IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW : SHYE

Interview by Krit Promjairux

SHYE

From the cozy confines of her DIY studio to the vibrant energy of 'Chuang Asia Thailand,' Singaporean artist Shye has carved a distinctive path with her genre-fluid sound. Seamlessly weaving elements of indie-pop, shoegaze, and dream-pop, her music offers a refreshing and deeply personal listening experience. As anticipation builds for her debut concert in Bangkok tomorrow, we sit down with Shye to explore her creative process, the stories behind her diverse sonic explorations, and her fond memories of Thailand. Join us as we uncover the artistry of Shye, an artist poised to leave a lasting impression on her Thai audience.

What got you into music in the first place?

Shye : It’s a very interesting story because I grew up as a dancer. I did ballet, chinese dance & no one in my family does music & nobody really introduced any music to me. So, when I was in secondary school, I did theater so, acting. Music only came into my life when I was about 16, it just kind of came out of nowhere. I wasn’t expecting it but I always love to sing but in terms of writing, music production, I only realized my love for it when I started to use Garage band on my old computer. And slowly I just started to make short-covers and then I wrote a short demo which I never thought would go anywhere as I had no plan for pursuing it further. 

When I released my first song in May 2018, it was just like for my own bucket list like oh! I have a song on Spotify and then from there I started to release more music because oh! people are listening & they’re resonating to the music I wrote. Now i’m here and I’m still putting out music. I am very thankful to those who supported me because I’ve been independent from the beginning and it can be a little bit tiring & difficult sometimes but it’s always very worth it when I get to play the shows & meet new people, make new friends.

Ok, Like most teenagers, 16-17 everybody is into music in terms of listening, going to shows or whatever, but for pursuing it as an artist, which band or artist give an inspiration?

Shye : What inspired me to start writing & producing was…I was listening to a lot of Tame Impala & I watched too many Kevin Parker’s videos that show his process on how he puts songs together & I always thought that’s very cool. But I think the main person that made me want to pursue a music career was Clairo. Because when I was 16 in 2018 she was just blowing up with her single ‘Pretty girl’ & etc. So, I think I could identify with her because I’m a girl & she made the music & it was kind of like very bedroom pop/indie so, at that time, that definitely the turning point for me likes wow, I can do this as well & there’s not one way to do music, there’s a lot of different ways.

And I actually got to open for her when she came to Singapore in 2019, that was very crazy for me because it was someone that I was very inspired by & I’m just so thankful to be able to meet her & play the show.

How did you feel when you got to meet your heroine?

Shye :  It was quite unreal because everything just happened very fast as I only started doing music properly for maybe just a few months. So, that was one of my first ever shows also and it was such a big crowd & I was still learning how to perform & how to use my laptop & everything because at that time it was just me & my laptop on stage, I didn’t have a band nor any instrument. It was quite scary to do everything by myself but I think everyone had fun & I gained quite a lot of new listeners from that show who are still with me now. It was really cool.

Did she listen to your music?

Shye :  I think she watched the entire set & recently I just did a Tiktok video just kind of explaining what was like opening for her because I had received quite a few questions about it & I never really talked about it so I’m like I’ll be share a bit of the experience & then she started following me on Tiktok. I think she definitely remembered me because I on & off reply to her stories, she always says thank you. She's always been very sweet.

Since you’re your own producer and you have your hand on every step of it from writing, producing, mixing & mastering! Not everybody doing this 1,000% DIY like you do. What made you get into music production? 

Shye :  I think because when I first started I was really new &  I thought that this was how everyone did it, everyone also does their own mixing & mastering. I was young & clueless that was sort of what made me continue to do it like that. Obviously, after working in the industry for a while you’re realized that there’s a lot of mixing engineer & mastering engineer & a lot more steps happened behind the song. For me, I think I just genuinely enjoy mixing & mastering, it's just part of my process because once I record,  I want to Immediately start the process of mixing & mastering. It was something that I learned by myself from Youtube & listening to the way that other songs are made. I listen to quite a lot of different genres and I think that helps as well, because different genres mix a bit differently. but I would admit that these processes are quite technical & sometimes can be quite boring but I did go to school for it. 

After secondary school when I was 19 I went to school to study audio engineering. So, it is a little bit of studio production but the majority of curriculum was about live sound but I feel like that really helps me find my own way of mixing & I learned a lot from there. 

Are you still mixing & mastering all of your own songs till this day?

Shye : Yes, partly  because I’m independent & mixing & mastering is very expensive. As a one person operation if I can cut costs somehow I have to make sure I plan it out properly and spend my money wisely. So, It kind of came out of place like ok, I genuinely enjoy doing this & it does help to save money, why not just continue and try to get better at it.

I have listened to your music from the first release till now. it sonically pretty board in term of style, is this because you still finding yourself or it  just because enjoy to exploring to different style music

Shye :  For me, this whole music thing was just a way for me to explore & experiment. I think I don’t have a specific sound but there are certain elements of each song that sort of tie them all together. I first started doing electronic pop/ indie / bedroom pop and even until with recent singles like ‘Cecilia’ or ‘Waited For You’ which definitely a bit more heavy & grungy. There are still little belle here and there or like synthesizers or the elements from when I first started. I never want to sit in one box. So, I l really like to push myself to different genres, to try different things but because my voice is in all of the songs, no matter how much different the genre for each song are, they kinda tie together somehow. But I will always be very thankful for my listeners as they are very open for every genre I tried & they’re been very supportive.It very interesting to see what people like or what they’re not like but that does not necessarily mean like only doing things that people like. Sometimes if you do not try something new you might not discover new audiences or new listeners.

I notice that since the last two singles ‘Cecilia’, ‘Waited For You’ are heavily leaning toward the genre like shoegaze & dream-pop, are these what you’re into at the time or is it just because it's trendy right now for that kind of sound?

Shye : Even though I made bedroom pop when I first started. I was listening to a lot of shoegaze & dreampop. I was & still am a big fan of TITLE FIGHT & I listened to a lot of Basement as well but because of that time I couldn’t play guitar or any instrument, plus, my mixing & mastering skills weren’t very good. These genres are a lot harder to mix & mastered. For now, I just think since now I’m doing it for quite sometime & more confident in my skills. It's an appropriate time for me to venture into this soundscape as if I had done it last time I don’t think it would have sounded very good. (laugh) I got tired of so many genres & had the time to explore my sound. I think it was going to happen eventually. It doesn't surprise me when I’m doing this kind of music right now because it’s alway be something that I wanted to try from the very beginning. I just didn’t know how to do it then.

SHYE - 'Cecilia'

In early 2024, you were a contestant in a music/Idol reality show called ‘Chuang Asia Thailand’ Can you tell us the experience of being in this show in Bangkok?

Shye : I had been in a music reality show before in 2023 I was in one but it was in China & it wasn’t like an Idol show it was more like a music performance reality TV show. So, Chuang reached out to me & asked if I wanted to participate in the show & I agreed to do it as I’m very open to different experiences as such. I was there for about 3 or 4 months in Bangkok. It was a very interesting experience since my background & the way that I approach music is very different from the Idol industry. I was actually quite excited to go because I treated it as a little break from music. At the time I was feeling a bit overwhelmed & a little bit stressed about my music & I didn't really know what I wanted to do next. So, I used this time away like a little vacation because when I was there I couldn’t use my phone, I couldn’t use my computer, I couldn't make music at all, I had to just take a break from it. Anyway, the experience is interesting. It was a bit different from what I thought it would be but obviously I’m not an Idol, I’m not trained for it. It was a bit weird at first but I made a lot of good friends that I am still keeping in touch with. And the one thing I took away from the show was the friendship I made with the girl there & advised I got from the mentor as well. I never thought I would be on the Idol survival show but it was an interesting experience. Obviously becoming an Idol is not for me but I think for the other girls there is something that they’re very passionate about so it's really happy for them but for me honestly, I was very happy to leave when I did. I am happy with my own music and my way of doing things.

Did they lock you up? Do you have any independence to go out?

Shye : (Laugh) No, We didn’t get to go out, basically we have a dormitory , we were sleeping there, we have most of our meals there but if we have practice, they will call all the mini-vans to pick us up & bring us & bring us back. We couldn't go out & we couldn’t go shopping or do anything at all because even though I was in Bangkok for so long I didn’t really explore much because I couldn't.

So, you didn’t see much then but have you been in Bangkok before?

Shye : Yes, actually my mom & I love to take a short trip to Thailand especially to do shopping because honestly, shopping in Singapore is very very expensive. Also, I love the fashion in Thailand & I love the food, so, it is always really nice just to go there for a few days & relax. Everyone is so welcoming & so sweet. the energy is very nice in Thailand.

Besides playing a show. What do you wanna do in Bangkok this time?

Shye : I want to go shopping, a lot of my clothes are actually from Bangkok because I don’t really do much shopping here in Singapore. I want to eat but I don’t really know where good Thai food is. And oh! I want to ride the boat again to ICONSIAM, at night it is very pretty, that is one of the things.

What’s your favorite Thai Food?

Shye : I really like Pad See-Ew (ผัดซีอิ้ว) that one of my favorite. The next one is weird because I don’t really like coconut & I also don’t really like Mango but I really like Mango Sticky Rice, so when it all comes together I don’t mind it but for me There’s something else I think took a screenshot ahh โรตีกล้วย! I love it! Whenever I went to Thailand when I was younger with my family I’ll always want this & I remember watching the street vendor make it. It was really a nostalgic food for me. I haven’t had it in awhile so hopefully this trip when I go back I can have that, that’s my favorite.

Let’s talk about your national language, which is Singlish. What Singlish word people should know before visiting Singapore or if they wanna impress Singaporeans?

Shye : Honestly, whenever I see people learning singlish they really just learn lah, lor, leh but I think it is so much more than that & it is almost like the sentence structure. So, we use a lot of wrong grammar (laugh) . We sort of shorten the sentence a lot. It could be like you asking someone, where do you want to eat? for Singlish or Singaporean will be like ‘Aeh, later you wanna makan where?’ it's not just like you add lah at the end of the sentence (laugh) but I think if I need to pick one word that might impress people if you want to discuss something like wow this is really bad or like ‘oh man, what we gonna do?’ you can say ‘Wa-sian’ sian it's like oh you want to go out & it starts to rain you like ‘ wa-sian’ even if you wake up & you’re not feeling very good you can say ‘today I feel so sian’ stuff like that. Another word… I notice we do it a lot, which I don’t really know how to explain. Maybe it's like you don’t have a specific idea on what you want to do, you'll be like ‘It’s ok, just anyhow.’ things like that. Probably I just grew up in Singapore & I really have been exploring speaking like this so it's just hard to explain what it means. We have like less popular Singlish terms that are just very natural to us & it is always very nice to meet someone who understands when you speak that way because for me when I talk to new people, obviously I’ll talk in proper English but if I am with my friend it is slightly different.

What’s the current state of the Singaporean music scene in your opinion ?

Shye :  I feel it’s very vibrant. I feel like there are a lot of different genres being represented. I genuinely feel there’s space for everyone & it's very nice to see small acts being supported from the very beginning. I always think that  the younger generations have become very very open & supportive to the local music scene here in Singapore. They used to be this sort of stigma that ‘oh local music is not very good or we shouldn’t support local acts because they’re not very good and maybe we get compared to the western artist a lot. I think now people realize that you don’t need the whole team behind you before you start making the music. You can really just need you, your friends & a computer music can happen. It's very nice to see new acts being supported by the community & everything & I think the stigma that local music isn’t cool perhaps kind of gone away. It does come back now & then because people who wanna be negative. Most Singaporeans have moved away from that and think they need to look inward to our own talent here in Singapore.  

Could you please name 3 Singaporean acts you want to recommend to our reader?

Shye : One of the first Singaporean bands I listened to was SOB, they’re not as active anymore but I still really enjoy their music. I also really like the band called Carpet Golf & there’s a metalcore band called Aggressive Raisin Cat also very good. And I also really like Curb.

Tell us about your latest single ‘Waited For you’?

Shye : When I was writing the song I was thinking about the idea of likes : the beginning , the middle & the end because with every situation that we’re in there’s the start & then something that happens in the middle that decides how the ending will be. I took that & I compared it to times of the day : the morning, afternoon & the evening. We always hear people say ‘oh the sunrise & the sunset’ but there’s not much about the afternoon because it is kind of like a grey-area but it’s the time that I think a lot of important things can take place in order for the outcome to change. 

For this song, primary like a love song & a relationship kind of song where you are at that mid-point in the relationship or the situation where you have to decides whether to move on or to stay but it’s toxic & you know you shouldn’t stay but also you can’t help it & I think that the situation that a lot people have been in. It’s like you know you shouldn’t stay but you still want to or you kind of just hoping & praying that maybe you’re just overreacting or you’re being dramatic but actually no, it’s toxic. 

When I was writing it, it kind of came out of nowhere but I think songs like this they’re always really special to me, especially the lyrics. It just really came out of the place like just wanting to explore what sound I wanted to do. I notice that I always suddenly have a big idea when I need to leave for a flight or something. So, for ‘Cecilia’ I wrote it just before I was going overseas with my family & then for ‘Waited For You’ I wrote it recently just before I left the country again. So, it’s very annoying because when I do that I can’t fully finish recording it before leaving but that’s a little bit of fun fact on how I'm writing it. it’s a very simple song I think, just about that idea of like, this situation that you’re in it’s not ideal & a lot of the times we hold on to things that we want to let go off but we can’t. it’s very sad song & I notice I writing a lot of sad songs but I’m not sad

What's the near future plan? & what we can expect for your 2nd LP?

Shye : You can expect songs like ‘Cecilia’, ‘Waited For You’, ‘The Sun will Cry’ to be in it also. This album was meant to come out last year but I felt very unsure so, I want to give myself a bit more time to figure things out as I wasn’t in the good place mentally. I felt like If I had released that album it would have been very rushed. So, I did apologize to people who were waiting for it last year but I want to make sure that whatever I put out is something that I am very proud of. This album I think is a mix of many styles of music, I don’t really know genre-wise, I think it’s a dream pop with this little shoegaze element but I think it is still indie-pop based with different elements of different genres here & there. Obviously, we have to wait until the album comes out. There will be new songs obviously I’m very excited to be working on. but it will all be produced, mixed & mastered by me as well. 

What’s the best thing that happen to you as an artist

Shye : The best thing, which is also the thing I am most proud of, is that I was independent & very DIY from the beginning because I feel that as someone who finds it hard to convey my idea into words & to explain to people. Being an independent artist has me stepping out of my comfort zone to figure it out how to do things myself. I am able to produce & write  & record & Mix all by myself. I feel like what I put out is  the most me, it’s authentic as it can be, so that is something. My greatest achievement is to stay true to myself throughout the years.

What’s the best thing about being Shye ?

Shye : I think the best thing about being Shye is I get to do what I love on my own terms, I’m always discovering and that is fun. To connect with my listeners and have them share in my journey. A of them have watched me grow over the years since I was 16 and it’s always so exciting to have new people come onboard. I’m able to keep exploring and do what I love all thanks to their support and love. They are my cheerleaders and I hope my music can cheer them on too!

26 April 2025 (Sat) At Blueprint Livehouse, Bangkok

w/ Death Of Heather & Slowwves

Tickets available now at  www.ticketmelon.com/wildestyouth/shyelivebkk