Burgeoning Beijing Indie Pop Duo Nocturnes Speak Acceptance Ahead of Mar 31 Album Release Gig

Many bands bristle at the notion of self-promotion, especially when it comes to social media – but not the Nocturnes. One glance at the colorful, oh-so-slickly edited video for the Beijing indie pop duo’s song “Echoes”, from their debut LP Lines Written in Code, reveals an outfit that’s not only talented but also unabashedly savvy.

“I used to be of the mind that the business side of things was quite sell out-y, but now I find it quite interesting,” guitarist Dave Carey – who co-founded the duo with singer Wei Du aka Leslie – tells the Beijinger during an interview ahead of the band’s Mar 31 album launch at Yue Space. He co-directed the video for “Echoes”, going on to explain that his role in publicizing Nocturnes doesn't end there: “Our label is very China-based so when it comes to promoting on Instagram and Facebook it’s up to me.”

Not that they have any complaints in that regard. Said label is Cao Tai Music, which is quickly becoming a fixture in China’s music scene. Nocturnes are the first indie act that they’ve signed, the result of a quite fortunate set of circumstances set off by Will Griffith of Live Beijing Music fame (and also a frequent Beijinger contributor), who passed along Nocturnes music to Shen Lijia, the head of electronic label Ran Music. Shen's friends at Cao Tai Music then approached Carey and Leslie with a tempting offer.

Thanks to Shen Lijia’s deft mixing, Lines Written in Code sounds slick and modern. His background in electronica, and subtle but hands-off approach, prove to be a snug fit for Carey’s lavishly soothing, effects-rife guitar and grooving production. Impressive as that sonic backdrop is, it is Leslie who frequently steals the show. Her deeply warm voice evokes embers in a hearth and will appeal to fans of both Sade and Japanese Breakfast, the latter of whom Nocturnes opened for at Yue Space back in December.

Another memorable gig that stands out in Leslie’s mind was a large festival in Hebei's nondescript town of Zhangbei, largely because of two particular faces in the crowd – her parents, both of whom had never seen her sing before. In fact, Leslie avoided serenading her family for years, despite playing in a cover band in university and harboring dreams of stepping up to the mike for adoring fans. She says her reluctance stemmed from how well her mother and other relatives could sing, recalling: “I was quite shy growing up, and never thought I was any good. Some of my relatives are Mongolian, and music was always a big thing for us. At every family gathering, they’d start singing and dancing. I hated it!”

Despite that, Leslie says her parents were very supportive after seeing her perform for the first time, something that defies the old cliché about Chinese (or otherwise) rockers rebelling against strict parents. Her father, an English teacher, was especially impressed with her knack for penning and singing English lyrics. Instead, in a surprising twist, Carey was the one who had to buck against such traditionalism.

He explains: “There’s actually a lot of familial pressure in Irish society. My family really wanted me to be a doctor because that’s the respectable thing. But I hate needles; I faint at the site of blood! My grandmother and I argued about this for a long time: ‘You can be in a cover band and do music as a hobby--’”

“And just play weddings!” Leslie interjects with a playful scoff, as the duo is often wont to do in conversation.

Carey says that free-spirited sentiment is reflected on the moody, smoldering Lines Written in Code number “We Will Change the Running Flow”, which he says is “about going against the tide of what’s expected of you.”

Yes, be it self-promotion, overcoming their fears, or bucking societal pressure, the pair have found far more fulfillment in not going with the flow, but instead changing it. “That’s one of the reasons why Leslie and I get along, we share a viewpoint about following this path that a lot of people don’t think is stable,” Carey says. “It’s within this instability that we find the best of one another, and the songs we make aren’t despite the challenges that a career in music provides, but rather as a result.”

Nocturnes will perform at Yue Space on Mar 31 at 8.30pm. It will be a showcase for their debut album, Lines Written in Code. Tickets are RMB 80 at the door, RMB 60 advance. For more information, click here.

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Photos courtesy of Nocturnes