beat of her music, and a deep voice that drips over the phone. Every night, she clambers on stage to the cheers of rabid fans, where she’s currently touring the US with breakout pop sensation Reneé Rapp. There, her painted nails dance along the fretboard of the guitar that she plays like butter.
Bird has made good on her sacrifice so far, having released four singles in the run-up to her debut, which she called ‘American Hero’. The title is injected with a healthy dose of irony and self-awareness: “When I think of those two words together, I think of a 6’4 white guy, Captain America – blonde, blue-eyed,” she jokes. “That’s nothing that I represent as an androgynous queer person. I am the anti-American hero, but because I’m an immigrant, that almost makes me an American. I’m sharing parts of my life I’ve never told anyone before; because I’m being vulnerable, I’m almost a hero.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Alanna Taylor for NME
So far, Towa Bird has released four snippets of the album. There’s a slew of lovesick anthems ranging from the fabulously carefree (‘Boomerang’) to the rambunctious and sexy (‘Drain Me’). There’s also Bird’s first single, April 2023’s ‘Wild Heart’, which is so catchy it sounds like it’s straight off a noughties British teen romcom soundtrack. But there’s also space for the more anxiety-riddled ‘This Isn’t Me’, inspired by Bird being thrust into her entirely new world, bursting into a dreamy Phantogram-esque chorus. There’s even some impressive guitar tapping thrown in right at the beginning, just in case you doubted Bird’s abilities.
Along with her relationship with Liv and her new, unfamiliar environment, Bird’s north stars for the album were “being a personality on the stage” and “the guitar”, her eternal love. “I wanted to make an album that would feel good to play live and that the crowd will love,” she says. “I have written a lot of my choruses with a crowd in mind.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Alanna Taylor for NME
To do so, Bird enlisted the help of Thom Powers and Alisa Xayalith from Kiwi indie legends The Naked and Famous, who she calls “mentors”. Bird stayed with Powers and wrote nine out of 10 songs with him, spending almost a year in his studio in LA. She also cites Xayalith being an early inspiration: “I remember being young, looking at Alisa: she’s an Asian woman, she’s in rock, she’s got this big voice and she’s powerful. Having the opportunity to write with her was so cool.”
The album’s been kept tightly under wraps, but Bird tells NME to expect “big riffs”, “big beats”, and “a lot of vulnerability and heart”. It’s the first time Bird will be writing about a romantic relationship, something which she says is “surreal”. Bird’s latest single ‘Drain Me’ is a nod to steamy lesbian sex: “Tip of my tongue/Sweet and sour/Back of my car/In the shower”.
“To me, I was just writing love songs,” she says. “You don’t hear that many songs about queer sex like that. It’s my sense of normal, but I suppose to the outside world, it represents much, much more. So in a way, I’m happy I can be that representation, that I can put out a rock song about lesbian sex.” However, Bird also teases that there’s some “mid-tempo, slow jams” on the record: “I’ve saved the more vulnerable songs for last so people can hear the whole project.” Bird wants to use her experience growing up in disparate cultures to create a queer love story for the ages – and ultimately, for her to connect with people who might not know her yet. “I want people to dance to it, I want them to cry to it. I hope it evokes the same amount of emotion that I have, but I also hope people can feel my heart in it”.
An artist I can emphatically recommend people check out, the astonishing Towa Bird has coming near the end of a successful and amazing year. With such strong and distinct music out there, it is clear she is primed for great things. 2024 offers and promises special rewards for a songwriter that should be on your radars. Make sure you follow her. As many publications prepare their lists of ones to watch in 2024, it is obvious that Towa Bird should be…
ON all of them!
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