An exclusive interview with Tiana Xiao.
StarlightPR1: How would you describe your creative work process?
Tiana Xiao: I usually write the topline first, and then come up with the lyrics. I once heard that “the melody is the ‘looks’ part of the song, while the lyrics are the ‘soul,’” which I completely agree with. A lot of times, people will only pay attention to the lyrics if they find the song catchy. However, I am not downplaying the lyrics aspect of songs at all. I actually think writing lyrics is one of my strengths and it comes really naturally to me, and I really enjoy it. Eventually I want to be known for my lyrics and for people to really connect with my music through my lyrics.
For recording, these days I just record in my bedroom. I try to record into my closet so my clothes absorb the echo in the room. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best I could do for now! Then I comp the vocals myself, and send it to my producer friend in Taiwan to mix the song for me. Usually, I work with other producers on the arrangements of each song, and it’s all done over the internet.
StarlightPR1: What was the defining moment when you knew you were meant to create music?
Tiana Xiao: I was in my school choir growing up. People always told me that I had a nice voice but I didn’t really know what that meant, and I thought they were just being nice. When I was 10 or 11, I auditioned for a solo part for one of our concerts, and I got the part. That was the first time I heard my own voice through a microphone, and even I was a bit shocked at how I sounded (in a good way). I think that was the moment where I was like, “it’s my destiny!” Haha.
StarlightPR1: What’s the story behind your single “Destiny”?
Tiana Xiao: Recently, I got the green light from my old record label in Japan to cover and re-release my old songs. “Destiny” is the first of the three that I have in the pipeline. The original song, “Destiny,” was also the title track for my debut album.
The original was an upbeat dance song, and I was fortunate enough to have been able to work on this song with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis who are two of the most talented and amazing and down-to-earth producers of all time. We wanted the song to be an amalgamation of different sounds and cultural influences, so we made the song half in Japanese and half in English. A really talented lyricist, Miwa Sasaki, wrote the Japanese part of the lyrics to the song, and I wrote the English lyrics.
The Japanese part of the lyrics is about a girl crushing on a guy, and the English part is vaguer and talks about “my destiny” in a more abstract way. The concept is to have a double entendre, where we mesh the two ideas together, and the word “destiny” is supposed to represent both the girl’s relationship with the guy and my destiny with music as a singer/singer-songwriter. There’s an entire section at the end where it talks about “it’s my destiny” and “I’m livin’ my dream,” and that’s supposed to be the part alluding to my destiny with music and singing.
In this 2020 version, I slowed it down into more of a J-Pop/R&B Ballad and wanted it to have a chiller vibe to it. The message and concept is still the same, and I wanted to remind myself that music is still part of my life, my destiny, and that it’ll always be a part of my life no matter what.
StarlightPR1: What major obstacle did you have to overcome to realize your desire to be a musician?
Tiana Xiao: I think I had a few hurdles. The first was getting signed when I was 16. I think back in the day Indie artists didn’t have as many options and ways to release music and promote themselves as we do now. So I would say getting signed was definitely a major obstacle for me. A lot of people just thought that I got lucky and got signed, but they don’t know how much work I’ve put behind it, or the challenges that I faced before getting signed. People in the industry do say sometimes that getting signed is the easiest part, but for me it was already such a huge mountain that seemed insurmountable at first.
Also, another challenge was moving to Japan by myself for promotion. I didn’t speak Japanese initially. Going on radio shows was really tough back then, as well as recording video comments for promotions and such, and I remember having to overcome the language barrier as well. In fact, I wrote an essay about it in college, haha.
StarlightPR1: How important do you think is a music video in promoting an artist and his music?
Tiana Xiao: I think it’s very important especially these days when everybody is on social media. It gives the audience something to visualize or to look at while listening to your song. I think it doesn’t necessarily have to be really high budget, though. It could be a simple video of just a few scenes of the artist singing, or it could be a lyric video. As an Indie artist, I always have to be cognizant of my budget because besides the music video, another huge part of the budget needs to be allocated to promotion.
StarlightPR1: What are your thoughts on the evolution of music today?
Tiana Xiao: I think the barriers to entry have lowered, which is really positive for Indie artists. I think technology and the internet has allowed us all to communicate more effectively and efficiently, and work with each other remotely. Of course there is nothing like going into an actual studio and jammin’ there and brainstorming with other people who are on your project, but I think it’s a good thing that we can adapt and still continue to make music when we’re not in the same city. It also creates space for interesting and different types of art.
On the other hand, lower barriers to entry also mean artists have more competition, but that could be a good thing too, because more people could connect with each other through all different kinds of music.
StarlightPR1: How do you want people to remember you and your music?
Tiana Xiao: I think if I had to choose three words to describe my artistry and my music, I would say -- positive, melodic and lyrics. I like bringing happiness to people and influencing them in a positive way. (That is not to say that I will only write positive and happy songs though! That is way too cheesy, even for me! Haha.) I like melodically strong songs with catchy hooks, so I hope my music sparks people in that way. And last but not the least, I want my lyrics to make people feel a connection, to feel that they could relate.
StarlightPR1: As a musician, do you think you chose your passion or did it choose you?
Tiana Xiao: I think it was sort of mutual. I was fortunate enough to get signed with my old label, learn Japanese, and to have worked with all these amazingly talented producers from LA, which is actually my hometown. But at the same time, if I didn’t pursue it proactively (sorta against my dad’s wishes), I don’t think I ever would have gotten that chance. So I’d like to say, it was my destiny. LOL.
StarlightPR1: What advice do you wish to impart to aspiring musicians?
Tiana Xiao: I think one thing is to keep at it and persevere. Don’t give up. Someone out there will appreciate your music and your art, and you just have to believe in yourself. I think I struggle with it a lot too. I get discouraged. For me, making the music is really fun. It’s the other stuff that gets really hard. And I think you have to really love it and have a group of friends who really support you, and who are there for you emotionally. That can really help you through tough times.
StarlightPR1: Where can potential fans find out more about you?
Tiana Xiao: Yessss! Here are my socials:
Instagram: @tiana.xiao https://www.instagram.com/tiana.xiao
Youtube: Search “Tiana Xiao” or https://www.youtube.com/tianaxiao
Twitter: @tianaxiao https://www.twitter.com/tianaxiao
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tianaxfans
