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LA-based pop/R&B singer/songwriter and actress Erika Tham has well and truly made an amazing impression on the music industry since releasing her debut single, 'Admit It.' She has now released her new single 'Shhh,' which is a loose spin-off of Shania Twain's mega-hit 'That Don't Impress Me Much,' with Asian string instrumentation against a modern R&B production.
Prior to launching her music career, she had a phenomenal acting career during her teenage years, starring in Nickelodeon's 'Make It Pop,' along with the Disney Channel original movie 'Kim Possible' and FOX's 'Star.' She went on to realise that her true passion and love lay with music. Music is her creative outlet and she continues to go from strength to strength, even though she is only in the early stages of her music career. An undeniably exciting year lies ahead for her and we can't wait to see what 2022 brings!
Here at The Lowdown, we had the opportunity to speak with the unbelievably talented Erika Tham about the release of her solo music, how she first got involved with music and much more. Keep reading to check out what she had to say!
Words & Interview: Rachel Dempster.
You have recently released your debut single, 'Admit It' and more recently, 'Shhh.' What is it like for you to have your own music released?
"It is so fulfilling! I've been acting professionally since I was fourteen, but until now, I've never had any sort of creative control over anything I've been a part of, so getting to put out something that is 100% authentic to me feels incredible!"
How long did your debut single take to come together, right from the initial writing stages?
"I think writing the initial demo to actually releasing the song took around seven months. Writing the song was probably the fastest part of the process, but getting the mix right is what took the longest. I think I ended up going through nine or ten mixes before I was happy with it. There was definitely extra pressure knowing it was going to be the first song I would ever release as an artist!"
Who do you derive musical inspiration from?
"This is always a tough question for me, because for as long as I can remember, I've listened to literally everything, from rap to country to the Disney renaissance era of music. For this EP though, I wanted to sample and incorporate traditional Asian instrumentation into my tracks and frame those sounds in a modern pop/R&B format!"
Do you feel that having an acting background has helped to fuel your creativity when it comes to writing music?
"Not so much in my writing, but definitely when it comes to performing or any on-camera work!"
Is there anything in particular that you would most like to achieve during your music career?
"I want to headline my own stadium tour one day!"
Has music always been something you have wanted to pursue?
"Yes! I credit the Disney princesses for that! I've been singing for as long as I can remember, but it wasn't until I started song-writing that I really started to pursue it as a career option."
What can be expect from you for 2022? Will there be an EP/album/more singles released?
"Yes! I have another single coming out this month that is part of a three-song EP, which will be out in early 2022!"
Finally, do you have a message for all those who support you?
"Just the biggest and most sincere thank you. Music is my whole heart and to get to do it full-time because it makes other people happy, makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world!"
'Shhh' is out now.
Listen HERE @erikatham
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