Written by Amal Murni
In collaboration with Aisyah
Welcome back to our Spotlight Segment! For this week, we have a strong, independent and respected Bruneian female musician, composer, producer and songwriter who is currently based in LA, Aisyah!
What were the albums/ songs/ artists that inspired you to kickstart something in music? What is music to you?
Music is a universal language that I use to express or communicate in a way that I cannot with just words alone. Music is also healing to me, it holds a lot of power and influence – it guides us through our best and worst days, it can trigger certain memories, and it enables us to empathise with others.
I don’t think I can pinpoint a particular album, song or artist that inspired me to pursue a career in music. Music has always been a part of my life and my upbringing. Growing up, I was heavily inspired by R&B. Destiny’s Child’s “Writings on the Wall” and “Destiny Fulfilled” was definitely at the top of my list of albums that influenced me, alongside Mariah Carey’s “The Emancipation of Mimi”. As I grew older, I started going through phases with the types of music I was listening to –– in middle school I was listening to Pop and Rock, with bands like Paramore, The Black Keys, Cage the Elephant, Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay and Linkin Park. I found an interest in Hip Hop and Soul around high school, and when I was in university I was surrounded by a lot of friends who played in Jazz and Funk bands. Although I associate the core of my music with R&B, this exposure to different genres has greatly influenced the style of music I write and produce today, and I feel like they always come out sounding like a fusion of some of the genres.
What was the journey like to get to where you are now and how do you overcome the turbulence that goes with it?
It has definitely been a terrifying but exciting rollercoaster ride so far, with a lot of moments of unlearning and relearning in order to grow into the kind of person and artist I am now. The music industry is tough and can cause a lot of pressure, so it really tests your limits with your skillsets as well as the kind of individual you are and how you handle the stresses that can come with working in the industry.
"I always believe that being surrounded by people who truly support and care for you is so important."
My loved ones keep me grounded, and they’re always there when I’m feeling low or lost. They constantly encourage me whenever I find myself facing challenges, and I feel like we need that kind of energy in a field like this, especially since we’re constantly cooped up in our studios.
Considering the social, political, environmental and medical climates in America -- how are you and what are your thoughts on the matter?
It’s been a crazy year for everyone, and the past few months have been difficult for sure. There are days where I feel very hopeful and happy, and then there are other days where I feel depressed and helpless.
"But through all of that, I’m constantly making sure I remind myself to practice gratefulness, kindness and patience, and to make sure I take care of my mental health to better help others in need whenever I can and to stand up against injustice."
The local music scene is still predominantly male, since you’re a musician and studied music, what advice would you give to aspiring female musicians?
That we are just as capable of doing what the males can do in the industry, whether it be producing, songwriting, audio engineering, performing, A&R etc. Nowadays I see a lot of female artists supporting and uplifting one another in response to the industry’s attitudes of pinning females to compete against each other, it’s very sweet to see.
"An advice I would give to aspiring female musicians is to be unafraid to stand your ground."
In a male-dominated industry, we can often be seen as vulnerable and be taken advantage of, so be firm and if something doesn’t seem right then it’s okay to walk away and create opportunities for yourself elsewhere in a safer environment. Also, don’t let your gender define your capabilities and what you can bring to the table –– if you want it, then be willing to work hard for it because things won’t get handed to you on a silver platter, especially for minority groups in the industry. As long as you are consistent and persistent, people will catch up with your content and eventually recognise you.
On your IG live stream, you mentioned track #4 was about homesickness and how your music is similar to journal entries -- would you mind sharing how you felt while writing the EP and the stories behind each of the tracks?
For sure! When it comes to my lyricism, I’m very reflective and I tend to express in a way where I contemplate on certain emotions or feelings for a situation. Sometimes they can be for a particular situation that happened to me in real life, like in “Unfamiliar”. Other times the stories I create in my songs are fiction but the emotion/ feeling is something I’ve felt before and I try to express that experience through my songwriting, like in the first three tracks of the EP.
Let Go
For this song, I wanted to express the importance of recognising your self-worth while going through a bad breakup. It’s very sassy and a little bit sarcastic, but in a fun way. Like, oh you wanna go be unfaithful and have some affairs? Cool, that’s fine, well I’m going to keep my energy safe and keep being the boss-ass queen that I am. I deserve better and know when to walk away from something that does not serve or uplift me.
Words
This song talks about the feeling of wanting to confess your love for someone you’ve known for a long time, and trying to find the words to say it. It showcases a shy but sweet narrative, and lyrically I wanted to express a “lost in thought” kind of feeling.
Craving
This is a bit of the opposite to the timid and hesitant feeling expressed in “Words” –– “Craving” is a very playful and confident love song, and has a teasing aspect about it.
Unfamiliar
This is a special track for me, as I wrote this when I was feeling extremely homesick towards the end of 2019. To cope with the homesickness, I journaled my thoughts into this song and treated my lyrics as a diary. It talks about my journey so far in the music industry and how I identify what “home” is to me. I’ve lived in the U.S. for the past seven years now, I’ve built a life here, but at the same time my roots are in Brunei, it’s where I’m from. In the song (and in the music video), I take my audience on a journey to give a glimpse into my life between Brunei and the U.S., and expressing how grateful I am for the opportunities I’ve experienced so far. At the end of the song, I remind myself that home is wherever your loved ones are, and that it’s a privilege to be able to experience life between two different worlds.
In Kepala Seni, affirmations and constant self-reflection are vital -- due to the lockdowns in LA, what kind of affirmations and self-reflection did you have to go through in order to get through?
There is a phrase that I heard Sierra Boggess quote a few years ago, which goes,
“You are enough, you are so enough, it’s unbelievable how enough you are”.
I actually have this written out on a post-it note and stuck on the wall next to my rig so that I can refer to it everyday whenever I’m feeling stuck or in a rut.
These past few months I’ve been really reflecting on gratefulness and trying to practice to be more gentle. We don’t know what people could be going through, and especially with all that’s been happening the past year, I want to make a positive impact in someone’s life no matter how small it may be –– whether it be holding the door open for someone behind me, giving a smile when I pass by someone, or practice being patient if someone lashes out at me.
Aisyah, what are your quirks and pet peeves?
Oh my gosh, I definitely have lots of quirks, but one of the main ones is that I have a colour-coding system when it comes to my clothes hangers. I have black hangers and grey hangers, and when my clothes are on the black hangers that means they have not been worn yet and are completely clean. When they’re on the grey hangers, that means they’ve been worn once but are not dirty enough to throw into the laundry hamper yet, so I hang them up to be used a second time.
My main pet peeve would have to be when people keep their shoes on in the house. It’s common that people walk around their houses with their shoes on here, but I can’t stand that because it’s bringing dirt indoors –– I’ve actually made a sign next to my front door to tell guests to take off their shoes.
Seeing how the world is this year, share some positivity that could potentially help people, or an individual!
Don’t be so hard on yourself, especially when you’re already doing the best you can with what you have.
"Things will flourish in time."
Lastly, let our readers know about your recent/ upcoming project(s), feel free to use the floor and express yourself! Be sure to share your social media tags too!
I’ve got some projects in the works with other local music artists that I can’t wait to share later! So definitely follow my socials if you’d like to be one of the first to know about new releases in the future. ☺
Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @aisyahmusic
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/aisyah/1497704900
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