Following on from a string of highly-praised offerings these last few months, Taiwanese-Japanese artist Yufu is now cementing his dynamic legacy to date with the release of his long-awaited debut album 'Heal Me Good'.
Featuring the previously shared gems 'When?' and 'Honey If You're Extra', this new ten-track collection makes for an incredibly rich and shimmering listen. With his swaggering vocals layered across a rich and soul-infused production throughout, 'Heal Me Good' marks a bold and electrifying moment in his progressive career to date.
So with the new album available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most lately.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
I have to say it's guitars (especially the 60s/70s Japanese Bizarre guitars !) Even though I was trained to play the piano as a kid, guitars always gave me more inspiration. Most of my songs are written on an acoustic guitar, sometimes an electric guitar with a wah-wah pedal (which I consider my second favourite instrument).
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I grew up on 70s soul music and 60s doo-wop but didnt know the actual "soul music" term until I was in my teenage years. My household was extremely strict and Mandarin songs were not allowed because it was considered to hinder our English learning. We had lots of vintage soul music compilation CDs at home and I would play them every night before going to bed. I got to learn about many amazing soul singers like Ben E.King, The Spinners, The Platters, Barry White, Marvin Gaye....etc.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Haha I remember during one Christmas (in the 90s), my parents gave me a cassette of The Titanic movie soundtrack. That was probably the first album "I owned". And the first album Ive ever bought as a kid was probably one of Elvis Presley's "best of" album.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Wow I love this question. There is always that one moment when a musician gets so into a song and wishes he/she could’ve been the one who wrote it. I would say it's probably "Can I Change My Mind" by Tyrone Davis. I love singing this song and when I first heard this song, it gave feelings of "Oh my, what a great song with the best arrangements and composition" and "Oh damn its too good I'm gonna have to quit music"
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
In Taiwan, we ride on motorbikes daily. Riding on a motorbike has been a great way to get into the "auto-pilot composing mode" and I've written a lot of songs in my mind while cruising the streets. Choosing the right guitar also helps as well, some guitar sounds give special feedback that inspire me to write better songs.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Al Green, Willie Hutch, Gwen Mccrae, George Jackson, The Natural Four, The Lovelites....etc. 1960s/70s soul music is so massive and I absolutely plan on devoting my life to study them all!
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
I would love to open for Al Green. I have such admiration for him and would really love to meet him one day. I also really adore musicians like Kelly Finnigan, Jalen Ngonda, it would be so great if I get to open for them.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Finding the right tones, production methods during the writing process and figuring out the emotions and directions for one song is also very rewarding to me. I tend to be introverted so I am at my happiest when I am in my room writing and singing like it's nobody's business.
And what is the most frustrating part?
I think it's quite frustrating when it comes to "the number game" musicians are all chasing these days. Spotify numbers, instagram numbers...etc seem to be very complicated and to be honest, quite depressing to me from time to time. I think every musician would be able to relate. This part of the game makes you feel very lonesome sometimes. The second most frustrating part for me (a Taiwanese musician) would be not finding any soul musicians, and not being able to shine in any scenes here in Taiwan.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
The best piece of advice I got would be from my wife's uncle who is an amateur musician. When I first met him, I was about to quit music for good. While not knowing anything about my quitting music, he simply enlightened me with "Don't stop making music.This is your life, and this is who you are" I know it sounds very cliche', but at the time it was powerful and inspirational. I'm very grateful to him.
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Yufu's debut album 'Heal Me Good' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.