Chinese American Bear might be Seattle's favorite mando-pop band, and it's easy to see why. Between flavorful, evocative lyrics and bright, exciting instrumentals, the duo brings joy to headphones and to stage, time and time again.
Their latest single is "Turn Up The Radio," an upbeat homage to the best things in life, that builds synths and sounds upon shakers and drums upon guitar and bass in an intuitive fashion.
The song comes with no opportunity to settle into the mundane, just little twists and turns that make each moment special.
We were lucky to have the chance to send over a Q&A to Chinese American Bear, just in time for the release of their single, and a month before their third studio album, Dim Sum & Then Some.
What do you rely on each other for in the music creation process?
Bryce: Anne's lyrics & her spirit. She has these crazy laugh attacks while we're recording together (and just in general), and they always make me smile. It's totally infectious, and it reminds me to not take whatever we're doing too seriously.
Anne: Bryce's dedication and work ethic towards his craft. He continuously amazes me with his passion and dedication towards writing music. His favorite place in the world is his studio, and he's either constantly writing and recording in there, or is thinking about melodies and demos when he's not in the studio. He's one of the most hard working people I've ever met, and I love watching him work at his craft.
Who are some local Seattle artists who inspire you?
Bryce: Daniel Lyon (Packaging, Spirit Award) and Trevor Spencer (WAY OUT recording studio). Both good buds. Both were very welcoming when we first moved to Seattle. Felt like a warm hug when we met them.
Anne: Same answer as Bryce! Daniel Lyon from Spirit Award was the first person in Seattle to invite us to play a show with him, and we've been close friends ever since. He's incredibly kind and warm, and a very talented musician! His current project is called Packaging. Go check him out! Trevor is another local Seattleite who's a very cool human and has been super supportive and welcomed us into the music community. His recording studio is beautiful, and he's worked with some huge artists there.
What was your favorite part of making "Turn Up The Radio"?
Anne: Writing the lyrics! We had a lot of fun coming up with repeating lyrics and patterns that are fun to sing to. We also really wanted to create imagery of items that made us happy so we literally just listed out things Bryce and I loved (sunshine, pink bows, tattoos, dumplings, etc.). It was kind of inspired by "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music.
Bryce: The Bridge/B section in the second half of the song was so fun to make, both musically and lyrically. This album has a lot more "slow build" moments, where layers just continually stack and build to a climax. This is one of my favorites.
When you hear the song (Turn Up The Radio), what do you imagine people are doing while listening to it?
Bryce: I imagine a bright sunny summer morning, just got your coffee/tea, picked up your friend, driving down the road to somewhere. Or I imagine like a Barbie-movie-esqe scene where everything is bright and colorful and positive.
Anne: I imagine going on a run on a sunny day, having a picnic at the park with your family, or inviting friends over for a dinner party. Activities that are generally really fun, joyful, and/or shared with others.
Are there any songs off of your upcoming album you can’t wait for people to hear?
Bryce: "Dance Dance Dance." I love the groove, I love the bass line. Oliver Hill played violins on it, and he's my favorite. It's got the raddest little guitar jam section in the middle. And it's arranged just right (for my taste!) – there's space for everything, not too many overlapping voicings, but not uninteresting. I'm also so excited to play this live – we've arranged a really cool version of it that I think will be a highlight of the show.
Anne: My personal favorite off the new album is "Forever Lover" which has been out for a few months already as a single. It's my favorite because I love top 40 girly pop music, and "Forever Lover" is the most pop-forward song we've ever written. Out of the songs that haven't been released yet, I'm really excited for "Turn Up The Radio"! It's such a fun and happy little piece that's easy to sing along to. I can't wait for people to smile when they hear this song :)
You always find unique ways to saturate your music with joy! What things do you draw joy from in your day-to-day life?
Bryce: We try! I just really enjoy making music, to be honest. It's extremely joyful, so I don't know what I consciously pull from day to-day life. But we live a happy life. We enjoy each other a lot, we have a lot of loving friends & family around, we enjoy a good meal. I know I mentioned this before, but Anne has a totally infectious laugh. I enjoy playing board games. I go to the bar to play pinball. We cook together. I try to backpack and fish during the summer. I got really into crab fishing the last few years too. There's a dock right near our place in Seattle.
Anne: Like Bryce mentioned, we live a really happy life and find a lot of joy in the small and simple things! We have a really happy marriage. I love being around Bryce and doing small things like going out to eat and exploring new restaurants, cooking together, cuddling on the couch, and watching a movie, etc. I love spending time with girlfriends, shopping for new clothes and shoes, getting my hair cut, and going on runs on sunny days.
If you can hardly wait for the May 8th release of Dim Sum & Then Some, you can now stream "Turn Up The Radio," out April 8th on all streaming platforms.
