Latest / The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen / 524 - How Did A 16-Year-Old Vietnamese End Up Working With Lana Del Rey's Producer? - Ella Quynh

Transcript

524 - How Did A 16-Year-Old Vietnamese End Up Working With Lana Del Rey's Producer? - Ella Quynh · The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen

0:00
[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the Vietnamese podcast to have Ella Quinn, a rockstar in the making, I discovered Ella's Facebook and Instagram page through young musicians that I know in the business and welcome to the Vietnamese podcast today.
0:18
[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you so much for having me.
0:20
[SPEAKER_01]: Welcome.
0:21
[SPEAKER_00]: I regret not being able to attend one of your concerts before sitting here with you, but hey, you're allowing performing in LA and all these wonderful places.
0:32
[SPEAKER_00]: How did you get into the business of music?
0:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, I've been singing for a very long time.
0:39
[SPEAKER_01]: I would say, since I was around four, and I pretty much just had a teacher who saw potential in me and then she gave me private lessons.
0:47
[SPEAKER_01]: And since then, I grew from that.
0:50
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, I never really knew that I wanted to pursue a career.
0:52
[SPEAKER_01]: I would say until this year.
0:54
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, really?
0:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
0:56
[SPEAKER_01]: just this year too.
0:57
[SPEAKER_00]: So this year you made the decision.
0:59
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
0:59
[SPEAKER_00]: It looks like you've been at this for a long time.
1:02
[SPEAKER_01]: I have and for I would say most of my life it was just like oh it's for fun and to this day it is still for fun but I think I never really thought that I had a chance up until the release of iconic.
1:13
[SPEAKER_00]: Wait, why didn't you think you had a chance?
1:16
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, I think part of it was growing up.
1:19
[SPEAKER_01]: I never really had pop idols who necessarily looked like me.
1:23
[SPEAKER_01]: So that was, that's a big reason us to why I do this because I do want to be kind of like that Vietnamese representation and like the pop rock scene to let other like little Vietnamese girls know that they can do this as well.
1:35
[SPEAKER_00]: Your mom and dad, were they on board with this like growing up?
1:38
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, they I think definitely my family has been my number one fans ever since like I was little they always come to my shows my my dad he's like my dad is your yeah and I just think A big part as to why I think I can do this is just because the support of my family That that goes a long way.
1:57
[SPEAKER_00]: I think
1:58
[SPEAKER_00]: when we think about the Vietnamese culture, traditionally, it's very difficult for parents to be on board with us being embarrassed.
2:06
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, a traditional path, I mean, of course, these are great jobs, but typically it's a doctor or a lawyer, and I think that's also kind of why I was iffy about it, because I would just think, should I just go the traditional path, or should I just stray away?
2:20
[SPEAKER_01]: But of course, string and being an artist, of course, is very hard.
2:23
[SPEAKER_01]: You never know, it's very inconsistent.
2:25
[SPEAKER_01]: But you know, I want to give it a try.
2:28
[SPEAKER_00]: When I think about that word in consistent, I'm like, who taught us that?
2:33
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if, I don't know if that's the truth because if you do what you're meant to do and you really focus on the money, you know there was this artist that I follow on Instagram, like a fine artist, he's a painter.
2:50
[SPEAKER_00]: And he said his whole life, his father said to him
2:55
[SPEAKER_00]: The only thing that you can do to make millions is painting.
2:59
[SPEAKER_00]: Can you imagine, imagine, yeah, if your dad said that to you, your whole life, he said, when I was raised, my father was an artist and he said the only way to make millions of dollars is to become a painter.
3:12
[SPEAKER_00]: Wow, right?
3:13
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, imagine if we did that to our community.
3:16
[SPEAKER_00]: And it looks like your dad is actually kind of like,
3:21
[SPEAKER_00]: walking you down that path of understanding.
3:24
[SPEAKER_00]: And I am a firm believer of that now.
3:25
[SPEAKER_00]: Like if we think that we're going to be able to make that money, we can.
3:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Because there's people making him want it.
3:32
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, right?
3:33
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, what difference is there in what we do and what the mainstream is doing other than knowing people and knowing how to go go about this, right?
3:43
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
3:43
[SPEAKER_01]: Also, I think a big part of us to why I do this is not just for the money, of course.
3:47
[SPEAKER_01]: But it's more because I'm just happy doing this.
3:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, even in school when I'm learning about history, I don't think I pay much attention or not, not that I don't pay much attention, but I'm always more intrigued by the art side.
3:58
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm just like, oh, that's more fun.
4:00
[SPEAKER_01]: And I just think that overall, I'm just, I'm just so much more happy when I'm with music, in general, and just surrounded by musicians.
4:07
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that's when I'm the happiest.
4:09
[SPEAKER_00]: What music bands or groups that when you were growing up, what did you, who did you follow?
4:17
[SPEAKER_01]: I think definitely, I would say the 2000s kind of rock scene.
4:22
[SPEAKER_01]: So pair more, fly leaf, no doubt.
4:24
[SPEAKER_01]: Those are some of my biggest inspirations, but I also take inspiration from more, I guess, up in coming artists, Tiffany Day, Mickey, I think her name is Aisha Tori, but just those kinds of artists were, I really love the singer songwriter, kind of thing too as well.
4:41
[SPEAKER_00]: Saga no doubt.
4:42
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
4:43
[SPEAKER_00]: Saga wins the funny, because she's in our backyard, right?
4:46
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
4:47
[SPEAKER_00]: This is who, you know, I grew up following wins the funny route.
4:52
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, when you think about growing up in Orange County, you have two cultures.
4:55
[SPEAKER_00]: You have the Vietnamese culture, and you have a very white culture after where you go to high school, but, you know, it's...
5:02
[SPEAKER_00]: It's predominantly Vietnamese Alecinta, for example, but I'm not sure where you are, but there's definitely two cultures.
5:09
[SPEAKER_00]: And when I think about the two cultures, I think about like, Gwen Stefani and how her that rebellious nature comes out.
5:17
[SPEAKER_00]: But how do you think that culture and the Vietnamese culture affects the way you think about music?
5:24
[SPEAKER_01]: Honestly, for me, I have lived in the area where there's a lot of ethnic people.
5:31
[SPEAKER_01]: So honestly, I think for most my life, I have always felt very in touch with my culture.
5:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Especially since my family, I grew up around like a very big Vietnamese community.
5:42
[SPEAKER_01]: So honestly, I think that, yeah, I mean, I think
5:49
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so it's more Vietnamese for, yeah, yeah, you see, you feel more close to the Vietnamese culture when you think about music.
5:56
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and did you perform in the Vietnamese community a lot?
6:01
[SPEAKER_01]: No, I have not yet, but I think I will be this month, actually.
6:04
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, why?
6:05
[SPEAKER_01]: There's some, there's a roof top of it.
6:07
[SPEAKER_01]: I think somewhere, well, I'm going to be doing an acoustic set with my band.
6:11
[SPEAKER_00]: Is a rooftop event here at Little City at the Asian Garden Mall?
6:15
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah, it's here.
6:15
[SPEAKER_00]: It's in the back.
6:18
[SPEAKER_00]: They've been throwing like raves that aren't going to happen, yeah, events here.
6:23
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh cool, very cool.
6:24
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, let's go back to like, when you were younger, learning music.
6:28
[SPEAKER_00]: At what point did you go, I think I really like this.
6:35
[SPEAKER_01]: I would say, I've done a lot over the years.
6:38
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I started out with just doing little recitals.
6:41
[SPEAKER_01]: And I did musical theater for a decent time.
6:44
[SPEAKER_01]: I would say elementary and middle school.
6:45
[SPEAKER_01]: And then when I was in middle school in like beginning of high school, because I'm a junior now, I was a part of this band.
6:53
[SPEAKER_01]: And this is the first time I ever was in a band.
6:56
[SPEAKER_01]: And I remember not knowing songs in my band, they were just like, how do you not know these songs?
7:00
[SPEAKER_01]: And so then they would, they actually made a playlist for me for like songs I should know.
7:04
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was just like, wow, it's just amazing being around a community who loves music just as much as I do and who want.
7:10
[SPEAKER_01]: And they encouraged me to learn more about music.
7:13
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think that's kind of when I really want it to be a part of it.
7:16
[SPEAKER_01]: When I was like, I know that these are my people, no?
7:19
[SPEAKER_00]: Wow, that is a really cool story.
7:23
[SPEAKER_00]: So they, they ask you about music, and you didn't know some of the music, the contemporary music that they were talking about.
7:29
[SPEAKER_01]: I actually know the older things, because I was around, I think I was 13, 14, when I met everyone, and at the time, I listened to a lot more pop, rather than rock, but until when I didn't know song, they're like, how do you not know this?
7:42
[SPEAKER_01]: And then they would like, they would show me the songs that I should know, you know?
7:45
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think it was really, and then that's kind of when my love of music really started, because I was like, wow, this is really good.
7:51
[SPEAKER_00]: And at any of these points, I went through a music journey and I can tell you, it's scary.
7:57
[SPEAKER_00]: It was scary when I was coming up in it because there was many points where I knew that I was, I didn't belong there.
8:03
[SPEAKER_00]: But it sounds like when I walked you on stage, I'm like, you know it.
8:08
[SPEAKER_00]: But at where they're points in your early life where you're like, no, I know I'm good.
8:15
[SPEAKER_01]: actually that's funny thing because I'm actually a very anxious person when when I didn't perform as much I actually would I get why we get little panic attacks and I actually would like sometimes I get so scared of getting sick before show that I'd actually get sick before show and so I would like I would manifest actual kind of physical reactions to anxiety and I think
8:38
[SPEAKER_01]: It took a long time for me to kind of grow out of it because I'm very much a perfectionist and I think that's something I'm trying to grow out of and understand that music isn't about being perfect, you know, it's about self-expression.
8:48
[SPEAKER_01]: And so, um, but that's hard to do.
8:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
8:51
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, that's like that's really one of the hardest things to do is like to be in real time and just think that you're there to express, but there's a craft to it.
9:06
[SPEAKER_00]: but also be relaxed enough where you can just be in the moment too.
9:09
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I'm probably the worst person to be in a studio with every single time I do something like, I don't like this.
9:13
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't like this.
9:14
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't like this.
9:15
[SPEAKER_01]: And it takes over and over.
9:16
[SPEAKER_01]: But then sometimes I have to tell myself, okay, just like slow down.
9:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, just if it's imperfect, that's fine.
9:21
[SPEAKER_01]: Because what is perfect.
9:23
[SPEAKER_01]: This is my song, you know, this is my music.
9:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
9:25
[SPEAKER_01]: And so I mean for the performing
9:29
[SPEAKER_01]: My bandmates, they help me get out of it.
9:32
[SPEAKER_01]: They're like, hey, you got this.
9:33
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, you know what you're doing.
9:35
[SPEAKER_01]: And so I think now that I'm older and that I've done a lot of shows, I kind of realized that the people in the audience a lot of it is family, it's friends.
9:43
[SPEAKER_01]: And at the end of the day, they're there to support me and that I shouldn't worry as much, you know, because I'm doing what I love.
9:49
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's what matters.
9:49
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I totally, right?
9:51
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
9:52
[SPEAKER_00]: But it's hard to remind ourselves of that.
9:54
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
9:55
[SPEAKER_00]: No, you do write and all or do you write your own songs?
10:00
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I do.
10:01
[SPEAKER_01]: So iconic, actually, from my writing process, it's kind of what I do is either I'm like laying in bed or I'm doing something and I think of a line.
10:12
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm like, oh, I like that.
10:13
[SPEAKER_01]: So then I type it in my notes app on a piece of paper.
10:15
[SPEAKER_01]: And then usually I go back, and I look at it at night, because for some reason, at like 12, like a, and that is when I'm the most when my mind starts moving.
10:24
[SPEAKER_01]: And so then after that, I kind of build around it, and then I put music to it.
10:29
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, interesting.
10:31
[SPEAKER_00]: So you're like lyrics, melody, and then you put it on.
10:35
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
10:36
[SPEAKER_00]: And you play guitar, piano, what do you...
10:38
[SPEAKER_01]: I play guitar.
10:40
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
10:41
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
10:41
[SPEAKER_00]: And so your process of putting pen to paper like that, um, produce iconic.
10:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
10:48
[SPEAKER_00]: Right.
10:50
[SPEAKER_00]: Where did the song?
10:50
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I've already done my research.
10:52
[SPEAKER_00]: Where did the song come from?
10:54
[SPEAKER_01]: So the song came from, so for me, it's kind of just going back to something that's not very good for you.
11:00
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, when I was talking to my producer about it, because I actually did
11:05
[SPEAKER_01]: And it's, I slam the door, but I don't lock it.
11:07
[SPEAKER_01]: That was the main part that I wrote it off of, because I was injured and I kept going back to the sport, and then I've got hurt again.
11:14
[SPEAKER_01]: And then it was just a never ending cycle.
11:16
[SPEAKER_01]: And so then I talked to my producer about it and he was like, okay, let's make this more relatable.
11:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's make this about hot guy.
11:21
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was like, okay.
11:22
[SPEAKER_01]: And so that's kind of how it came about.
11:24
[SPEAKER_01]: We bounced lyrics back and forth from each other.
11:26
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's pretty much how I kind of just made.
11:29
[SPEAKER_00]: So it wasn't originally about the guy.
11:33
[SPEAKER_00]: Because in the interviews, it's been about the guy.
11:35
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, you know, yeah.
11:37
[SPEAKER_00]: But so it was about an accident.
11:40
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
11:40
[SPEAKER_01]: And then it's kind of personified.
11:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Because I'm too busy to have a boyfriend.
11:45
[SPEAKER_01]: But.
11:46
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, so I'm mostly right about just past experiences, sometimes movies and time shows, but I always try to get a little bit of writing at night because that's kind of something I've been working to get out of my perfectionist process where it's like more consistency rather than it being perfect.
12:01
[SPEAKER_01]: But yeah, I think a big part of writing is recognizing when you know you have something good and then building off of that.
12:08
[SPEAKER_00]: When I think about your journey,
12:16
[SPEAKER_00]: Right?
12:17
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, let's face it.
12:18
[SPEAKER_00]: Even if you got to like some percentage of wherever she's gotten, that is a good path to be on, right?
12:26
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
12:26
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you study any of the her journey?
12:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, I used to be a big fan when I was a long, younger, but I don't really know much about her story, actually.
12:35
[SPEAKER_00]: Her business journey?
12:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, not much.
12:38
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, I encourage you and probably the rest of our listeners to really follow what she's done, you know.
12:48
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think a lot of it has to do with like parents that were able to really help her financially as well and really foster that love of what she does.
13:00
[SPEAKER_00]: But I mean, what an incredible career.
13:02
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean,
13:03
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, you were starting at the perfect time to really push this career, right?
13:07
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think so.
13:09
[SPEAKER_01]: 16.
13:09
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm turning 17 soon.
13:10
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah.
13:12
[SPEAKER_00]: And so how do you find the gigs that you've been playing?
13:17
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, most I find a lot of them from my guitarist because um, yeah, she she's been playing a lot of gigs.
13:24
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, she's she's 18 now.
13:26
[SPEAKER_01]: She's more experienced than me.
13:27
[SPEAKER_01]: So we get a lot from her and also just kind of reaching out to people sometimes they reach out to me.
13:32
[SPEAKER_01]: And it's just seeing if that's a kind of venue I want to work with and that's pretty much how we get them.
13:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's pretty simple.
13:37
[SPEAKER_00]: Your communication with me has been incredible.
13:41
[SPEAKER_00]: It's been a lot.
13:42
[SPEAKER_00]: And in a good way, it's been a lot.
13:44
[SPEAKER_00]: And I wanted to bring that up.
13:45
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that music is about many different things.
13:51
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to have the mind for it, right?
13:55
[SPEAKER_00]: The creativity for it, the performance to stage presence.
13:58
[SPEAKER_00]: But that tenacity that you have behind the scenes is really going to take you for.
14:07
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, my dad, or I actually know, I have my mom too.
14:09
[SPEAKER_01]: But both my parents, they're very, they're very persistent.
14:12
[SPEAKER_01]: They, you know, they, they, they, they tell me to advocate what I want.
14:15
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
14:17
[SPEAKER_01]: And kind of just, if I want something, you just have to put in the work and you'll get it.
14:20
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
14:21
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think, showing up in the arts, and just showing up.
14:26
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't even have to be good.
14:28
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
14:28
[SPEAKER_00]: Just showing up in the beginning the first few years.
14:32
[SPEAKER_01]: is really 99% of the game you know it's a lot of it is just like I think also part of it even no matter how small of the gig is for my band and I we're gonna be there because I think also just the practice is just getting comfortable being on stage and that's something that I think I mentioned before how I struggle with and maybe that's why I was so worried and nervous to go on stage because I never did as much you know so I think a big part of us to why I've grown as performers because of the consistency that I've had.
14:57
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
14:58
[SPEAKER_00]: And now that you're in high school, you're coming into your third year, right?
15:02
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
15:03
[SPEAKER_00]: How do you think that these next two years of being in high school is going to shape your professional career?
15:08
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you think about that?
15:10
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, I do actually it's something I do worry about.
15:12
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm part of a lot of clubs in my part of ASB.
15:14
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm a part of future business leaders of America.
15:16
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm on board for that.
15:17
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, I also have my own club art for all where we give, um, school supplies and art supplies to underserved communities and, um, I'm kind of, I think.
15:27
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm actually a lot.
15:29
[SPEAKER_01]: I work a lot better when I have things to do.
15:30
[SPEAKER_01]: I think sometimes when I don't have much to do, I'm kind of sitting there and I'm just paralyzed.
15:35
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm just thinking, okay, what do I have to do today?
15:37
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, I think now that I have a lot of things on my play, I'm going to get through it fast, because honestly, I don't think I'm not too worried about it.
15:44
[SPEAKER_01]: Maybe just the learning and the studying aspect of it, because I'm going to have a lot of gigs on top of homework, but other than that, I think I have it.
15:52
[SPEAKER_00]: But if somebody said to you, right now, I need you to clear everything out.
15:56
[SPEAKER_00]: I need you just music.
15:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Would you do it?
16:01
[SPEAKER_01]: That is a very tough question.
16:03
[SPEAKER_01]: I think education has also been a very big part of my life as well because I love school, I love learning.
16:11
[SPEAKER_01]: And so I also think that education is very important.
16:14
[SPEAKER_01]: So I honestly, I would say no and I would try to balance both because I think as of now, I've been doing a good job at it.
16:22
[SPEAKER_00]: When you give up the college path, if somebody said to you, okay, when you graduate from high school, we have a contract waiting, you have a good body of work, you have enough songs to go on the road and tour and really you can push college back.
16:40
[SPEAKER_00]: When you do that,
16:42
[SPEAKER_01]: I think I would.
16:43
[SPEAKER_01]: I would at least take one gap here, see how it works, see how it goes, because I mean, I can always go back to college, but I do want to finish high school, of course, but I do think I would do that.
16:56
[SPEAKER_00]: It's just so controversial in my mind.
16:58
[SPEAKER_00]: I've a daughter too.
16:59
[SPEAKER_00]: It's just really into performing a channel, it's the thing.
17:03
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think about that all the time, but here's my take on this to add on top of what you just said.
17:10
[SPEAKER_00]: I think when you go on a road, you're learning much more than you can ever learn in your four years of college.
17:18
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I really think you're going to learn business, you're going to learn how people are.
17:23
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're in Copenhagen, if you're in Denang, you know what I mean?
17:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, if you're like on the world's goals.
17:29
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah.
17:29
[SPEAKER_00]: And then you're dealing with all these like tough business people, right?
17:34
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a tough business and your dad's going to be there, your mom's going to be there, your aunt, Lee is going to be there, your aunt is going to be there to like I kind of like foster that education on the road and really get you up to speed with like having the advantages that you need, right?
17:50
[SPEAKER_00]: I think at, yeah, if my daughter had that chance at 14, I would probably give it up, right?
17:55
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
17:57
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm learning that when I'm taking my daughter out to all these places she's developing this sense of like watching her dad deal with public people and she's watching me.
18:07
[SPEAKER_00]: So I can only imagine like when you're on the road after you graduate high school and you're doing, I say this because I advocate all of the young artists in our community to go as hard as I possibly can because we need that representation.
18:18
[SPEAKER_00]: We do.
18:19
[SPEAKER_01]: We do.
18:20
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
18:20
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm glad that you answered that.
18:22
[SPEAKER_00]: Have you been back to Vietnam?
18:24
[SPEAKER_01]: No, I have not.
18:26
[SPEAKER_01]: I was supposed to, but my school got pushed back two weeks, so I can't go, but I really want to.
18:31
[SPEAKER_01]: That's, I always wanted to go to Vietnam, especially because my grandmother, she used to be a performer in Vietnam.
18:39
[SPEAKER_01]: What's her name?
18:42
[SPEAKER_01]: I just know, but not my name.
18:43
[SPEAKER_00]: But you're not, okay.
18:44
[SPEAKER_00]: But, um, maybe I'm going to ask you buckling what would turn in.
18:49
[SPEAKER_01]: Don't run.
18:50
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't run.
18:51
[SPEAKER_01]: That's a strange thing.
18:52
[SPEAKER_00]: Just don't say that.
18:53
[SPEAKER_00]: We have Buckley in sitting here.
18:55
[SPEAKER_00]: Buckley sitting here giving us notes.
18:57
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you just made me realize I've only called her bundle it my whole life.
19:01
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
19:01
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't run.
19:03
[SPEAKER_00]: So yes.
19:03
[SPEAKER_00]: You come from a lineage of artists.
19:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
19:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, mostly just my grandmother.
19:09
[SPEAKER_01]: I think, um, at least my sister is my parents.
19:11
[SPEAKER_01]: They don't do music.
19:12
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, I mean, my little sister does, but she, she did after me.
19:16
[SPEAKER_01]: But.
19:16
[SPEAKER_00]: Right.
19:18
[SPEAKER_00]: Should skip the generation with your... Hey, that's a good thing to understand.
19:22
[SPEAKER_00]: That's so interesting.
19:23
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, I think how well do you speak Vietnamese?
19:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, I can understand it, it's just...
19:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Put another word.
19:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Some more words of encouragement.
19:32
[SPEAKER_00]: I think you should really lean into it in the next two years.
19:37
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
19:37
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'll tell you why.
19:38
[SPEAKER_00]: I think we're lexin line.
19:41
[SPEAKER_00]: K-pop?
19:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
19:43
[SPEAKER_00]: I had a big problem.
19:44
[SPEAKER_00]: It is.
19:45
[SPEAKER_01]: I had a big K-pop face and I was younger.
19:47
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
19:48
[SPEAKER_00]: But we're next in line, right?
19:49
[SPEAKER_00]: So all of these performers are coming out of Vietnam, Vietnamese fashion, like on the map.
19:55
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think we're next to them.
19:56
[SPEAKER_00]: We're next to them for all of this pop stuff, right?
20:00
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
20:00
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes.
20:01
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think you're going to be leaving a lot of money on the table if you don't learn Vietnamese.
20:05
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, get in with the Twitter now, learn it.
20:08
[SPEAKER_00]: And I say this to all my audience too, is that the doors that will open up for all of you,
20:15
[SPEAKER_00]: is unimaginable.
20:17
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
20:17
[SPEAKER_00]: I was born in the United States.
20:19
[SPEAKER_00]: I can read, write, sing.
20:21
[SPEAKER_00]: I do all of that in Vietnamese.
20:24
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's up and up like major doors for me all around the world.
20:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
20:28
[SPEAKER_00]: And I, you know, I encourage you at 16 to find a tutor, drop some ASV activities, and really lean into it.
20:36
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'll tell you why.
20:37
[SPEAKER_00]: Here's a perfect example.
20:39
[SPEAKER_00]: You know Rachel from the voice.
20:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
20:42
[SPEAKER_00]: She's in Vietnam.
20:42
[SPEAKER_00]: She's singing Vietnamese now.
20:44
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
20:45
[SPEAKER_00]: And she's been there for like six months or something like that.
20:47
[SPEAKER_00]: Her career is going to skyrocket as a result.
20:51
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's not that America is prejudiced or anything, but there's like,
20:55
[SPEAKER_00]: so many Asian performers that don't get the spotlight.
21:00
[SPEAKER_01]: That they deserve.
21:02
[SPEAKER_00]: And I know that producers tried.
21:05
[SPEAKER_00]: These real big producers like they really try to give whether they're black producers, white Jewish producers.
21:12
[SPEAKER_00]: They give us chances.
21:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
21:15
[SPEAKER_00]: But the buying public is not buying it.
21:17
[SPEAKER_00]: Right?
21:18
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know why that's not happening.
21:19
[SPEAKER_00]: Whether it's an Asian man or an Asian woman.
21:22
[SPEAKER_00]: But if you go back to Korea, you go back to Vietnam.
21:26
[SPEAKER_00]: And then you've launched from there and you have like an American background, I mean those are ways to really leverage our culture.
21:32
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so I really encourage you as much as you can to learn Vietnamese.
21:38
[SPEAKER_00]: I will.
21:39
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
21:40
[SPEAKER_00]: So what's next?
21:41
[SPEAKER_00]: What's next on the, you know, the next few years in your mind when you think about your future in music?
21:47
[SPEAKER_00]: What do you think?
21:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, I definitely want to be,
21:51
[SPEAKER_01]: I think I want to produce an EP I would say in the next year.
21:54
[SPEAKER_01]: My producer, John, he he'd produce for a lot of people wanted to array Madonna and I'm very grateful for the kind of creativity that he has given me early.
22:05
[SPEAKER_00]: How do you meet a person like John?
22:08
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, how pretty much was for a long time I was posting on my Instagram throughout middle school kind of and throughout high school as well and so from that he actually he found me just through some one of the reals I posted and we kind of had a conversation from there and he's from the Philippines and then
22:28
[SPEAKER_01]: He actually came to LA to have a dinner with me and my parents, we kind of talked to him.
22:33
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think, of course, I knew that he was an amazing producer that he produced for all these great people.
22:38
[SPEAKER_01]: But I think the best part was how kind he was and how similar ideas we had and how we both kind of wanted the same thing from music, for
22:48
[SPEAKER_01]: for me as an artist.
22:49
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think that's what really drew me to work with him.
22:52
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm very grateful for the opportunity.
22:54
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's kind of when we started working on iconic.
22:57
[SPEAKER_01]: We have a song coming in October.
22:59
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll play a cool.
23:00
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm really excited for that one.
23:02
[SPEAKER_01]: And um...
23:04
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, I hope in the next couple months, I'm writing a lot of songs.
23:07
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm writing a song with my guitarist Hayden.
23:10
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm also working with another producer, Elliot, he's great, and we're kind of working on two songs right now, so there's a lot going on, but I mean, I'm hoping to reduce an EP in the next, I would say, year.
23:22
[SPEAKER_00]: That's amazing.
23:23
[SPEAKER_00]: And how do you, how do you know, like?
23:26
[SPEAKER_00]: There's all these songs that you wrote, right?
23:28
[SPEAKER_00]: 10, 20 songs and rough drafts.
23:30
[SPEAKER_00]: How do you know play it cool?
23:31
[SPEAKER_00]: Is the one that you take to becoming an AP?
23:35
[SPEAKER_01]: For me, I've actually been workshopping that idea for a very, very long time.
23:40
[SPEAKER_01]: I would say since freshman year, I did that thing where I started with one line.
23:45
[SPEAKER_01]: And I kind of didn't like it at first.
23:47
[SPEAKER_01]: And then when one night, around a couple months ago, I was looking through my old notebook, and I was like, wait, this is actually kind of cool.
23:53
[SPEAKER_01]: I wonder why I kind of stopped with this.
23:56
[SPEAKER_01]: I kind of wrote more to that.
23:58
[SPEAKER_01]: I showed it to my producer and I said, hey, what do you think about this?
24:01
[SPEAKER_01]: And what's funny was the name was actually cognitive dissonance, but then he was, he said, oh, it's done.
24:07
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, he said that might be a little worry.
24:09
[SPEAKER_01]: And so we kind of worked up it.
24:10
[SPEAKER_01]: And then that's kind of where we came with play at cool.
24:13
[SPEAKER_01]: Because pretty much what it's about is it's this push and pull mindset of once again, doing something or being a part of something that's not really good for you, but still wanting to do it kind of.
24:25
[SPEAKER_01]: And in a way, I kind of personified that feeling once again with, like, let's say you're talking to someone and you want them to call you.
24:33
[SPEAKER_01]: But you, but they're not.
24:34
[SPEAKER_01]: So you're just going to wait and you're just playing it cool.
24:36
[SPEAKER_01]: So that's kind of the idea.
24:37
[SPEAKER_00]: It's kind of just a little bit like that iconic vibe.
24:39
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
24:41
[SPEAKER_01]: I would say I'm excited for this one because there's it's a lot softer than iconic in a sense, but then at the end it gets bigger.
24:49
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm really excited for that.
24:51
[SPEAKER_00]: How do I deal with social media comments, feedback, like do read all your comments and...
25:00
[SPEAKER_01]: I do, but, um, I mean, I remember in middle school, when I was first supposed in my reals, I had a comment and it made me actually feel really self-conscious.
25:10
[SPEAKER_01]: I forgot what it was, but then now that I think about it, I've seen, this is like a middle-aged, like, dude who's balding, why do I care?
25:18
[SPEAKER_01]: And at the end of the day, I think people who choose to write those kinds of comments, those such terrible comments.
25:24
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I think the day they're the miserable people, miserable people, miserable people, because I'm doing what I love.
25:30
[SPEAKER_00]: So when you're reading this stuff, you don't get affected.
25:33
[SPEAKER_00]: I get affected, and it puts me in a spiral sometimes when I read stuff online.
25:38
[SPEAKER_00]: And I have to really, it's a crack to me though.
25:41
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm like, I want to read it, but I don't know what you know what I mean, but you can't.
25:46
[SPEAKER_00]: But so I'm wondering, at your age, how do you deal with it?
25:49
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, for the most part, kind of just, vlogger, I mean, I love it.
25:52
[SPEAKER_01]: If it's critiques, I actually, I kind of take a count and I'll say, okay, that is true.
25:58
[SPEAKER_01]: I could have worked on this.
25:59
[SPEAKER_01]: But then I don't take it too personally.
26:01
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I am the very sensitive person, so I try my best not to recalments.
26:05
[SPEAKER_01]: But I mean, for the most part, I just think that, and they, I don't know these people, they don't know me, and I shouldn't really let it get to me.
26:11
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, that's kind of just the best way I do.
26:14
[SPEAKER_00]: What about at high school?
26:15
[SPEAKER_00]: How do you deal with, you know, people knowing
26:20
[SPEAKER_01]: That's very funny because I actually try to hide it from everyone.
26:23
[SPEAKER_01]: I told I told nobody about my music I actually didn't let any of my friends watch me until I think three shows ago before that I did not let anyone watch me because I was so scared that I was gonna get bullied.
26:37
[SPEAKER_01]: I was so scared because I'm interesting
26:39
[SPEAKER_01]: Music for me has been very it's it's very private.
26:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, private.
26:43
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't even like when I'm when my parents play me singing and I hear it upstairs I can hear and I'm like, oh, I don't want to hear myself.
26:50
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't like listening to myself and so I was very scared But one of my friends said, oh, Ellie you just pops on my for you page and I was like, what?
27:00
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's kind of when it started and then I actually, all my friends have, um, they've been so supportive and I'm really grateful for that.
27:08
[SPEAKER_01]: Everyone at school, they all come up to me and they've told me that they loved iconic.
27:11
[SPEAKER_01]: Some of them have it in their playlist and I'm just so grateful for that kind of feedback.
27:14
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think that's also a big part as to why I want to do this is because I know have a lot of good people backing me up, you know, you and I talked about.
27:23
[SPEAKER_00]: how a lot of modern social media artists are now clipping like 90 seconds or just like a minute of their song.
27:33
[SPEAKER_00]: And they're shorter sometimes.
27:34
[SPEAKER_00]: Even shorter, yeah, 15, 20 seconds.
27:35
[SPEAKER_00]: And they're just shooting it at like every random place.
27:40
[SPEAKER_00]: And they're just bouncing hundreds of these things.
27:43
[SPEAKER_00]: And the algorithms are just picking it up.
27:45
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I'll just crawl with somebody and then I'll have a certain of scrunch.
27:50
[SPEAKER_00]: 30 screens in, I'll see the same song, but in a different, and I know that your time is limited with high school, but that's one way to grow, like consistency, right?
28:05
[SPEAKER_00]: So my question to you is if that's a choice to grow and to really compound the growth of your thing, but you got ASB, you got all these clubs, right?
28:18
[SPEAKER_00]: If we as a community are rooting for you, and we say, hey, Ella, we think that one day that you can blow up, but these are the like, to steps you gotta do, but you gotta give up on the other stuff, you know?
28:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Is that another part of the conversation that you think about?
28:34
[SPEAKER_01]: that is something I do think about.
28:36
[SPEAKER_01]: And but the thing is for me is, of course, I take music seriously, but I also take account of the fact that I am still very young.
28:45
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm only 16 and I want to still be able to have those experiences say, hey, I did this in high school.
28:50
[SPEAKER_01]: I made these connections because I think a very big, I'm a very social person.
28:55
[SPEAKER_01]: And I love being a part of these things.
28:56
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think just in general, being the,
28:59
[SPEAKER_01]: all these different clubs and things like that.
29:01
[SPEAKER_01]: As well as just music too, it kind of builds a community.
29:04
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think, so that's very important to me.
29:07
[SPEAKER_01]: I think being in these, I think I encourage everyone to try their best to kind of do something artistic, but also do something that makes you feel like you're helping the community, but also try to learn a little bit.
29:17
[SPEAKER_01]: I try to, I think that's a very big thing for me, I guess, is just trying to balance everything and make sure I stay a well-rounded person.
29:27
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I want to get props to your parents, but I also want you to get props to your parents because we don't get to see this often in our community.
29:36
[SPEAKER_00]: I think we're starting to sit now because your parents are younger and have a new generation of parenting.
29:43
[SPEAKER_00]: But I want to hear you tell the audience because I think that there are other parents that are listening and they're probably skeptical about bringing their child into their performing arts.
29:52
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
29:53
[SPEAKER_00]: Can you give me some background about, you know, they're supporting their love for you?
29:58
[SPEAKER_01]: I think my parents have always been my number one cheerleaders.
30:01
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it's up when it comes sometimes when I'm too tired and I don't want to do a gig, I have my dad tell me, it's a good opportunity, just do it.
30:08
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'll say, okay, I'll do it.
30:10
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think just as a child knowing that your parents are there just for you, it's such a huge thing.
30:17
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think that's a big reason as to why I think that I can do this.
30:20
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that I can pursue this career in
30:23
[SPEAKER_01]: just because I have my parents with me, you know, and I think it's very important for children to have that support growing up and not to feel not having to feel like they're disappointing their parents, but just to feel like they're alive and that, because I think that kind of love it grows into the child and it makes them just in general happier and better person.
30:41
[SPEAKER_00]: I totally agree with that.
30:43
[SPEAKER_00]: Do they ever push for a plan like a plan B in your life?
30:46
[SPEAKER_00]: Like
30:49
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, they do.
30:50
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean safety.
30:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, safety, I mean, of course.
30:52
[SPEAKER_01]: But overall, Flanay is always to be a musician.
30:56
[SPEAKER_01]: What's Flanby to go to law school?
30:59
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm actually very interested in law and kind of the crime side.
31:04
[SPEAKER_01]: I would want to be a prosecutor.
31:05
[SPEAKER_00]: Got it, you got it.
31:07
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
31:07
[SPEAKER_00]: Got it, that's amazing.
31:09
[SPEAKER_00]: Very different than, uh, it's very different from the music scene.
31:13
[SPEAKER_01]: But I know a lot of lawyers who are actually artists,
31:20
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, she's great.
31:21
[SPEAKER_01]: She's amazing.
31:22
[SPEAKER_01]: The stuff that she does is awesome.
31:24
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a few Vietnamese young women that are in our scene right now.
31:32
[SPEAKER_00]: Eve Evelyn.
31:34
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
31:34
[SPEAKER_00]: Mealin.
31:35
[SPEAKER_00]: She sings for a fan of the opera right now.
31:38
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you know who she is?
31:40
[SPEAKER_01]: I think idea.
31:41
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
31:41
[SPEAKER_00]: But she's an opera singer.
31:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Mm-hmm.
31:43
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
31:44
[SPEAKER_00]: And there is Rachel from the voice.
31:46
[SPEAKER_00]: And then there's Cheyenne Win.
31:48
[SPEAKER_00]: She was a young actress and she started when she was like 12.
31:52
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
31:53
[SPEAKER_00]: One of her uncles is a film director named Stephan Gogger and he passed away.
31:57
[SPEAKER_00]: But I interviewed her when I think what she was around your age, she set the same thing to me that really, now that you're saying it to me, that really stuck with me and I think
32:10
[SPEAKER_00]: You said that, you hold, you held back that information from your school.
32:17
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, and she said the same thing too.
32:19
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
32:19
[SPEAKER_00]: She ends up the same thing.
32:20
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think when I talk to Rachel, I think at one point, she said the same thing too.
32:25
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that that's really important to protect that.
32:29
[SPEAKER_00]: right?
32:30
[SPEAKER_00]: But it's a balancing act.
32:31
[SPEAKER_00]: It's like you're trying to get the word out.
32:33
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, but then you also don't want the, it's a reach the wrong crowd.
32:36
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think it's, because I mean, especially as a kid, it's just the thought of having to face bullying or if you have faced it before, I think it's just so scary because you're really putting yourself out there.
32:46
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, create a work it, you know, it can, you either love or you hate it, you know, and I think if you hear from a lot of school saying, oh, this sucks.
32:55
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I really, I really can,
32:57
[SPEAKER_01]: It damages.
32:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it really does.
32:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
33:00
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I'm like an old man and it damages me.
33:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
33:03
[SPEAKER_00]: It bruises me and it really puts me into a telescope.
33:05
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't imagine what it is for, but then if you're young, maybe that resiliency that you have as a young person can really build the layers of like handling that pressure at this age, right?
33:18
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
33:18
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that's a good thing.
33:20
[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you.
33:21
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
33:22
[SPEAKER_00]: Ella, thank you so much for coming on today.
33:24
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you have anything else you want to add?
33:27
[SPEAKER_01]: No, I mean, I have a release coming in October on the 14th.
33:31
[SPEAKER_01]: So look up for that.
33:32
[SPEAKER_00]: OK. How do we find your profile on Instagram or social?
33:37
[SPEAKER_01]: On all my socials, I'm eloquencing and on Spotify.
33:40
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm eloquent.
33:41
[SPEAKER_01]: And yeah.
33:41
[SPEAKER_00]: OK.
33:42
[SPEAKER_00]: So Ella E. L. L. A. Q. U. Y. N. H. Yes.
33:45
[SPEAKER_00]: Sings.
33:46
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.
33:46
[SPEAKER_00]: Look, eloquent.
33:48
[SPEAKER_00]: That's how we think of yeah.
33:49
[SPEAKER_00]: eloquent things.
33:51
[SPEAKER_00]: Wonderful.
33:51
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much for coming on the podcast.
33:53
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, thank you.
33:53
[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you.
33:54
[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you.
33:55
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for listening to the Vietnamese with Kenneth Wynne.
33:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Special thanks to Brittany Tran, to Jane Wynne, Catherine Wynne, Tina Fam, Sydney Jamie, and Crystal Tran.
34:05
[SPEAKER_00]: Please find us on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok at the Vietnamese podcast.