Interview by Carol Wright | Photographer: Puzzleman Leung
We got to chat with musical-duo The Fur. about their sophomore album Serene Reminder and how living in Taiwan has influenced their sound.
How did The Fur. come to be? What motivated you to start putting your music out in the world?
Yoz: I still remember the day I went to a job interview after I graduated from grad school, as I walked out of the room Zero sent me the announcement post that our first demo got selected in a music festival compilation album. It was near the end of 2016, at the time we never performed live as a band before. But we knew for sure that this is something that makes us excited and something we’d love to try. And so The Fur. started.
How has living in Taiwan influenced your music?
Zero: I think the significant part is more about psychological development. In Taiwan, there are messy ordinary scenes blended with a sense of humor. I see people here living with both joy and sorrow. It somehow affects how I deal with things and the way to present my feeling in the music. Varied feelings are all included when you listen to it from different perspectives.
You recently released your sophomore album Serene Reminder. Did the way the two of you collaborate change since the release of your first album Town?
Yoz: In the latest album Serene Reminder, we worked with Yuchain Wang as album producer to discover new knowledge and sparkles in the music-making. Yuchain Wang is also the producer of Sunset Rollercoaster’s past releases. It is different throughout the process of making Serene Reminder compared to how we did Town. I think we both know better how to collaborate with each other after the experience of working with Yuchain Wang in the making of Serene Reminder.
The entirety of Serene Reminder is tinged with sweetness which is something we all need in a year like this. Did you have a certain vibe you wanted this album to give off?
Yoz: 2020 really has been an amazing year for me. I learned so many lessons and realized so many things. I felt a need that I make it into a record and share it with those who’d like to receive it. I only hope this album is a kind of comfort and company to those who listen to it.
Tell us about the song “Oh Why.” What inspired the lyrics?
Yoz: I wrote “Oh Why” to talk about the communications we feel hard to exchange. It’s a situation when you feel lost in the physical world but secretly celebrate the attraction between people. The idea is transformed into a monologue-like singing in this song, interpreting the unsolved feelings.
What advice do you have for aspiring musicians?
Yoz: Have fun. Live in the moment. Don’t stop sharing.