In my family, creativity was paramount. We moved around, and I cultivated a great deal of independence. My interest has always been in expression of some sort, and for a long time film was that medium. I was a skater, too. When I was 16, we moved to Shanghai, which was certainly a culture shift.

That had to have been a tough age to uproot, in the thick of your teen years. What was that adjustment like?

I was able to adapt to the skate scene there, and Shanghai is where I began exploring music more seriously. I became absolutely obsessed with punk music, and learning to play it, in my early teen years. I taught myself guitar, and formed a band with my friends from the international school I attended. For the two years I was there, we would play these abandoned and underground— literally— venues. It would be us— singing in English— sharing the stage with hardcore Chinese metal bands. I developed such a love for playing live, even in what was often a bomb shelter (laughs). It definitely wasn’t the most traditional way to get a start, but whenever international musicians came to Shanghai, which wasn’t super often, they would play these same venues. We played the same spot as Mac Demarco did at his Shanghai gig.

vintage Cashmere coat BROOKS BROTHERS, undershirt CALVIN KLEIN, vintage trousers 10 FT. SINGLE by Stella Dallas, vintage sunglasses EYEGLASS BOY, belt PAUL SMITH, boots EVERYDAY HERO, Sid wears his own chains.

Vintage jacket DOUBLE RL, shirt & tie THE CAST, trousers ANKOR EAST, belt Paul Smith, boots EVERYDAY HERO.

What was the reception like, playing for a crowd whose native language wasn’t that in which your lyrics were sung?

It was a shift, when we took the stage after some pretty heavy sets by the Chinese metal bands. It was a hardcore scene, and our sound was a bit softer, more alternative. We got a good few looks of confusion, but it was more of a tonal shift in the tempo of the room. Overall, though, crowds were enthusiastic and could resonate with our sound. It is a spectacular way to hone one’s stage presence.

vintage peacoat WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND, undershirt Calvin Klein, trousers RALPH LAUREN, belt Paul Smith, Sid wears his own chains.

As you sharpened your talents on and offstage, how did a music career take shape?

I decided to drop out of school to pursue music. My parents have always been proponents of following your dreams and your talents, so they supported me wholeheartedly. If school wasn’t going to benefit me in the long run, there was no point in staying. Also, they both worked in creative fields with unorthodox paths to success, so it would be hypocritical for them to say ‘no,’ (laughs). It was a decision I made without needing permission.

vintage suit jacket Richard Tyler, undershirt CALVIN KLEIN, trousers Ralph Lauren, vintage sunglasses Eyeglass boy, belt Paul Smith, boots EVERYDAY HERO, Sid wears his own chains.

You left Shanghai for New York at 18, where you’ve been ever since. What prompted your relocation?

I was so drawn to the music scene here. There is culture around every corner, and I wanted to lean into that lifestyle. Much of what I do is influenced by the Talking Heads or the Ramones, bands that are about so much more beyond their music. It’s about fashion and energy. New York was necessary to be the kind of musician I aspired to be.

Suit Ralph Lauren, boots EVERYDAY HERO, Sid wears his own chains.

How has your sound evolved alongside your selfhood?

I’m self-taught on pretty much everything I play— guitar, piano, drums, and bass. I’d watch YouTube for hours and hours trying to master whatever I could get my hands on. As I was learning— and I still am!— I recorded an album entirely in my room. I’ll listen back to instrumentals of drums I played at the time and be like, “Oh no, I would sound that way today!” They are imperfect to say the least, but it is a meaningful marker of how I’ve progressed. It’s something I couldn’t replicate, and there is a beauty in that.

It’s almost like a lyrical scrapbook of your life. 

Exactly!

Vintage coat 10 FT. Single by Stella Dallas, trousers Ralph Lauren, boots Everyday Hero.

Do you feel like being self-taught has granted you a greater freedom to explore your breadth as an artist, since you’re not trying to follow a methodology with your music?

Definitely. It’s a lot of experimentation, but always improving and discovering. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so I’ll keep at something until I feel it’s just right.

As far as influence goes, I admire the sounds of so many artists, but I try to maintain my own spin on things. When I was recording “Wendy”, that was spurred by this idea of, “What would it sound like if I tried to sing like Beyonce?” Evidently, it ends up completely different, but that template for creation can take me down so many avenues to end up with something unique.

vintage suit SCREAMING MIMIS, undershirt Calvin Klein, belt Paul Smith, Sid wears his own chains.

What does your process look like? Is there one routine you’ve set to write and record?

I try my best not to plan any creative process. Rather, it unfolds naturally over time, informed by my experiences and interactions. Because my sound and my lyrics have always taken shape as the result of upheaval, of change, of adaptation, I like to keep on moving to feed that inspiration.

Undershirt Calvin Klein, Sid wears his own chains.

New York City has played your home for some time now. Do you see this tenure ending any time soon, in search of new pastures and fresh inspo?

It’s hard to say. New York has been the backdrop for more or less my adult life. I’ll take off for weeks or months at a time, but always return. But who knows? I’m probably due for a change soon…