Faerie is a fluttering indie-pop manifestation of Christine Lam's daydreams and fantasies. Her music is set in danceable grooves layered with dreamy synths and lyrics filled with wonder and escapism. This New York-based singer/songwriter taught herself to play guitar, piano, then voice to help express the floating melodies in her mind. Faerie combines pop, jazz, and folk to bring her visions to life. Her inspiration ranges from Harry Styles to Christine and the Queens to AURORA. She has been received by EARMILK, The Wild Honey Pie, and Keep Walking Music. Her debut EP, "2am," is all about a long-distance collaboration with Canadian producer Jonathan Atkins (wavcat), the chaotic journey to self-discovery, and catchy bops.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hello Faerie. What made you want to become a musician?
Hi there! I always knew I wanted to get into music somehow. As a kid, I wrote (very embarrassing) songs in my notebook and sang improv musical numbers in front of my family. I only took it seriously once I started voice lessons and taught myself piano and guitar at 11 or 12 years old. My voice teacher encouraged me to write and play an original song for her. Then she asked me to perform my pieces for the first time at our recital. It was extremely nerve-wracking but encouraging! Then I just kept practicing, writing, and eventually creating a SoundCloud where I posted my songs and collaborated with other musicians worldwide. That's when I started getting my name out there and working on releasing more music.
Who helped you most in your musical journey?
Oh, there are so many people who helped me on my musical journey. My songwriting professor from college, my partner Brian, my best friend Hannah, and a community of songwriters I met online during the pandemic/lockdown played a massive part in pushing me to be the best I can be. They were there when I was finding myself as an artist, and they are still here with me!
Your latest release is 'champagne tears'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
'champagne tears' was inspired by a recurring dream about being stuck on an endless cruise and looking for someone in a crowd of people. I remember feeling sad and confused while on this luxurious trip. So for this song, I knew I wanted to create this leisurely sound with melancholy lyrics.
I teamed up with producer Matty Bedrosian to nail the sound before anything else. 'champagne tears' was the second song we ever worked on together that would eventually end up on my EP, "dizzy spells." I had the concept, inspo playlist, and a rough demo to send him. He immediately got the vibe and sent me a vamp of his guitar and percussion. I immediately went to work on the lyrics with singer-songwriter Christian Young (aka ImTrying), and we started writing a story about ex-lovers addicted to the toxic nature of their relationship. It's funny because we added such an upbeat, relaxed sound on top of that, but that's what we aimed for! The crazy thing is that it took a few months to get the lyrics the way I envisioned.
I felt so discouraged, and I felt so bad that Christian had to hear my frustrations! I was so focused on getting the story right, but he was able to encourage me to keep going. We talked and talked about our favorite music, why we were drawn to it, and how we can emulate our inspirations in our songwriting. I finally sat with myself one night and finally completed the song. I sent it back to Matty, and we tweaked the lyrics more. I then sent it to our trumpeter, Jake Baldwin. I thought this might be the end because I was listening to the track nonstop and felt like it wasn't good enough. But when I got the recordings back from Jake, and my mixing engineer, Bob Li, mixed it, I fell in love with the song again. I was honestly going to leave it out of the EP, but I'm glad I kept it because it's now one of my favorites, and I keep hearing good feedback!
What social issues are you most passionate about?
I'm not sure if this is considered a social issue specifically, but I'm really trying to educate myself on what it means to be a woman (as well as a woman of color) in music and understand inequality in the industry as a whole. It's crazy when you hear stories of how these underrepresented groups are discriminated against and stereotyped so often. Even now, it still happens, and I have experienced it. Now, I'm learning how to support fellow women in music and extend that support to non-binary and BIPOC folks in the industry. I know what that support feels like and want to do the same for others. I'm doing that by joining and following groups like Girls Behind The Rock Show, Women In Music, Amplify Her Voice, and She Is The Music. They have so many fantastic learning and job opportunities that I appreciate so much. My favorite part about these types of organizations is that they're all about community and uplifting each other! I've discovered so many talented and emerging industry professionals and musicians. I love connecting with them, and sometimes even end up working with them too, which is incredible! I believe we are improving slowly over the years regarding inclusion. Still, we should continue educating ourselves on how to do better in this industry as a whole.
How do you stay up-to-date with the latest musical trends?
Podcasts, music blogs, and TikToks help keep me updated on the latest musical trends. Currently, I'm into GRRRL Music's "Bops & Bangers Podcast" and The New Nine. Love, love their content!
Is there a hidden meaning in any of your music?
There aren't any super secret, complex, hidden meanings in my music haha. There might be inside jokes or references only my close friends and producer would know of. But other than that, my songs are up for interpretation! I love hearing what people think my songs are about.
What's an average day like for you?
An average day looks pretty simple! I work a 9-5 day job now to help finance my music, so I would wake up around 6am to get ready and feed my dog. I would leave the house by 7am to walk to the train station and head to work in Manhattan. I'd try to work on my music if I have any free time, even on my break. Whether it's answering emails or brainstorming my next project, I'm always trying to find ways to stay creative during the day. When I get home, I won't stop working. I'll dedicate the evening to music (and cooking dinner, but that's not as fun to talk about). I love scrolling through different online music communities, researching more about songwriting and what my favorite artists are up to, and working on some more freelance music work. If I get inspiration, I'll grab my guitar, sit at my piano, and open Logic Pro to freewrite. Before bed, I like to wind down by watching a movie with my partner and dog. We're currently into watching The History Channel or National Geographic!
Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans.
I love talking to my listeners! I get DMs every now and then from a listener, and we'd follow each other and talk. It's super fun to get to know them, especially if they're a fellow indie musician. Socials are the best way to contact me or email me! I always try my best to answer. If it's someone who's just starting to write music, I enjoy giving advice when I can! It makes me feel closer to my listeners and creates an awesome relationship with them.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Dream big. Keep going, and don't stop. Sometimes there will be moments of doubt, and that's normal. It sucks, but don't let it stop you from reaching your end goal. If there are times when you start to feel burnt out, listen to your body and find ways to relax and refresh your mind. I can't tell you how often I heard, "Are you sure you want to be a musician/work in the music industry? You should find something else to do." I didn't let that stop me. Find your community, and find ways to keep learning, whether it's through YouTube tutorials or internships. Allow yourself only to be surrounded by love and support because you deserve it. It won't be easy, but trust me when I say it'll be worth it.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future definitely include writing more music. I want to improve my production skills and write, record, and produce my own work someday! I also want to collaborate more once I get the time. It's been a challenge trying to balance my day job with music, so I want to start finding time to achieve my goals.