FancyWall was founded in 2013 by four middle schoolers, and they decided on their band name, “FancyWall”, two years later on a walk home from school. The band consists of young members, the youngest being born after the 2000’s.
FancyWall released its new album "Millennium Eden" in 2019, and also released new singles this year. In their album, the band expresses the music and attitude of today’s generation of youth by incorporating their “ridiculousness” and “lack of humor.” FancyWall’s National Tour is scheduled to begin in July.
Behind the Music is a Q & A series that follows mainly new bands in efforts to show the lives behind the music-making. This issue of Behind the Music features FancyWall to talk about some fan-favorite questions.
乐于自嘲 关爱世界
Be Happy To Laugh At And Care For The World
Meet The Band
Ci E Le《瓷饿了》 Lead Vocal/Rhythm Guitar
Xu Dajiao《徐大叫》 Lead Vocal/Keyboard
Yang Yutong《杨雨桐》Lead Guitar/Harmony
Lu Shang《吕尚》Bass
Xiao Xiao《肖萧》 Saxophone/Sampling
Er Yang《贰羊》Drum
Q&A
If you had to choose a song to introduce your own band to a first-time listener, which one would you choose and why?
Every member chose the song, "Contrasting Color Girl" 《撞啊色啊少啊女》
How has your living environment affected your music?
Ci E Le: I went to college in Los Angeles, where different cultures are especially welcome and my music thus was influenced by people from different countries and regions.
Xu Dajiao: I grew up in Beijing and learned piano since I was a kid. My mother “forced” me to practice the piano a lot and I eventually passed level eight of the piano graded evaluation.
Yang Yutong: After living in Hangzhou for two years, the people and things in Hangzhou basically determined the music and arrangement style I have always liked.
Lu Shang: I went to college in Anhui. The city was just a stepping-stone for me, and I couldn’t feel the actual size of the world. Now I live in Beijing, where the culture has provoked a lot of philosophical thinking about the world.
Xiao Xiao: Currently, I am in the U.S. amidst the COVID pandemic as a music major. (He hopes to sell all of his furniture and come back home in China as soon as possible)
Er Yang: My family was afraid I was going to eventually fail school, so I started learning music since elementary school.
What animal best describes the band?
Ci E Le: Gorilla
Xu Dajiao: Chameleon
Yang Yutong: Butterfree (from Pokémon)
Lu Shang: Shiba Inu
Xiao Xiao: Turtle
Er Yang: Armored Fish
What are three things you can't live without? (No doubt that they would all choose a piano, so we exempted that one!)
Ci E Le: Coffee, Grilled cold noodles, and a sound card (if the answer is more than 3, there must be Tianshui noodles and roasted kidneys and such)
Xu Dajiao: My phone, thermal pants, and mosquito repellent
Yang Yutong: Novels, cigarettes, McDonald's
Lu Shang: Water, oxygen, and sugar (the same as any mammal)
Xiao Xiao: Cigarettes, lighter, cough drops
Er Yang: Money, my phone and you (you are something too!)
What is your least favorite thing or struggles with the band?
Ci E Le: Almost every time there will be a problem with our equipment, but usually it is my equipment that is the problem.
Xu Dajiao: Our main problem is that none of us are very smart...
Yang Yutong: Our biggest issue is that our keyboard and other equipment are super heavy. If we become famous in the future, we need to hire someone to help us move our stuff, because it’s way too heavy.
Lu Shang: I don’t think there is anything really troubling. Everyone is different and has different likes and dislikes. If there are likes, then there are dislikes, and everyone lives differently, meaning that the world is a diverse place.
Xiao Xiao: Up until now, the band has had some struggles, but it probably will be better in the second half of the year.
Er Yang: After every show, no one ends up adding me on WeChat and that is very problematic.
If you can choose any other band to perform with you, which one would you choose?
Ci E Le: White Paper (白皮书)
Xu Dajiao: Blossoms
Yang Yutong: Cocteau Twins
Lu Shang: Polyphia
Xiao Xiao: ONE OK ROCK
Er Yang: Moranbong Band
What do you do backstage while waiting for a show to start?
Ci E Le: I enjoy bickering with the band but not actually fighting, and also smoking and playing Hearthstone.
Xu Dajiao: I record “blackmail” of other band members by all means.
Yang Yutong: Insult and joke with other members during dinner and share funny stories from the past over and over again.
Lu Shang: I catch up on sleep and eat, eat, eat. If I get too nervous before a show, it will affect our performance, so I try to stay calm. After all, the performance is not just for us but also for our fans, so naturally, we must show them our best. (In other words, I need to warm-up my waist!)
Xiao Xiao: I find out where the nearest food stand is.
Er Yang: Drink.
What do you like to do other than music?
Ci E Le: Make art and walk my dog
Xu Dajiao: Watch anime and play LOL (League of Legends)
Yang Yutong: Watch movies
Lu Shang: Eat (the same as any mammal)
Xiao Xiao: Play LOL
Er Yang: Drink
What do you like to wear for performances?
Ci E Le: I wear attention-grabbing T-shirts and wide pants, comfortable for jumping and dancing to music.
Xu Dajiao: I would wear a turtleneck sweater, but I haven’t in a while since some fans protested against it. Now I only wear clothes picked by my girlfriend. I hope that our fans keep their clothing suggestions to themselves in the future.
Yang Yutong: Whatever I own
Lu Shang: Loose, warm, and nice-looking clothes
Xiao Xiao: What I wear for our show depends on what I wear during the day.
Er Yang: I don’t care if I am naked, but I've got to wear a hat!
Do the band members like similar or different music styles? How has this affected the band's creative process and your results?
The music style that everyone in the group likes is very different, but this does not affect them making music together. The difference in opinions leads to different ideas or parts in each song, which makes rehearsal longer, but overall the differences are really important to making good music. At the same time, everyone thinks that different styles need to be integrated in the creative process. They say that as long as they like music, there are no differences that can affect the creation of their music. For example, even as a die-hard fan of MC Stone, Er Yang still gets along with everyone.
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