How Wonderful, Life: Come to Nugget Tonight for an EP Listening Party

My, my, dear reader. We all have a question in mind, don’t we?  Did you hit those canned peaches?

Well, whether you’re sick at home, already recovered or somehow made of stainless steel, do I have a plan for you this fine Friday! Remember how I gave you the scoop on singer and songwriter Hazel Shang and her new EP, How Wonderful, Life?

Well, the time has come for the full release of her brand new, fourth EP —at none other than nugget records tonight! If you can't make it don't worry, because there’s also a livestream!

Either way, I got to talk with Hazel again on the making-of and creative process for this thing of beauty. As a creative myself, I could really relate to her original purpose. On to the interview!

Hi Hazel! Tell us about How Wonderful, Life. What was your original concept for this EP?
A few years ago I really wanted to figure out a way to make myself feel better while going through a heartbreak. So, I started pouring all my feelings into music. All the songs you are going to hear on this EP were written in different stages of my healing journey.

What does the process of writing a song look like for Hazel Shang?
Usually I write when I desperately want to express my feelings. I start with a chord progression that I think fits the vibe, and start humming random melodies till I find the right ones. That’s when I start thinking of the lyrics.

If it goes well, it takes me some 10-20 minutes to finish the melody of a song. But, sometimes I’ll just leave it for a few days and come back to it then.

That’s lovely that you’re well-tuned (ha) to the pace of your creation. How has your style evolved through the years?
Honestly, at the beginning I was a little lost because I didn’t know what my favorite genre was, so I just went for pop. But later on I found folk and folk pop spoke to me more, so I started listening to that genre more and learning more from it.

On that note, I feel as though folk goes really well with nugget’s DIY, retro aesthetics. Creating this EP with them was an interesting display of true creativity. Did you contribute your own input to it? Got any fun or memorable anecdotes?
Yes, it is indeed! I was most involved with the music side of it, of course. In the mixing stage, both nugget and I wanted the record to sound warm and cosy, so it took us many versions till we finally found the right ones. As for the crafting of the EP tapes, that was a lot of fun. I remember that evening at the bar when we were assembling the tapes. We removed all five screws from the tape and take the insides carefully out, placing them in this cardboard thing so that they wouldn’t get ruined. Then we dipped the tape shell in a marbling solution to make each of them unique — they resemble a wave pattern! After a whole day of drying, it was time to reassemble.

Turning to experiences, how do you think your music ties with our lives as big city dwellers?
I believe my music has helped me find peace living in this big city, because sometimes we can easily get distracted here and forget what our goals are.

Ain’t that true! Oh, I’m also curious — what’s the story behind the title of your EP?
Actually it’s from Elton John’s Your Song! "How wonderful life is while you’re in the world." I’ve always loved the message of this song, so we just shortened it for my EP. I hope that whoever listens to this EP will feel that life is still worth living, even though beautiful things don’t last forever.

One last question, though I feel like I’m asking a parent about their favorite child… do you have a favourite song in your EP?
Haha, it changes from time to time. Right now it’s "My Heart Skips a Beat"!

The EP Listening Party for How Wonderful, Life will be happening tonight (Friday, Dec 16) at 9pm at nugget. Entry is free, and if you can't make it, you can scan the QR code in the poster to watch the livestream.

READ: SantaCon is Coming to Town, Dec 17!

Images courtesy of Hazel Shang and nugget records Beijing