Yeek Gets Vulnerable
Check out the video for Valencia below.
You usually like to rely on yourself to cover all ends of production, but for this album, you reached out to supporting hands. Why were you so hesitant to collaborate with other people in the past? And how have you seen this change benefit you in a way?
I think that for me it was a matter of just getting things done. Not only like efficiently or quickly, but I guess it was also just by doing it myself, I was able to get it closest to the vision I've had in my mind, you know? And yeah, I think it does take a while and it's a tedious task to be teaching yourself different things. When it comes to production and mixing and doing that all yourself, you really have to take time with each craft to develop it. And I think that was just time that I, fortunately, had on my hands, like where I was living in Florida. And, you know, I really just utilize the time that I did have in Florida, there's not much happening there, you know? It gave me a lot of years of being able to develop in my knowledge with mixing and producing with many instruments. That kind of just worked and in hand with just doing it myself. I would try to reach out to people and there's a lot of times where people can be unreliable, and there's a lot of empty promises, and this and that. And I kinda just wanted to be like "all right, you know, I'm just going to do it myself, even if it takes me like having to learn all this stuff from scratch."
But, you also placed this really big emphasis on community. How has that altered your initial outlook from being self-sufficient? Also, I perceived your self-sufficiency correlating with your location. You went from arranging everything as a solo artist during your time in New Jersey, where there was a bunch of people who looked like you, to moving to Florida where you were like the only Asian kid around. So do you think those two correlate?
Yes, A hundred percent. I think being from Jersey, it's not an obvious community of Filipinos, but there was, and that's something I had. And moving to South Florida, it was very much so like the opposite, like you said, I was like the only Asian really. I think my thoughts on community have to do a lot with representation and like feeling the lack that I had of it growing up too. Especially, growing up where I did, like spending my developing stages in South Florida, I feel like even just in entertainment in general, there like such a lack of like representation for someone like me. And I feel like someone like me is very a specific demographic, but there is a lot of us. I just feel like in entertainment, we don't have that representation. And like whether I have to play that role or like play a part in the role of opening the doors for that, I think I don't mind that. And it's kind of something that just feel I need to do. And yeah, I think by community you're able to bring that representation to light because I also can't do that alone. You know, I also need to gather the troops, like I need to gather people that share similar experiences to me. And I think my circle and the people that I involve with my creativity and music, et cetera. I think there are a lot of them are people who can really relate to like my upbringing.
Were you bullied growing up for being my only Asian kid?
Yeah. A hundred percent. It was like super— yeah. Words can't even really explain how that was. I got into a lot of fights. I got bullied a lot. It was just daily, almost. And it was just like for looking how I look and just looking different. There's just too many layers.
But with this "Everybody eats" mentality, have you ever seen a downfall come from that?
Yeah. There's sacrifices to be made with that mentality, you know? Because you also have to take accountability for who you're bringing along on the journey. So you also have to make sure those people you're trying to feed and trying to take on this journey with you, you have to make sure that they're doing their part. And as someone who kind of leads that — you have to just take accountability. And I think the downfall being is when you're moving in a group, you're not all the same person. But there might be moments where you're going to be treated as such. Like one person's mistake is just going to reflect on the entire group. And there is trying to find the middle ground between looking out for yourself and then looking out for the people that you love. I think that's kind of one thing that's important to navigate around is taking care of yourself and also taking care of your loved ones.
You talked about how R&B is a big part of Filipino culture. Can you speak more about that?
Yeah, so growing up, It started more with this era — I would say like 2008-2009, and 10, where on YouTube a lot of Filipinos would like to do these guitar covers. And like, even on the ukulele. It was always like Musiq Soul Child. And it was always like 'Cater to you' by Destiny's Child. One of my first songs I learned how to play on guitar was like 'Must be nice' by Lyfe Jennings, so all that was just an era. And I think it was just a big part of Filipinos, just all getting their acoustic guitars and doing these covers.
You live in California now. Did you make this last album in California?
Yeah, I do. So yeah, I made this in Burbank— mainly a lot of in Burbank. And I think I may have made some songs visiting Florida.
This album is super honest and very vulnerable, compared to your older music made in Florida, do you think there is something less honest about the suburbs? Or do you think that California had an impact on the honesty and experiences you had?
Yeah, for sure. Like everything leading up to now, like from New Jersey to Florida to California, they've all equally had an impact. They've all played great roles in the music, and like what the music sounds, and what the music is. I think I'm able to be honest because — like surface level, I might be referencing Florida or Cali, but I'm really just really subconsciously referencing everything that's happened in my life, you know?
So you talk about unrequited love on the album. Could you talk more on that?
Yeah, so at the time that I was writing the album, I think it's obvious to guess that I was in a relationship. But yeah, I think a lot of the music was inspired by the relationship I was in. And really when I make music, it's a diary. It's a conversation with myself and it's me talking out loud. And I'm just kind of talking about what I'm going through because there's struggles within a relationship. There's like the blissful parts about it. There is so many angles to view a relationship. And I think that those are just kind of the things I was trying to emphasize in the album, it was just the different angles that I was viewing this romantic relationship. But then like, I think relationships in general is a theme throughout the album, whether it be about family, friends, romantic, it's all there.
Do you ever get scared about people knowing too much or people finding out the answers they had questions about through your music?
I think by the time I realized that I was being as vulnerable as I was being, it was like too late. I was like putting out music and I'm just like 'all right, I'm putting out music. Like this is great, people like it.' And I guess I wouldn't fully register that I'm literally putting all my secrets into this music. For example, if I go to a show and I play a show, someone comes up to me like "Oh, did your mom remind you to drink kombucha?" I'm like I just completely forgot I put that in a small line in a song. And that line is literally like one, two seconds. But it's like, a line could tell a whole thing about your life.
So I'm just like, it's too late. So, you know, I might as well just go all in, everything vulnerable, like fuck it. And that's the purpose that music serves for me anyway. Like that microphone is my psychiatrist. I feel like it's possible for me to maintain a certain level of privacy. And then like when you listen to my music, you're stepping into my personal space. And so because of that, I think I've always just kinda been a private person, but my music really speaks for itself.
What were some things that inspired you while you were putting this album together? That doesn't have to be music, it could be like a show you watched, etc.
I guess movies always play a big role in my music. Cinema always plays a role. Visual arts somehow plays a good role in my music and surroundings, like location, where I am, where I've been. I was like 20 in Europe when I first started the record. And so like the gloominess of Europe just inspired one of the songs.
With albums, people create their own worlds. In Yeek's world, what does it look like? What are the rules? Who's there? What's going on?
A lot of it is very not in touch with reality. Maybe I think, I dream a lot and stuff. And a lot of those dreams, I feel like I'm in another realm with space and time. So like, I think in my world, it's traveling, but traveling to different realms in the universe. I know that sounds corny or whatever.
