LongTravel is a shoegaze band that released their first EP in May of 2019. The band describes their process as simple and straightforward with very little post-production involved, but even so, the EP turned out romantic and brave.
The band consists of four young men from Sichuan and Shandong. Starting from a young age, they expressed their cheerfulness and youthful spirit in a direct manner. Thus, growing older, they took this spirit and put it towards their music.
On Valentine's Day, LongTravel released their first single, "Pink Car", from their new album. The band originally planned for a small tour in May when the new album was supposed to be released, however the pandemic has disrupted these plans.
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 Shouting Nerd to talk about some fan-favorite questions. Click here to check out the full video of their interview!
Candy Dream:
When you said you said just kiss me now
夏夜 那浪漫的夜晚
The romantic evening of summer night
女孩 在我耳边呢喃
The girl whispered in my ear
一夜之欢竟会如此温暖
One night's joy will be so warm
如果我们继续感到愉悦
If we continue to feel happy
我应该在你心里有一个 位置
I should have a place in your heart
Meet The Band
Nai Wen《乃文》 Lead Vocal
Li Baoyang《李宝洋》 Guitar
A Xin《阿鑫》 Bass
Hang Zi《航子》 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?
Nai Wen: “Circle of Love” because the synth and guitar melodies are evenly balanced and also the lyrics are interesting!
A Xin: I would choose “Circle of Love”. I chose it not to introduce us, but rather, it's just that the lyrics are interesting, and the song is good.
Li Baoyang: “Honest Gentleman” 《正人君子》
Hang Zi: I would choose the song "The Cat that Stole my Rice" 《偷我米的猫》 Although I don't like playing this song on stage anymore because there aren’t any lyrics, haha, I still like this song the most. I want to share this song with everyone!
Your video mentions the topic of movies. What is your favorite movie to watch or to recommend?
Nai Wen: Flower and Snake, because it is just so beautiful!
Li Baoyang: When Pen Ghost Meets Plate Ghost, a horror movie
A Xin: I recommend two movies, In Time or The Purge, which both of which reflect the ugliness and cruelty of human nature and, of course, because they are great movies. Both movies also make one think about ethics and taking action, which is what I like to see in a movie. As for why I recommend them, it might be because I want to find resonance with others.
Hang Zi: There are too many good recommendations and good movies. What I want to share is a movie I watched recently, a German movie The Lives of Others, which is a movie that should be watched at night.
What is your least favorite thing or struggles with the band?
Nai Wen: What I don't like the most is carrying the keyboard and synth! It’s too tiring and too heavy!
Li Baoyang: There’s nothing I don’t like. I like to be with everyone to rehearse and chat.
A Xin: There are no problems among us, we are good at dealing with each other.
Hang Zi: I’m fine because I treat the band kind of like a job. As long as I find the balance between work and life outside of work, I will be ok.
Do the band members like similar or different music styles? How has this affected the band's creative process and your results?
Nai Wen: It's quite similar, but everyone has their own styles as well. The band’s music can represent 80% of what I like, and as for the other 20%, it may be only my own personal taste.
Li Baoyang: Most of us are similar. I prefer songs that are livelier and more fun. Personally, I would score LongTravel’s style a 2 out of 10.
A Xin: The songs we listen to, the bands we like, and the music styles are all similar. In terms of music style, specifically, we are still constantly exploring our individual style, so the band does not necessarily represent me.
Hang Zi: We are pretty similar. It's just a matter of how much time one to music. I am confident with my music; therefore, I give my songs 10 points.
How does your family feel about you being in a band?
Nai Wen: They are supportive and let me explore my musicality, after all, I went to university to learn music.
Li Baoyang: Of course, they support. If I didn’t have their support, I wouldn’t be here to answer these questions hahaha!
A Xin: I would say about 70% support. The rest still hopes that I can go home to find a job.
Hang Zi: They support me, because my family has always loved music and been in music education.
How has your living environment or university affected your music?
Nai Wen: Music creation comes from life. Chengdu is really inclusive city where the pace of life is also very slow. Without knowing it, our music has included some of the chill of Chengdu, the comfortableness, the freedom, and even the “spiciness”! To emulate this inclusivity, we try to incorporate some of our favorite music styles and feelings into our music as well.
Li Baoyang: I studied music in college in Beijing, but I never really did a lot of composing. Instead, I dedicated myself to practicing the piano. Once I came to Chengdu, I still didn’t do a lot of composing. I am basically just Nai Wen's musician haha. I just do what he tells me to do.
A Xin: Because Chengdu is a very laid-back and accommodating city, the music we create is also relatively simple and chill.
Hang Zi: Chengdu, a city of inclusivity, has a great musical atmosphere. In some regards, the city can provide a lot of help for rising bands, and the influence of the city can be good or bad. In relation to Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou, the quality of life is referred to "tai ba shi le" (meaning “so fantastic” in Sichuan dialect), hahaha, making people become lazy!
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