Four Over Four got the chance to chat with Pham about his hometown and what it was like touring with Louis the Child.
Update: Pham has just dropped a new song “Below the Surface”! Listen below.
Born and raised in Poland but being of Vietnamese descent, do these two cultures influence your production style, and what is your creative process when approaching a new project?
It’s a complicated answer because I’m pretty sure my dad being strict with many things made me somehow devoted to anything I did back in the days; people bullying me in school made me empathetic; people that I met further in life made me embrace myself; one of the girls I used to be with taught me to feel more and to draw inspiration from being vulnerable. Project-wise, it depends what I have in my mind: a pattern, a concept, theme. Other times I just go with the flow.
Speaking of your hometown, where are the 3 go-to places you would take a fan visiting Nysa for the first time?
- Nyskie Lake.
- Go see my school, it looks a lot like Hogwarts. It’s made of red bricks and enormous, with a church situated in the middle.
- Nysa Cathedral – it’s the main attraction in our town. It’s also enormous and looks cool.
You recently finished a US tour with Louis the Child, what were some important things you learned while on tour?
- If something doesn’t work, it’s probably your fault or you can fix it.
- There is always time for food.
- Drink Emergen-C or you gonna get sick immediately.
- Never cut sleep – if you miss any important hours you won’t get it back and you’ll feel really bad (I failed this one hard).
- Always have fun while DJing
- Don’t drink too much or you’ll fuck everything up. Just kidding.
- Keep your important things in one place at all times.
- Charge your phone.
- Draw inspiration from everything.
- Be devoted to everything you do out there.
… and what was the best moment?
The moment I realized I’m playing with these guys in front of a massive crowd in Chicago. The atmosphere was insane when we all went on stage for a while. It was like a cherry on top of a great tour.
Tell us a bit about your newest single “Talk to me” and the meaning behind the music video?
I’ve worked with Anuka a lot and something really clicked for us. I made the first approach on the instrumental when I was visiting the United States and had a moment where I just wanted to calm down and take it easy. It was really different than my previous work, and I re-did the song during my second trip to America, where I showed Anuka what I’d made. We collaborated on what felt right and moved forward working on it together.
The video? I was figuring it out with the video directors, and we thought about diverting the meaning of the lyrics and make it seem like the main character is talking to herself. It’s a bit about trying to connect with your inner self *hint* acid *hint*.
Top 3 artists you would like to collaborate at the moment, and any new remixes on the horizon? (We love the remix of Dear Neighbor!)
That is a hard question… As for producers, I would love to work with Lorn, Arca and Flume for sure. They are my idols and I’m awestruck by their work, ethics, and sound. If you meant singer, I’d work with FKA Twigs, Anderson Paak and maybe Grimes. It’s hard to pick a top 3 because every single artist is so different. And thank you!
Lastly what can we expect from Pham in 2017?
More music. Maybe something crazy that is not music too.
I’m glad you had some questions about the music, and I’d like to thank every single person that gave my music a shot. I want to insert some words here because I got a chance to do so: remember, in these times of instability and fear, people forget about what made all of us come together and survive through so many disasters. Be kind for your loved ones and spread the positivity, cause all deserve peace.
