01Profile
A Sandra Photo
Sandra
Musician — Taipei
03Interview
Name, Where are you from?
Sandra, Taipei, Taiwan.
What do you do?
Lead singer for Rokon’s electronic band, NekoJam, spokesperson for the Taipei Music Center and an interpreter.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Muse - The 2nd Law Tour. Muse has always been a band that cares about world issues – this album in particular condemns human destruction of the environment and shows how the earth is fighting back. So, right after we heard that their tour had started, I flew to Brisbane, Australia to watch the show with some friends. Everything about the show was fantastic – the stage lighting and songs. On top of that, the combination of the vocals and guitar was a force to be reckoned with. The drummer’s groove was even more awesome. All of these things made this show incredibly memorable for me – we were going crazy and screaming at the top of our lungs the entire show!
Which subcultures have influenced you?
Gender-neutral culture. I’ve always preferred wearing loose and unisex cut clothing – I don’t like clothing that deliberately emphasizes or exaggerates female body features. I dislike anything that puts too much emphasis on gender roles and definitions.
Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
SXSW 2021. SXSW 2020 was cancelled due to the pandemic – the band and I were selected to represent Taiwan on the SXSW stage, but unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to go to Texas in person. The following year, SXSW was held online, and the Taiwan filming team chose four different sites to demonstrate Taiwanese culture. We played the grand finale at a Daoist temple – you would think electronic music and a temple don’t go together at all, but it was actually a really great experience – I even feel like we were blessed by the gods!
If you could be on the line up with any bands in history?
The Kills. The Kills are a male-female duo – their decadent style is really charming and appealing – I also really like the special melodies they form when singing together. Faye Wong, my most beloved singer since I was little.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Amy Winehouse was the one singer I wanted to see perform live the most – I remember I was on vacation at the beach when I heard about her passing and I immediately broke into tears. There were many stories and rumours about her tough life – I sometimes wonder though – if I could have spent some time with her like a sister, drinking and chatting about creativity and our feelings – would that have somewhat relieved some of her loneliness?
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
The composer is the soul that gives life to the lyrics and music, but we quite often forget about this. A profoundly respected Taiwanese composer, Baby Chung, once said “If we keep on ignoring composer royalties, then all singers should get ready to sing by themselves, without any arrangements!” When I heard him make this statement, I was utterly shocked, but at the same time, I thought it made a lot of sense. I agree that the composer involvement in the musical creative process is very significant and they truly deserve more of our respect.
02Playlist
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
'When We Were Young' by Adele. This song reminds me that we are growing older every day – we need to "seize the day" and cherish the people around us, and also hold dear the beautiful moments in our minds and hearts, so we’ll never forget.
A song that defines the teenage you?
'Only Happy When It Rains' by Garbage. This song came out when I was just becoming a teenager and it really aligned with my cynicism at the time – it definitely evokes some of the idealism and naiveté of youth. Of course, the lead singer is really cool and has a lot of personality – she was exactly the type of person and musician I wanted to become at that time.
One record you would keep forever?
'OK Computer' by Radiohead. This record is a classic among classics – whenever I’m not sure what to listen to or I want to do some self-reflection, I’ll put on this record and listen from beginning to end – I never get tired of it.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
“Try to make ends meet, you’re a slave to money then you die.”
From 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' by The Verve. This ridicules what we regard as a 'normal' life – it’s a constant reminder for me not to get complacent. Don’t be a slave to material things – spend more time searching for the true meaning of life.
Best song to turn up loud?
'HEART ATTACK' by BRONSON (ft. ODESZA, Golden Features and lau.ra). This is a style of electronic music that I’ve really enjoyed in recent years – the groove is fantastic and the lyrics are also quite simple – it’s really easy to sing along and dance to.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
'Peaches' by Justin Bieber, Daniel Caesar and Giveon. I’ve never really liked Justin Bieber but this song is really good – I’ve come to like Giveon recently, so I’ve been listening to this song a lot.
Any new music you are listening to now?
slchld, mxmtoon, WILLOW, Men I Trust. All of these were artists that were recommended to me on Spotify – spotting each and every one of them is like discovering a new world – I then explored all their albums and songs and listened through.
03Interview
Name, Where are you from?
Sandra, Taipei, Taiwan.
What do you do?
Lead singer for Rokon’s electronic band, NekoJam, spokesperson for the Taipei Music Center and an interpreter.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Muse - The 2nd Law Tour. Muse has always been a band that cares about world issues – this album in particular condemns human destruction of the environment and shows how the earth is fighting back. So, right after we heard that their tour had started, I flew to Brisbane, Australia to watch the show with some friends. Everything about the show was fantastic – the stage lighting and songs. On top of that, the combination of the vocals and guitar was a force to be reckoned with. The drummer’s groove was even more awesome. All of these things made this show incredibly memorable for me – we were going crazy and screaming at the top of our lungs the entire show!
Which subcultures have influenced you?
Gender-neutral culture. I’ve always preferred wearing loose and unisex cut clothing – I don’t like clothing that deliberately emphasizes or exaggerates female body features. I dislike anything that puts too much emphasis on gender roles and definitions.
Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
SXSW 2021. SXSW 2020 was cancelled due to the pandemic – the band and I were selected to represent Taiwan on the SXSW stage, but unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to go to Texas in person. The following year, SXSW was held online, and the Taiwan filming team chose four different sites to demonstrate Taiwanese culture. We played the grand finale at a Daoist temple – you would think electronic music and a temple don’t go together at all, but it was actually a really great experience – I even feel like we were blessed by the gods!
If you could be on the line up with any bands in history?
The Kills. The Kills are a male-female duo – their decadent style is really charming and appealing – I also really like the special melodies they form when singing together. Faye Wong, my most beloved singer since I was little.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Amy Winehouse was the one singer I wanted to see perform live the most – I remember I was on vacation at the beach when I heard about her passing and I immediately broke into tears. There were many stories and rumours about her tough life – I sometimes wonder though – if I could have spent some time with her like a sister, drinking and chatting about creativity and our feelings – would that have somewhat relieved some of her loneliness?
Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
The composer is the soul that gives life to the lyrics and music, but we quite often forget about this. A profoundly respected Taiwanese composer, Baby Chung, once said “If we keep on ignoring composer royalties, then all singers should get ready to sing by themselves, without any arrangements!” When I heard him make this statement, I was utterly shocked, but at the same time, I thought it made a lot of sense. I agree that the composer involvement in the musical creative process is very significant and they truly deserve more of our respect.
04Playlist Notes
The first track you played on repeat?
'When We Were Young' by Adele. This song reminds me that we are growing older every day – we need to "seize the day" and cherish the people around us, and also hold dear the beautiful moments in our minds and hearts, so we’ll never forget.
A song that defines the teenage you?
'Only Happy When It Rains' by Garbage. This song came out when I was just becoming a teenager and it really aligned with my cynicism at the time – it definitely evokes some of the idealism and naiveté of youth. Of course, the lead singer is really cool and has a lot of personality – she was exactly the type of person and musician I wanted to become at that time.
One record you would keep forever?
'OK Computer' by Radiohead. This record is a classic among classics – whenever I’m not sure what to listen to or I want to do some self-reflection, I’ll put on this record and listen from beginning to end – I never get tired of it.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
“Try to make ends meet, you’re a slave to money then you die.”
From 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' by The Verve. This ridicules what we regard as a 'normal' life – it’s a constant reminder for me not to get complacent. Don’t be a slave to material things – spend more time searching for the true meaning of life.
Best song to turn up loud?
'HEART ATTACK' by BRONSON (ft. ODESZA, Golden Features and lau.ra). This is a style of electronic music that I’ve really enjoyed in recent years – the groove is fantastic and the lyrics are also quite simple – it’s really easy to sing along and dance to.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
'Peaches' by Justin Bieber, Daniel Caesar and Giveon. I’ve never really liked Justin Bieber but this song is really good – I’ve come to like Giveon recently, so I’ve been listening to this song a lot.
Any new music you are listening to now?
slchld, mxmtoon, WILLOW, Men I Trust. All of these were artists that were recommended to me on Spotify – spotting each and every one of them is like discovering a new world – I then explored all their albums and songs and listened through.