Culture

Jay Som's 80s-Inspired Indie Rock Is a Quiet Revolution


One thing I’ve always loved about your music is the wonderfully understated queer current that runs throughout. How does your identity factor into your craft, if it does?

My queerness is pretty understated in my music and lyrics because I came out at such an early age, around 12 years old. I came out to my parents and my friends and family and was super comfortable throughout the years. I mean, I got bullied and stuff and it was really hard, but I think once my songwriting started to get a little better it became natural to write about women and how much I love them without having to talk about the pain that I’ve been through.

What does it feel like to be part of the wave of queer Asian women shaping the indie rock landscape right now?

It’s pretty insane. I never thought that it would happen in my lifetime, let alone that I’d be part of it. It’s humbling and exciting and I’m just so grateful that I got to step into that tour in 2016 with Japanese Breakfast and Mitski. That was crazy because I was huge fans of them beforehand and really looked up to them. Especially since during that time, in 2015 and 2016, I began to see women become more prevalent in indie rock. It was just so game-changing to see someone who looks like you in videos and on stages. And it was also cool to be on that tour because everyone was queer, like literally everyone in the crew for both bands — that was really amazing.

I hold so many of those memories close to my heart. A lot of people that I tour with are queer women and nonbinary and trans. It’s time for marginalized people to be in this industry and spearhead it. We offer so many valuable perspectives, and it’s different than your run of the mill white indie rock “I hate my girlfriend” songs. I like that music sometimes, but there are so many different voices out there.

What is your songwriting process like?

I usually have an idea that I hear in my head and I record it on my iPhone through Voice Memos. I keep it, kind of sit on it. Usually if I’m feeling freaky I’ll just start recording an idea, I try to hear each instrument in my head, and then I start to layer things and record things. I do too much in a song, so I start to pull back and delete tracks. Lyrics are always last because unfortunately that’s the hardest thing for me. If I could I would not write lyrics. I think I’ve just become more nervous about them, and I’m writing fewer lyrics now.

Is there a reason why you’re nervous, or is that just a natural progression for your music?

Probably both. I’m just super self conscious about them. It can be really intimate and sometimes I think, “I don’t really want people to know this.” Sometimes it can be boring and a lot of the time they don’t make sense. Maybe I’ll just make instrumental music in the future.

Like chill lo-fi anime hip hop beats to study to.

Ooh yeah, on YouTube.

You’ve talked about doing karaoke since you were a child, which is pretty much a mandatory Filipino-American custom. What are your contemporary go-to karaoke songs?



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