A Q & A with NY Based Performer/DJ/Artist, Eunice Wobble Wong

Eunice or “Eunice Wobble Wong” is a NYC based recording artist, performer, songwriter, producer and DJ. Her music is sultry and haunting and she aims to provoke deep human emotions. As part of the small but growing circle of American female singer-songwriter-producers, Eunice’s sound offers a fresh and unique feminine take on electronic music production that is uninhibited by traditional musical genres.

She started writing songs at the age of 12 on an acoustic guitar, and as a self-described “emo” teenager, was the lead singer of Latin alt-rock band, Just a Pupil. She began beat-making and performing as a solo artist in college, while continuing to collaborate with musicians and bands. To date she has worked with Straight from the Lab Productions, Doug E. Fresh Entertainment and Deetown Entertainment.

Fortunately for me, I actually know this very talented young woman so I had to jump at the chance to ask her a few questions about her career thus far and where her drive comes from.

I knew you in middle school as a very quiet and shy young girl. So when was the moment that you realized that you wanted to pursue music as a career and be in the public eye so much?

I have always wanted to sing ever since I was six or seven. I think it came from being an only child and music became an important source of entertainment for me, and also my father’s side of the family are all musically inclined. Because I was a chubby kid growing up I didn’t make my aspiration that evident to everyone. But pursuing a career in music was all I wanted to do.

My intention is to make good music for people to listen to so I never put too much emphasis on chasing fame, per se. I have done some eclectic shows in weird outfits, under the pre-tense of “because I can” and “why the hell not”. Also there must be something in the water in Brooklyn.

Where does your name “Eunice Wobble Wong” come from?

“Eunice Wobble Wong” became my stage name when I really got into UK dubstep and bass music around 2010. I was creating Tame This Heart EP at the time, which was very much influenced by dubstep, deep bass and the wobble sound. The word “Wobble” also describes myself very well, like my wobbly personality and dance moves. I feel strongly for both sides.

While in college, you interned for Doug E. Fresh. Tell me what that was like and was there anything profound that he taught you?

It was a great experience interning for Doug E. Fresh. I was moved by how much he was connected to his community and supporters in Harlem. He and his family live in Harlem, ran a restaurant business nearby, and constantly made local appearances and performed for the community. It taught me to remember to put in effort to connect and give back as an artist to your community, as well as to fellow artists.

Your first song-writing collaboration landed a national commercial with 7up. Tell me about that experience? How did that all come together?

The producers at Deetown Entertainment in New York took a liking to my music and gave me a chance to write and sing to the beat. It was an intense experience as the song was expected to be written, recorded, mixed and sent off within five hours. The company that the song was originally intended for passed on the song but the representatives from 7up heard it and picked it up right away. The commercial ran for six months. It was very cool to have friends and family call in and say they’ve seen the commercial on TV and even on the airplane!

Who are some of your musical influences? Who are some of the new artists who inspire you today?

I was most influenced by music from the late 90’s, music that was playing on MTV at the time, from pop to alternative rock. I really wanted to be Shirley Manson from Garbage as a teen. I listened to a lot of Smashing Pumpkins, N.E.R.D., Gorillaz, I even got into emo music. I was also influenced to learn guitar and write like female singer-songwriters at the time like Lene Marlin and Michelle Branch. Lana del Rey’s first album was so perfect. It definitely blew me away. Currently I’m listening to Banks. It’s very original stuff. Anything that sounds British I’ll usually dig.

What has been your favorite song to cover so far?

I recently covered John Newman’s “Love me again” in collaboration with Dr. No’s electro remix. I fell in love with that song when I first heard it. John Newman’s like a male Amy Winehouse. The song hit a nerve. Dr. No’s remix sparked an idea for me to cover it.

Do you consider yourself a DJ or a singer? Or both? Or do you call yourself something else?

I’m an artist. I sing, write and produce. I like to DJ when the occasion arises but my main focus is to sing and produce music.

Tell me about your Tame This Heart EP? What do you hope listeners get from it? When do you hope to release the full album?

Tame This Heart EP isn’t for everyone. It is creepy, down-tempo and bassy, definitely not for the happy-go-lucky crowd. I had to release it to get it out of my system. It’s my first 100% project, where I sang, wrote, record, mixed and mastered it all. It’s the sound of my yearning heart. All of the songs talk about an unfulfilled moment. A good friend once suggested that to break a dark mental cycle, you need to thank your dark spirits for being with you, for doing its job in your life’s journey, and then kindly ask it to leave. Tame This Heart would be that spirit that I’d like to release.

Bluntly, I hope listeners will feel what I felt while making the song. That’s the sound of my vulnerability, my unclaimed love, my acceptance of the ugly truth. I released it knowing that a lot of people may pass on it because of its experimental style but it’s as personal as it can get. And people who like it will really get where I was coming from

Right now I’m working on a demo of upbeat 70’s style house pop songs. I wanna bring something uplifting to the table. I want to bring on the colors and the groove. I’m also making a demo in Mandarin for the Chinese market. I got to play by their rules a little but hopefully they will play by mine as well.

How are you using social media networks and sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram to interact with your fans? What do you think about it all?

I’m on all of them. It has become a necessity to update the people around me. I try to not let it take over all of my time but it gets really distracting. I’m sure a lot of artists feel the same way- that they’d rather focus more on making art than to update constantly.

Can you describe the music scene in Asia? How is it different then the states? What’s the music scene like specifically in New York, Brooklyn?

I’m still getting to know the music scene in Asia but so far I’ve met some very friendly people from the industry that are eager to help a new artist. It wasn’t as difficult to navigate for the right competitions to enter, compared to NYC. From my experience in NYC, anything goes. Events with indie artists go on every night. Its very saturated with diversity. People are obviously more open to weirder music and outrageous outfits. I think artists in NYC may feel more obligated to bring on good music, bring on a good crowd, do something outrageous, talk a good game, and know the right people, all at the same time. There are lots of one-man-band situations.

Tell me about your work with Tobias Batz and his “Ode To Molly” solo art exhibit?

Tobias is both a talented painter and photographer. We had done several series of body paint photography. Our common ground on the projects was to embody something subhuman and uninhibited by fashion. The EP cover of Tame this Heart was also his work.

The projects we’ve done were inspired by tribal symbols that Tobias created. His style is very vibrant, and he works with an evanescent nature found in graffiti and street art. As a model I felt like the tribal character that I was made into, and just danced to drum and bass with tribal movements while he shot. I really connected to the latest piece “Banshee” from the exhibit. I felt like a cyber caveman drawing. Here’s the link to his work: http://www.tobiasbatz.com/portfolio/

How did you get involved with the soundtrack for the comedy, ‘Farmed And Dangerous”?

‘Farmed and Dangerous’ is an online comedy series that Chipotle has created as a satire about the cattle industry. The show’s creator, Tim Piper asked Deetown Entertainment to make the soundtrack. From there he heard some of my songs and liked it and put me to work! The song “The Storm” was composed by Tim and features Rae on the track, as well as a guitar solo by John McCurry, who has played for a long list of stars including Cyndi Lauper, David Bowie, Alice Cooper, and even Katy Perry. You can watch the show on Hulu and the soundtrack is available on iTunes.

What is your approach to songwriting? How do you capture the inspiration when it comes? How do you capture your idea for a new song when the inspiration hits you?

Sometimes I simply press record and sing whatever’s in my head. I’m somewhat of a paranoid person so this process allows me to make myself reach a level of inhibition and just let time create the song. Another way is to play jigsaw puzzle with my beats, lyrics and melody and collage together an idea, then polish it down. But for a time constraint production I usually come up with an idea and a hook and build from there. Fortunately we now have a record app on smart phones now. I sing into my phone when an idea hits me, sometimes quieter if I’m in public.

If you had the opportunity to work with any artist/band from the past, present or future, who would it be and why?

I’d really like to work with Santigold. I think her music stood out from the rest of her peers and brought a new sound to pop music at the time. I’m sure Diplo and I could come up with something crazy as well. Gorillaz can do no wrong. James Blake and I may have common styles. I could definitely learn a thing or two from Ellie Goulding and Skrillex.

What is your favorite song to perform live and why?

“You Don’t Love Me” is my favorite song to perform. It has a fun drum and bass beat and the hook is straightforward enough. It gets the crowd going and I really like the idea of expressing frustration through a fun, upbeat song. I’ve had live hula hoop burlesque dancers perform this song with me as well. I also like performing “Astrolabe” simply because its so weird. You have to see the music video to really get the experience.

What are the biggest changes you would like to see happen in the music and radio industries?

I’d like to see more value being put back into music. Sometimes I wonder, as a musician, my product is music. But what am I selling if my music is free? Our generation is hopelessly spoiled by free downloads but maybe we can teach the youth to appreciate their fellow musicians.

When you aren’t performing and writing new material, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I’m taking aerial classes and pole dancing because I want to fly and spin around in the air and look like I know what I’m doing!

Do you have any advice for upcoming young musicians?

Watch the clock!

What is the one truth that has always remained constant so far throughout your music career?

No matter what I do, how I stray, I always come back to music. Its my leash.