The rock-backed ambient pop artist sat down with us for a quick chat about their musical influences and style
Sansyou is an elegant blend of ambience, rock, pop and electronic dance which will have you holding your heart in your hands.
The artist thrives in the expanses of the unknown, where genre and sound are worlds apart. This and more is explored and reimagined in their euphoric new EP, Spaces In Between—an experience you won’t soon forget.
We were fortunate enough to chat about all this and more, from exploring the DC live music scene to the world of music production.
Without further ado here’s our interview with Sansyou.
HAPPY: What are you up to today?
SANSYOU: I swim every day the weather allows so that was the first priority followed closely by taking my beagle out for a good long walk in the park. We saw some interesting fish in the stream that I’m going to look up to identify.
HAPPY: Tell us a little about where you’re from. What do you love about it?
SANSYOU: I live in Washington DC and the parks here as I just mentioned are easily accessible so I try to take advantage of them as much as possible.
And all the free museums offer plenty of culture and history which I enjoy too.
Beyond that, the live music scene in DC is always offering plenty to choose from no matter what genre.
It would be hard to move to a place where live music isn’t as free-flowing as it is here.
HAPPY: What artists or genres have influenced your music, and how do they manifest in your sound?
SANSYOU: Coming from a rock background set my ideas about songwriting in a very guitar-forward way.
I felt like that could lead to limitations and box me in so a few years ago I dove into ambient music – more just sounds than songs and then house and electronic dance music- often with zero guitar in the mix.
From there I tried to bring that into a songwriting approach that applied those lessons of keeping spaces open and tried to find the hooks that you’d expect in pop songs.
HAPPY: What inspired the title “Spaces In Between,” and what themes do you explore throughout the EP?
SANSYOU: It’s a composition concept – recognizing and appreciating the value of the emptiness as much as a fresh chord strike or new lyric.
Can the open space be used just as much as a tool as anything else? I think yes. And is it applicable in life, in conversation?
Again, I think yes. That theme kept emerging as I was writing the music for this record so it felt right to keep it centered in the whole set of songs.
HAPPY: How did you choose to collaborate with Kelli Miyahira and other artists on this project? What do you think they brought to the EP?
SANSYOU: I’m fortunate that these talented collaborators had time and agreed to participate! Kelli has her own record out as, Natto Princess.
When I had these songs fairly well developed, they really seemed ideal for vocals and I knew Kelli’s voice would be perfect for them.
She did a great job and we had fun volleying lyrics too. Kelli Scott has drummed on the previous Sansyou release, True North Coast so I knew I wanted to work with him again.
Jarrett Nicolay is a fantastic partner to produce and mix with and a wonderful bassist. His instincts are right on point and we were able to elevate the songs for a bigger more dynamic impact.
Every Rung is a good example of how he heard what wasn’t there but with a few more layers, it became a richer more satisfying piece.
HAPPY: Recording in various locations like Honolulu and Los Angeles must have added unique elements to your sound. How did these different environments influence the music?
SANSYOU: During the pandemic, everyone had to pivot and find a way to keep working even in remote locations – this isn’t new but it has definitely gotten easier.
And now it’s almost the default choice. Distance makes zero difference in logistical obstacles. We tried to use all the different locations to their strengths; on Due South Pacific you hear rain at the start and then chirping birds at the end.
That’s all from Kelli recording the environment in her Hawaii home. It fit with the lyrics and vibe we wanted to convey so I was really happy when she was able to capture it.
HAPPY: The artwork and music video play a significant role in your project. How important are visuals to your overall artistic vision, and how do they complement your music?
SANSYOU: It’s essential. To me, they’ve become one with the music – there is no distinction. I’m so fortunate that Michael Blank and Miki Hamano continue to contribute their artistry and creativity for the past several Sansyou records.
As I was recording the guitar parts, they were shooting the artwork and sending me ideas which informed the music in real-time.
That collaboration has been very gratifying.
The whole vision works together and reinforces the feeling of “seeing the sound”.
The video for the title track is exactly what I’m trying to communicate in the music and visuals.
HAPPY: How has your music evolved since your earlier work? Are there new directions or styles you’re exploring?
SANSYOU: I can see writing with vocals in mind going forward.
I think I’ve become less of a busy player and more conscious of letting the music come up for air.
Part of that is just enjoying what others are contributing to the song and I want to hear it like a listener would too.
HAPPY: Do you have any upcoming projects or collaborations in the works that you’re excited about?
SANSYOU: Live performances are the focus now that the record is out.
We have some shows in DC coming up this year and the other bands on the bills are friends so it’s going to be a lot of fun to offset the nervous part of playing live!
HAPPY: What makes you happy?
SANSYOU: Full circle back to the first question! Swimming, beagling and finding a new chord progression that evolves into new Sansyou music makes me happy.
