Upclose with Johnny Hi Fi
Johnny Hi Fi, an indie band from New York, will be playing at HK Live! as part of their Asian tour. Simon Bowring talks to Eric Hsu, the Taiwanese-born lead singer.
HK Magazine: So, the big question. Why Johnny Hi Fi?
Eric Hsu: Well, originally the Johnny part was a tribute to Johnny Greenwood –the guitarist from Radiohead – because he’s an amazing musician. But it gradually became a sort of adjective or metaphor for personality in a way, because almost every Johnny I know or have heard of is either seriously cool or has a great personality. Take Johnny Depp, for example. Hi Fi was for high fidelity, so the basic idea for Johnny Hi Fi was that it equaled great music and great personality.
HK: Johnny Hi Fi is made up of Japanese, Taiwanese, Pakistani and American blood. Are there any positive or negative points about that multiculturalism?
EH: It’s a blessing having such a variety of different people. The different cultures, experiences, languages, and musical preferences of each of us makes working together fun and interesting, and brings together a style and fusion of ideas that comes out in the music. That said, instrumentally, we don’t divert much from the usual bass, drum, and two guitar formation.
HK: How do you think you’ll break into Asia?
EH: Our forthcoming album is a double-disc set, and one of those CD’s contains songs sung entirely in Chinese, which we are sort of promoting on our current Asia tour.
HK: Interesting. How does that work if your bandmates don’t speak Chinese?
EH: It’s fine, because it’s all about the music. I’ve tried translating the lyrics into English, but it’s extremely difficult. There are so many cultural and linguistic bridges that have to be jumped in order to get from Chinese music and language to English, but it was a fascinating process.
HK: Any advice for budding musicians trying to make it big?
EH: Run a band like a business, regardless of what kind of music you’re into. Everything you do, say and wear makes a difference. Attend to every detail.
HK: I suppose this wasn’t what your parents had intended for you.
EH: Absolutely not. I was supposed to be somebody rich, not famous. But hey, if all the cards are dealt correctly, someday I might manage to achieve both. My parents never thought the music industry was a feasible way to make money, and they never really took me seriously until they walked into a store and heard somebody singing along to one of our songs. But then, they’ve always been really cool about it, and are more open-minded than a lot of Chinese parents.