A Deep Dive into the Artistry of Siam Jem
Interview by Esosa Zuwa and photos by @flosscar
How did you get to where you are today?
Putting in thousands of hours, being extremely inspired, & the absolute love I have for music has gotten me where I am today. No one in my family was very musical, growing up. I was introduced to many different bands by my dad at a very early age & was gifted a guitar at 8 years old & I was quickly obsessed. I taught myself how to play & wanted to further my skills. I went to a performing arts high school where I joined different bands & taught myself bass & drums. And after high school, I was determined to get a career in music, even if it meant not playing, but just being around the business. I’m proud to say I never gave up even if there were very rough patches that came along with the music scene. I’ll admit, that my “drive” to succeed is a bit of an obsession but I’m glad it was a somewhat healthy one & has given me amazing life experiences.
What’s the inspiration behind your name and artist persona/concept?
The name “Siam Jem” actually doesn’t mean anything. I wish there was a cool story to share about it because it’s a pretty unusual name. But it’s just two random words slapped together.
Tell us about your newest EP ‘ataraxia’. What was the sonic and thematic inspiration?
I’m so damn proud of these new songs. Siam Jem’s sound when we first started was very clean, indie pop. As my music taste grew & I wanted to make something different, I wanted to make more fuzzy shoegaze. It’s so fun to write, play, & listen to. I wrote the bulk of these songs during a time when I was experiencing a lot of death, panic, anxiety, betrayal, & what it felt like, the end of the world. All these songs explore these new sudden feelings & how scary it can be to have your life suddenly change in a matter of days.
How does ‘ataraxia’ differ from your previous work?
Like I said, I think the sound is more “me”. It’s something I enjoy creating way more & the songs are more personal. I take time to write lyrics that I fully believe in for each line. I also recorded, wrote, produced, & mixed a big chunk of the songs so they feel very near & dear to me. I don’t want to take credit away from those who did help with the ep though! Thank you to everyone that did play a part in these songs.
What is your creative process like for making music, and more specifically, this EP?
When I start writing a song, a lot of the time I will make a shitty demo on logic & show the band. If they like it the way it is, they’ll play what I wrote. But if there’s some creative input from the members it’ll be more of a collaborative effort & we’ll jam on the song until we are happy with it. I think me, Minli, Eli & Mars work really well in these situations & don’t seem to have a lot of creative differences which always feels like such a blessing to come by.
What are your music inspirations in terms of songs and artists? How do they inspire you and your song?
I draw inspiration from really everything I listen to, that’s why I think the EP has a lot of different sounds ranging from synth-pop to fuzzy shoegaze. Some bands I really love right now are Ovlov, Men I Trust, My Bloody Valentine, Protomartyr, etc. I love the exploration of different noise elements in some of these bands & how unique & fun they can sound.
What does music mean to you? In making it, who do you hope to inspire and what messages and themes do you spread?
Music is around me at all times, I think if I were to actually follow through with previous plans of quitting my life would be insanely different. Most of my friends are people I met through music, my job is in music, 99% of my hobbies are music and jamming with new bands. It means everything to me & I feel so lucky I get to connect with so many different people because we share a love for the same thing. I think the message I want to spread is that you can do whatever the fuck you want to with enough hard work. Doesn’t matter if you’re a DIY band, female artist, whatever. No one should ever intimidate you or discourage you from being the best artist you can be. I’ve been discouraged and told I can’t do a lot of things or that things won’t work out multiple times but I am slowly, but surely proving everyone wrong.
What would be a dream collaboration and a dream venue to perform at?
I would absolutely love to play the Palladium in Hollywood. I’ve seen my first concert there (My Chemical Romance, & so many badass artists there. That would be a huge dream come true. A dream collaboration would be with The Strokes, they’ve been my favorite band since I was a kid. Them Slowdive, Tennis, Djo, or Mannequin Pussy is what comes to mind.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received about music?
Take a break the minute it starts becoming a chore rather than for fun. (I told myself that)
If you could choose any artist to cover a song you’ve made, who would it be?
I think if Alvvays, Tennis, Melody’s Echo Chamber, & Japanese Breakfast would do a killer rendition of a Siam Jem song. God, I hope to hear that one day.
What are you working on? What are your goals for this year?
We are working on promoting the new EP & working on booking a Japan tour in Sept. We hope to break new numbers with the new music & play bigger & better shows & open/tour with bands we admire. We are working towards a 2 week Japan tour & finding ways to make that happen!
