To appreciate popular culture of any country it's often most easily understood when viewed through the work of a countries artistic community. To know the Singapore arts community is to know Inch Chua, and to understand Chua work is to understand the fabric of Singapore.
Chua has been a prominent part of Singapore's performance and music community for the best part of a decade. Her career and uncompromising mission to take her music globally has become almost the story of Singapore itself. Chua determination and dedication to her craft saw her become the first Singapore to be invited to SXSW and one of the first Singaporean artists to be offered and subsequently sign a US recording deal, which has seen her base herself in Los Angeles, California and more recently New York City.
More recently Chua's relentless schedule as a musician has given way to the release of a book, some say surprisingly and perhaps indicative of what to expect from Chua in the future. Her book is less a hard word biography and more a collection of illustrations, poems, song lyrics and imagery that takes you on an excursion through her process as an artist. We caught up with Inch as she settles in to her new home in Brooklyn New York and ask her about her first book "Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea.
IBR: Your book reveals the process of your songwriting, is the process as important to you as the final result?
Inch Chua: I'm a believer that process defines the final product. Stories are important to me, and the story behind work of art, makes the art. Sure, once in a while i'd indulge in something that's mindblowingly technical and just down right catchy. But my favourite works, may it be music or visual arts, they all have a story and a process that captivates me.
IBR: Your process seems perhaps more visual than traditional musical manuscript, how important is the imagery of the songs you write?
Inch Chua: I don't know much music theory. my knowledge on it is severely limited. i've always been a feeling oriented musician and a kinaesthetic learner. The style of which i document music is definitely self-invented. Doodling helps me mediate on a thought or helps me further understand my intent.
IBR: The digital music revolution has deprived us from a lot of the tactile parts of engaging with music, was this project designed to close that gap with your audience?
Inch Chua: Yes. Very much so. I've always been a huge advocate for digital and still am. But a very old school version of me misses looking and taking time to explore something tactile.
IBR: There is some really personal moments in the pages, what were you trying to achieve in including them?
Inch Chua: The whole process of writing the book has been like therapy to me. And while sieving through everything i've written, i saw a narrative of my life. So after acknowledging the narrative, the question was to... self censor or allow it to be authentic. i choose the latter.
IBR: Most people tell you that revisiting your life or documenting it for a book is partly therapeutic, terrifying and exhilarating, what was it like for you?
Inch Chua: Exactly that. Alot of face palm moments. Most of me wishes to burn everything. And ever so rarely, you get impressed by yourself. I highly recommend everyone to revisit to recalibrate. It did me alot of good.
IBR: Has the release of your first book made you think about other writing projects or is your primary tool of expression always going to be music?
Inch Chua: Music was never my first choice of expression. I was fine art major, so technically painting and drawing is. I was depressed when i was practicing fine arts. my head wasn't in a good place. music swooped in and save me. And has since been a primary tool of expression. But i've recently felt the urge to generally explore other mediums of expression, with the first deviation involving a former love of mine.
IBR: Is 2010 still your best year?
Inch Chua: Depending on how this year ends, i think it might be my best year yet. Writing my book has been life changing for me, and going on an epic solo road trip (Santa Monica to NYC) has changed my life. 2010 is still a very good year in terms of achievements for me, but now. I've never been so grateful or excited to be simply alive.
IBR: You're now based in New York, and prior to that you spent time in L.A, how much has this affected your outlook and approach to your craft?
Inch Chua: Being overseas has definitely made me a stronger person. Independence has taught me much. Dealing with people in the overseas biz has taught me much. I enjoyed my time in LA, made some friends that i can all family now. But I'll admit that LA has made me more cynical and at a point in my life, more superficial as well. It influenced me to think more about my career than my craft. Not to say that its a bad thing, but as a personal preference, i would rather prioritise my craft. I'm still exploring NYC now, so its hard to say how i feel about it.
IBR: The release of your first book perhaps asks the reader and your fans to re-evaluate their idea about Inch Chua and that she is Singapore's indie music 'it girl', that perhaps we need to be prepared to be surprised by another version of Inch Chua - is that a fair assumption?
Inch Chua: Its very flattering that "the public" has coined "Inch Chua" as "Singapore's indie music 'it girl'", but its not a term i advocate or wish for people to perceive me as. If you were to know me personally, i'm someone that gets easily bored and would hate to be predictable. You can trust me to be someone that will never stay the same.
IBR: Are you a prolific writer and documenter - or does it come to you in bursts?
Inch Chua: It comes to me in bursts. But i try to be a disciplined writer, i do carve out sometime in my calendar to write
IBR: Where are we most likely to find Inch on a New York Sunday afternoon?
Inch Chua: In my Brooklyn apartment at home, doing my laundry, catching up on my favourite podcast, RadioLab.
IBR: Yankees or Mets?
Inch Chua: Not crazy about baseball. But I believe in decisions. Yankees.
Publications:
Inch Chua (2014) 'Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea'
The Alter Collective: ISBN: 978-1497514911
Links:
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