Wuhan-based Shii is one of the best young musicians in China today. Combining arresting vocals, playful and experimental songwriting, as well as performance, fashion and visuals into her work, the Merrie Records affiliated artist has built up a stunning, ever-growing repertoire.
Over the course of 6 months this year, Shii and Melbourne-based musical duo, The Merindas, spoke about their musical process. This exchange resulted in a series of videos capturing both acts’ experiences and stories in music, as well as developing a dialogue around their creative lives.
The project is called 知音 Sonicbridge, and is an initiative by Monash University in Australia, and Asialink Arts out of Melbourne University, with the aim of reimagining cultural diplomacy.
Within the first part of the video series, Shii shares the inspiration behind her music and her songwriting process. She talks about how feminism plays a role in the stories that she creates, while her innate search for something different has led her to add different nuances, such as dance and performance, to her shows.
The Merindas, a First Nations duo made up of Candice Lorrae and Kristel Kickett, who have been performing together since 2012, also give viewers insight into their creative process.
The video series is broken up into three parts for each of the acts, covering “Background and Inspiration,” “Song Writing Process and Industry,” and “Music Scenes and Performance Nights.”
The second part of the series, “Song Writing Process and Industry” came out today (June 4th). The third part will be available on Sonicbridge’s official website on June 8th.
Cover image courtesy of Sonicbridge
