Xu Xu Fang plays The Satellite Lounge Oct. 17
Meet Xu Xu Fang, the California-based quintet that’s about to rock your world. Their latest song, “Noir State Beach” played during the premiere of CW’s The Originals. Xu Xu Fang will be showcasing more tunes at The Satellite in LA on Oct. 17.
They have been inspired by a variety of artists from The Beatles, Oasis, and The Smiths amongst others. The OC Concert Guide had the opportunity to chat with Xu Xu Fang about how they got started, dream collaborations and upcoming shows.
OCCG: How did you come up with your title Xu Xu Fang and what’s the meaning behind it?
Xu Xu Fang: It is the most glam rock name I could think of. It means cool, cool breeze.
OCCG: Whom are you most inspired by musically?
Xu Xu Fang: It varies and depends on the time of day, weather, year, etc. Right now, The Beatles, Bernard Hermann, King Tubby, Kraftwerk, and recently lots of UK stuff like The Smiths, Stone Roses, Oasis, Depeche Mode. But this is difficult because at particular times of my life I’ve been inspired by different things, and that can filter into today’s inspiration. I can’t deny that listening to A Tribe Called Quest, David Lee Roth- era Van Halen or early Metallica years ago doesn’t creep back in today.
OCCG: How did you get started and where do you hope to see yourself down the road?
Xu Xu Fang: I started playing drums and eventually got to a point where I could play anything I wanted to – fast, slow, heavy, mellow, whatever. Over time, drums became less fun or rewarding. I picked up a chord book, sat down at a piano, and strung a few things together for no real reason. My girlfriend walked past the room where I was playing and asked what the song was. That’s when I realized I might be onto something. So I kept going. I hope to see myself happy down the road, but I’m not looking that far.
OCCG: If you could choose anyone to collaborate with, who it would be with and why?
Xu Xu Fang: An almost impossible question to answer. We collaborated with Michael Shuman on our new record and that was really cool. Writing a song with Pharrell would be fun because it seems like he knows every type of music really well, and is forward thinking with his production. I heard him discuss Kraftwerk in such detail I was like this guy knows everything! The songs I write are different from what he does so it would be cool to see what collaboration could produce. But then I’m leaving out, Robert Del Naja, Liam Gallagher, Gui Boratto, Frans Bak, and a million others. I can’t answer this!
OCCG: What do you want your fans to gain out of your music video for “Noir State Beach?”
Xu Xu Fang: Ghoulish entertainment. And, maybe, the idea that within the great city of Los Angeles, individuals are having their own unique, mind-bending experience that nobody else can witness or comprehend. And, if you’re unlucky, or maybe lucky, it could happen to you. Or are you talking about our latest music video, Friend to the Unknown? Reuben Wu from Ladytron directed Friend to the Unknown. In Friend to the Unknown we wanted to do something completely different than Noir State Beach, without a narrative or characters. A more abstract and formless idea. Working with Reuben was a perfect match. The song and visuals are as good together as I could hope for. It’s shot in California, but looks like Mars or another planet.
OCCG: How did you choose your genre and why did you choose to embody that type of music?
Xu Xu Fang: I didn’t choose a genre. Xu Xu Fang has no genre. We once won a LA Weekly Music Award in the Best New Genre category, so I suppose we have our own, new genre. That’s the absolute reason why I decided to write music. So, I could do anything I wanted to regardless of genre and satisfy all of my musical curiosities as freely as possible.
OCCG: What are you most looking forward to your show at The Satellite?
Xu Xu Fang: A party with 500 of our closest friends and the audience. Maybe a few tears.
OCCG: Where do your next step will take you as far as your music career goes?
Xu Xu Fang: We have a lot of new music ready to be released. So, probably push it into the atmosphere and see how it flies.
OCCG: What’s a fun fact you’d like for everyone to know?
Xu Xu Fang: I saw Danzig at my local market the other day, and I have to admit, you never get to see it, but the guy has an amazing, huge smile.