August 2022

Thanks for taking the time to speak with us to- day, Claire. Now let’s right down to it. We love the track “Over the Moon” that you submitted. That had us look up other tracks like your new one “Heart on Fire.” Tell us how the band found each other and what inspired the song “Over the Moon” and then bring us to “Heart on Fire.” Thanks for having me Ryze Up! So glad you love the music I moved to the United States in 2013 from Singapore when I received a scholarship to study music. During this time, I studied mu- sic production and engineering, while also im- mersing myself in the rich history of American music, from blues and jazz to rock and modern pop music today. I developed a keen interest in writing, arranging, and demystifying how re- cords were made and fell in love with the entire process. It was during this time where I began to develop my craft on the guitar and find my voice, which would go on to shape my writing, both compositionally and lyrically, resulting in my solo indie-rock project, Paper Citizen. The live band consists of my friends and musical family through the years. “Over The Moon” is a song inspired by knowing of a love that has been there with you since the beginning of a journey - the type that showed you strength and held you grounded in moments you didn’t know you needed in order to grow. The music is a mix of melancholy and hopeful- ness, expressing the tension and fear of leaping into the great unknown. It feels like losing grip of a memory that was once held on so tightly and floating into a world of new possibilities. “Heart On Fire” began as a musical idea while I was experimenting on my computer. I’ve been trying this new process of writing entirely in a DAW, which feels quite different than writing on an instrument. I didn’t know where to begin at first, but then took a step to pause and pro- cess my inner thoughts and emotions. I began to imagine what I wanted to create, instead of the usual letting-my-hands-guide me-on-the-guitar method. my imagination took me back to where I started musically, and the moments of clarity that reminded me of why I love music so much. Harmonically inspired by nineties grunge rock and melodically influenced by some really tal- ented musicians I’ve sang with through the years in various bars and bands, my gorgeous team meticulously produced this baby over the pan- demic. The song’s about challenging the rules with love, written in homage to all their impact. Wow, that’s amazing! So, the quality of your vid- eos are impressive as well. The few we have seen so far are very artistic and keep your attention. Who is the creative mind behind them, and which one has been your favorite to film so far? Thank you! I feel incredibly grateful to be in a community surrounded by a diverse and tal- ented group of artists - musicians, visual artists, actors, photographers, and directors. We inspire one another with the art that we create, and bounce ideas off each other. I would definitely say these videos are collaborative. The music video for Heart on Fire drops (7-23- 22) and I’m really excited to share it with you! We had so many laughs and a blast filming this one. It stars the whole team that makes Paper Citizen possible. Styled as an eighties workout video, it incorporates some hilariously quintes- sential moves of my lifetime, certain to set your heart rate on fire! Really proud that we had an incredible all-female visual production team, directed by Alissa Wyle from Holy Smoke Pho- tography, and edited by Mikayla Khramov. That’s impressive, and we look forward to seeing it this Saturday. Now outside of guitar what oth- er instruments if any do you play? PAPER CITIZEN Interview by CapnBlakk 16