I have listened to
some of your music and it just sounds amazing. Your website is great too!
Thank you! How sweet of you.
When did you first
start singing?
For as long as I can remember,
really. I started professionally singing when I hooked up with Nemesis
Records about 6 years ago.
Does anyone else in
your family sing?
Oh yes, my sister Tam Doan is also a
professional singer. She sings traditional Vietnamese music and she’s pretty
good if you ask me. ;p My Mom also sings around the house all the time. I’ve
just always been around music.
Who/what inspired you
to start singing?
I started writing poems first.
After that I started trying to write songs and then taught myself some piano
to play these songs so they’d get out of my head. It was my way of
communicating. I’m a pretty private person usually but when I write I can
express all my thoughts sincerely. I can tell stories that I’d normally be too
shy to talk about. Basically, it was my cowardly way of connecting to people.
That’s what launched it, I think.
What inspires you to
sing?
Often I sing what I can’t say. I sing
what I’m thinking or dreaming or fantasizing. If it’s a song that I haven’t
personally written, I still feel like I am infusing a part of myself into it
and sending it off to another human being. It’s that intangible connection
that I’m addicted to. Lately, that’s been a pretty strong inspiration to me.
Did you write your
own music? If not, who wrote it for you?
I write most of my songs, or I
co-write them with other writers like Dave Liang, Rick Steel, and J. Cabrera,
to name a few. Mainly, I like to write or be a part of the writing process
because I’ll be singing the words and telling the story. The more of me I can
put it in, the easier it’ll be for me to tell the story. I’m a lousy liar so
if it doesn’t suit me, you’ll hear it. Lol.
What do you feel like
when you are on stage performing at a concert?
Nervous. Always nervous. For the
first couple of songs, I am always very nervous. In fact, if you watch
closely, you’ll be able to see the butterflies fluttering away under my skin.
It’s like a first date every single time. Do I look ok? Do I sound ok? Can
they tell I am nervous? Am I stuttering? And of course, do they like
me? ;p It’s basically a first date every time. That’s why I always feel
like I am doing a better job when it’s my second time in that area. Then it’s
like our second date. ;p
When you tour around
the country and in other places, what do you feel like?
Every time I walk into an airport I
get lonely. I get tragically lonely. I mean, it hits me hard every time and I
haven’t quite figured out why. Despite the fact that I travel with at least my
manager, I still get so lonely. You know, I think it’s the idea of leaving. I
hate leaving things behind. On the last night that I’m in the town I’ve just
performed in, I always sit with my journal and record as much of what I
remember as possible. It’s always then that I am the saddest. I’m such a sap,
eh?
What is being
successful to you?
What a tricky question! I believe that for me, success is materialistically
about making enough of a living to have food and shelter. Mainly, success is a
much more about reaching individual people. When I get emails from fans that
tell me my songs have somehow helped them through something, and I know that
almost every singer out there says this but it’s true, it changes everything.
It gives me a reason to work hard and know that I’m not working for nothing.
In this business it’s really easy to feel like we’re working for nothing…
well, in any business, I guess. Those emails save me and inspire me to work
even harder. That’s when I feel most successful.
Have you always been
singing j-pop?
Only in the privacy of my bedroom.
Lol. I’ve always been listening to J-pop. I’ve loved Hamasaki Ayumi and
Amuro Namie and Boa forever. Not to mention Nakashima Mika, Kiroro, Koda Kumi…
oh the list goes on forever! But no, I’ve never recorded an album in Japanese
before. Animetoonz was my first and oh, what an awesome experience it
was. I got to sing all my favourite songs and I got to display a whole other
side of me that’s kind of silly and childlike that I’ve never had a chance to
explore before. It was awesome.
Have you ever
lip-synced before?
No. I always sing live. Sometimes I
perform with pre-recorded back-up vocals for songs that have those but the
main vocal is always live… I mean, what’s the point of putting on a live music
show if you’re not going to sing live, right? Isn’t that what people are there
to hear? Also, as of right now, I don’t have any elaborate dance choreography
so there’s no reason for me to lip-sync.
Now for the more
random questions.
Where were you born?
I was born very close to Saigon, Vietnam. About 20 minutes away.
Where do you live
now?
My home-base is Toronto, Ontario in
Canada. That’s where my family lives. That’s where the mother-ship is, but I
am often in New York City.
What did you want to
be when you were growing up other than a singer?
A writer, a teacher, or a
professional video-gamer.
Do you watch any
anime?
Yup. I’ve been behind on the newest
stuff lately ‘cause I haven’t had time but I’ve been addicted to quite a few.
The ones that have stuck with me are Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Visions of
Escaflowne, Kiki’s Delivery Service and The Grave of Fireflies.
What are your
favorite foods?
You know, they change pretty often. I
am an ever-changing creature it seems! Lol. Lately I’ve been addicted to
cupcakes from the Magnolia Bakery in Manhattan and… jerked chicken with
rice and beans. Yum. Ask me again tomorrow and you’ll probably get a different
answer. ;p
What do you like to
do in your spare time?
I like to blog. Watch videos on
YOUTUBE. Hang out on Myspace. Play video games. I’ve been honing my Mario
Kart skills on my DS lately since I haven’t been home.
Is there anyone
special in your life?
Oh yes, everyone reading this!
Lol. ;p Let’s just say I’m still waiting for Prince Charming.
Copyright © by AnimeLuvers All Right Reserved.
