Angela Lin 0:22
Today we’re bringing back Asians doing cool shit with another Asian doing really cool shit. We have AZRA with us today. Hey, AZRA.
Full Transcript (Note: Transcribed via AI, may contain errors)
AZRA 0:32
Hey, everybody. Hey guys. Thanks for having me. Love the title.
Angela Lin 0:36
Thank you. Thank you. So want to let our listeners know a little bit about you. And also, you can roll it all into your intro. But you know, our signature question for our guests as always, but where are you really from?
AZRA 0:52
Mm hmm. Yeah, definitely. So I’m AZRA, and I’m a Korean American artist, singer, songwriter, substance pop artist, singer, songwriter, model, author and motivational speaker. And based in Los Angeles, California, when it comes to my music, I created this genre called substance pop, because I love just like pop music. And that’s what I grew up with, and listen to, and also learn English with. But I am very big on having substance and seeking depth in anything in life. And that kind of stems from my experience with my eye condition where I was almost permanently half blind, and things like that. So it just like various experiences really made me realize, you know, and become obsessed with seeking things like beyond our eyes can see. So that’s what I do. I just perform and try to touch as many people as I can, and try to help them go after their dreams and have that confidence to own who they are.
Angela Lin 1:58
That’s awesome.
AZRA 1:59
Yeah.
Angela Lin 2:02
Do you mind us asking what AZRA your stage name means.
AZRA 2:07
So well, growing up, like I’ve always had this thought that I wanted to name my future daughter AZRA. And like, literally, the name just popped up in my head. But then like, as I was, like, going down this journey of like, realizing that I need to go after my passion, which is in music, and, you know, trying to like kind of, I like to say, I was like stripping the layers off of my onion, trying to get to the core to realize who I am as an artist. And then I was like, holy shit. You know, maybe AZRA is not the daughter that I wanted to name in the future. It’s actually the little girl inside of me, who’s been wanting to express herself and who’s kind of been ignored, since I was four, in terms of, you know, going after my dreams and singing and inspiring people. So that’s kind of how I realized that I need to bring AZRA to life and, you know, fully support her and pursue the dream.
Jesse Lin 3:03
So how did you get started in the music business,
AZRA 3:07
I don’t want to say I stumbled into it. But it wasn’t like, Oh, I’m gonna go into the music business. I’ve always been a singer and a performer since I was like four years old. And so I’ve always done that, you know, even growing up in South Korea, I was literally it was either school, or like singing or being in a play or a musical or singing in a choir. But I really decided to go after it in 2017, with a release of my EP called freedom in March.
Angela Lin 3:38
What was it that like, inspired you in that moment to to pursue it finally, as like your main thing?
AZRA 3:46
It was like a thing that was just building inside of me that just wanted to break free. But it took me a very long time to realize that, like, I can go after singing, and I can do this professionally. And, you know, I have this clear vision about what I want to do in music and the impact I want to make in the world. And I can do that. I’ve always had that vision since I was a kid, but maybe because of like the external, you know, maybe like circumstances or like society pressures and all the different types of experiences that I’ve had, I thought that it was too late. Like even when I was like nine years old, I thought it was too late for me to go after my dream. And, and and it took me a long time to kind of work through that on my own. And I think that’s why I’m so passionate and so gung ho now about helping others realize that like it’s never too late and that like if you have that vision, you just need a little bit of a spark that is already there that just needs to be ignited.
Angela Lin 4:47
Well, let’s talk about that, I think a lot of our parents, you know, put certain pressures on us to follow the more tried and true career paths, doctor, lawyer, engineer things that make big bucks and like they they understand, right? Because I think a lot of these careers especially that are untraditional in their eyes, but like creative fields, or just something that they haven’t heard of, they just can’t really like grasp, right? Like, what does that even mean to like, do that as a profession? So when you were thinking about pursuing singing and music industry in general as like, your main profession, how did your parents take that?
AZRA 5:27
My parents, they were very, I’d say like, they’re more progressive than a lot of like, you know, stereotypical, like, you know, what society says, like an Asian parent is. But even though they were progressive, like, they were progressive in a way where my mom didn’t tell me to, like, go be a lawyer, go be a doctor, it was more like you can be whatever you want to be, but then it was like, underlying things, you know, like, all you need to go to school, you know, you need a good job a stable one – things like that. So they never put down art, it was more like, they just, I don’t even know how to explain it. It’s just like, and then my mom’s like, really different than me. She’s amazing, obviously. But she’s very different in personality, where, like, I love to perform, and I love to connect with people, and just be onstage and share art. Whereas she’s extremely talented. She’s a singer, like I learned singing from her just growing up and watching her. But she’s not about like, standing on stage and showing up like that. So, you know, growing up, I do remember that every time I wanted to be in a musical, or I want to go after cheerleading, or be part of a dance crew all that like every single artistic endeavor. I didn’t get that, like, Yes, go do it. It was more like, oh, okay, you know, it’s kind of like that. So I think it was very subliminal in a way. And, you know, I’ve talked to my mom about it. And, you know, she told me, and we had like, a heart to heart and she realizes that she could have been more supportive vocally. But she did tell me that, like, you know, we’re a little bit different, where, like, she’s so used to that traditional Asian way, you know, over overseas in Asia, not American overseas, where, like, you know, you don’t really want to show up like that, and dance and all that stuff. So that’s when I realized, like, oh, yeah, very, she is very traditional. But she tried her best, you know, trying to understand me, um, but it wasn’t like, fully go for it but that was kind of my experience. And then when I had a heart to heart with my mom recently about it, you know, she told me, she’s like, I, I support you. But it’s just that, you know, she has her own, you know, things and her personality. So.
Angela Lin 7:53
I feel like I can definitely relate to that, because Jesse and I have talked about before that, like, we feel like as our parents get older, they have become softer, and like, are more willing to talk about things that maybe didn’t go the way we would have liked as kids or we didn’t get the support that we wanted growing up. And like where that came from, they’re more willing to talk about it. And I can totally see that my parents do the same thing. Like they’re not there, that they’re not going to be like, actively on the sidelines cheerleading, you know, screaming out loud like, “yeah, go you!” But if you tell them something, and you’re like, I’m very proud of this, and, like, can you support me? They’re like, of course I support you. You know, it’s there. Yeah it’s just like understated.
AZRA 8:38
And I think I’m an immigrant, and my parents are immigrants. And, you know, I understand because they grew up in a different country, you know, in a different era. I’m learning about different culture, like their culture that’s, like, completely different than America. And that’s, you know, that’s a whole nother subject about like, Asian Americans, right, like, people from Asia, coming to America, still living and still living in America with that mindset of how Asian people live, you know, the whole Confucius way, you know, everybody, keep your head down, be quiet, be humble, and I, and those are great values. And I still study like Confucius, Lao Tzu, you know, all the eastern wisdom and things and try to, like, combine it with our Western beliefs. But at the same time, I think, as Asian Americans, like, we, it’s important for us to realize and help our older generations realize like, hey, like, we shouldn’t be quiet. You know, it doesn’t really work in America, in Korea does, you know, in Korea, like you can’t look at older people in the eyes, because that’s considered disrespectful. You know, so you don’t you kind of bow um, but in America, it’s like, if you don’t look at people in the eyes, when you talk to them, they’ll be like, like, are you listening? So things like that. Right? mean like, yeah,
Jesse Lin 10:01
Yeah, I mean, I definitely agree. And I think that when I was a teenager, I took a lot of things for granted, right? Because you’re like this, this is the world that I live in. And this is the world how it is. But I also in some talks with my mom recently related to this podcast, actually asking her about like, her life experience, like, I had to like, stop for a moment and think like, she went from like a life where there were like, no such things as motorized vehicles to driving like, they now have a Tesla to driving a car, as well as exactly as well as moving to a new country. So completely different value systems as you said, behaviors. So it is a huge adjustment. So like, now that I’m older, and I’m thinking about that, I’m like, I don’t know if I would be so successful being in that same situation where I’m, like, thrown in a completely different environment, and things related to my life are changing so rapidly. So I think that is something that we have also gleaned as an insight from doing doing this podcast.
AZRA 11:08
Yeah, that’s amazing.
Angela Lin 11:09
Okay, we’re getting into right like our identities as being children of these immigrant parents, and also building a sense of self ourselves in this country. So I think a big question we like to ask people that are pursuing more untraditional paths is like, what is it like to be one of the few Asians right, like in your industry? How, how has that or has it not really impacted the way that you know you’ve successfully pursued this path?
AZRA 11:43
I think definitely being one of the very few Asian Americans pursuing like music, and the entertainment industry, it’s definitely, it’s definitely different. And, you know, it’s, it’s not like, there’s like a whole, you know, history of role models and people that we can look back, I mean, music itself, it doesn’t have a blueprint at all, in general music industry, it’s like the jungle, right? It’s like the wild wild west, on top of that, there isn’t a lot of Asian American representation, yes there is, you know, now, like, Kpop is growing, you know, and they’re kind of, you know, exposing that Asian face, you know, Asian faces in media at the same time, like, there’s no Asian American, there’s not many Asian American, right? Artists. And so because of that, yes, I must say that there are definitely a there there are definitely times when I feel like, you know, like, like, we all see it, but why don’t we have more of that. So it’s definitely been a journey. But I know that there are really, really talented Asian American artists out there, and people in the industry that are going after their dreams, like me, and like Amy and so many other amazing artists. So, you know, I keep just going at it and making good connections and meeting good people and trying to stick with the people that are willing to rise together in our industry, and just keep going.
Unknown Speaker 13:13
And actually for listeners, because we chatted a little bit before we started recording, but AZRA is good friends with Amy, who we had on a previous Asians doing cool shit, who’s in the acting biz. One thing that Amy talks about when we chatted with her was that she was able to find like a really cool community of like, young Asian Americans that are also trying to, like, tell their stories in in the movie and film TV industries. Right? So were you also able to find or are you finding those people in that community as well? Or is it like a little more sparse in the music industry?
AZRA 13:53
Yeah, I think in the music industry, it’s it’s more sparse. It’s, um, because like, a there isn’t a lot of Asian Americans, I think that it’s important for us to find each other and, and stick together and help each other and share knowledge. But you know, that path, it’s like, when you do come across another Asian American artist, like, I get so excited, and I try to connect and do whatever we can be like, hey, how can I help? Like, what what are you on? Like, what are you releasing next month? Or when are you when’s your next release, things like that. But I think it’s still on a, like, it’s still in that growth stage where we all kind of have to open up and be open to accepting and feeling okay, that you can help each other like, even if you know if that person is just starting out. But with that being said, I definitely have a good group support group, but I think we can always expand and just keep going.
Jesse Lin 14:51
So maybe changing track a little bit because one of the huge themes of 2020 and hangover 2020 I’m not going to call it 2021, it’s just hangover 2020 has been the situation regarding COVID. And I know that being cramped at home and not having the freedom to go out and explore things can really be inhibiting of creativity. So I wanted to understand, like, how has that impacted you from a creative standpoint?
AZRA 15:19
I had to pivot. I think like in the beginning, it definitely did. Because right before quarantine, this was like back in March, right of last year, whatever that was. Literally, I had released my single call Dangerous. And in like, like at the end of February, and then that led to a single release show. So I had a I had an awesome release show in Hollywood at a place called Madame Siam. And we literally packed the entire house. And it was so fun, like, people showed up, we had so much fun and like I don’t know, like 2020 looks really, really awesome. And literally literally ended like right after that release show. A couple days later, I flew to Orlando to perform for a huge, like college festival convention in Orlando. And that was really cool, too. But I remember like, going into the airport, and I actually took a face mask because I had been hearing about these like this weird thing this Rona. And I was like, okay, so I was one of the few people wearing the mask in the airport. And I remember my managers like you’re you okay, like, okay, protect yourself, like you’re kind of freaking people out. But he was cool with it. And then we got to Orlando, the show was amazing. And then came back literally like three days later, it was stay at home order quarantine. So in the beginning, when that happened, I was like, oh, this is just temporary. I was kind of like in denial a little bit. So I’m like, oh, yeah, it’s fine. So then I started doing more yoga, like meditating and just, you know, doing my own thing in my house. And then when it just got more serious, and we had to stay home for a long period of time, I did go through a period of time where I was just kind of like, what is this and it did kind of affect me in a weird way where, like, you know, I had been go, go go for the last like three years, with my music career and being forced to like, kind of pause for a while. And when, like, all of us, like the industry was just just trying to figure out what’s going on. I was forced to kind of reflect more and look within and all these little thoughts that I didn’t attend to all these little emotions, all of that was just trying to come to me, and it was almost kind of like the devil like lock knocked on the door. And I answered and like I had no choice and I had to face my fear, and then all my emotions and all that stuff. So yeah, I did go through that. But I think that was a good thing that I think that’s the silver lining, because not just me, but I think all of us like we were forced to kind of dive within and kind of like, focus our attention into ourselves and figure out like, you know, just just face those things. Um, so yeah, so I think from that experience, I did get more inspired. And I did pivot eventually, to doing more streaming shows, connecting with my fans more creating, completing lots of songs, collaborating, so yeah, definitely went through a downtime. But I always like to look at those times. It’s like, a time of opportunity where I can grow.
Angela Lin 18:32
You sound like you were very productive.
AZRA 18:39
I had to it was like non stop for me in a different way. But you know, I did I did take a Zen retreat trip to Sedona?
Angela Lin 18:47
Oh were you with Amy, I saw something on her Instagram?
AZRA 18:51
No, but I actually I’m the one that told her. Yes, yes, I’m the one and I remember telling her about all these things. And then literally, like a couple of weeks later, she’s like, I’m going to share the cure all the contact people and things that she’s like, I got you. Then she puts together like an itinerary on her own because Amy’s amazing. She’s also very, like, spiritual centered as fuck. Um, so she Yeah, she went, but it’s a great place to check it out if you haven’t been
Angela Lin 19:24
Yeah, I want to go that’s on my list.
Jesse Lin 19:25
The red rocks. It looks really Oh, yeah.
AZRA 19:28
I’m telling you like there’s this energy. Like I I’m, I was actually just there again. They have this thing called the vortex.
Angela Lin 19:39
Tell us more.
Jesse Lin 19:41
I think I’ve heard of that.
AZRA 19:42
es, yes, you should definitely research about it. But it’s basically there’s different places all over the world where they have like this energy point. I think there’s one like Ohai California is like another place where you can go get centered. It’s just where like, the energy of the universe and like Just the energy, it just, it’s just so calm. And it’s a place where you basically your your emotions and your energy gets amplified. So it’s like, if you go there and you’re like, you know, feeling very sad or emotional, you go there and you just like feel the energy, and it might just amplify that, to bring that out of you. So then you can work through it. And vice versa. Girl I can, I can talk about Sedona all day.
Angela Lin 20:25
Yeah, wait, we were gonna leave this for our closing section because we okay, so our podcast we usually close on when we call the fortune cookie section, right? We leave something kind of like fun as a sweet treat. And I was literally going to talk to you about this, but I feel like we need to talk about it now, which is I got the vibe that you were like very spiritual, and were more of a believer based on your social presence. And then literally everything you just said right now. So I want to like dig into that a little bit more because you’re so your online community or your fans, right? You call them your AZRA deities, right? And talk about the sixth dimension. So can you talk a little bit more about like, how that community came about? And like, what is the sixth dimension mean for you? And how does the spirituality piece play into all that?
AZRA 21:16
Yeah, so the sixth dimension, and you guys actually are already being introduced to the sixth dimension, by the way, so welcome. So the sixth dimension basically is a place, I’ll give you the definition first. It’s basically like a shift in perspective and a place where you have no inhibitions. And it’s a place where you can be completely free to be who you want to be who you are, and just just be you and be super unapologetic about it. It’s a place where you can talk about your opinions, you know, just your dreams and like all of that stuff. And you know, you’re supporting like, you’re kind of one with the energy are connected. So that’s, that’s the sixth dimension. And how I came up with the sixth dimension was, you know, growing up. I mentioned earlier that I was kind of like always doing like artsy stuff. And there were like external circumstances like teachers, older people that really like didn’t agree with my weirdness and my artsiness. So growing up, like, there were Sunday school teachers telling me like, you know, you don’t want to shine, you know, that, why are you standing out too much, there was an art teacher that basically like, didn’t want me to try out different types of art and like, ripped up my papers, like all these, all these little things that were like the people that you looked up to, and like you thought were the authorities, and that you thought you needed to get permission from as a kid. They kind of like, shut me down in a way. So things like that kind of affected, I think, my belief and like, no, gotta stand up for yourself. And I even during those moments, I never let them really get to me, like, deeply. And I think that’s why I am so positive about it. But at the same time growing up like someone else, we’re saying things like, oh, you’re so like, you are from a different place. And you stick out. And there’s a term in Korean called like “yug chawon”. And “yug” mean six in Korean. And then “chawon” means dimension. So I was always told, like, Oh, this where’s Clara? Like, and my Korean name Hyun-Ju? Like send you out? Like, you’re, you’re from the sixth dimension? They would think that so casually, but then, like, it was kind of it wasn’t like a compliment. But at the time, I thought it was a comp. So that I kind of like always talked about it. And then so yeah, and then I think growing up, I always I slowly started to create this, this universe, in my mind, called the sixth dimension. And it’s really helped me and I think, when I was going through some hardships, I know Jesse, you know, you’re in New York right now, we’re talking about New York earlier, like, you know, New York is a place where I was first starting to pursue my dreams and like singing and things like that back in the day, like I woke up one day, and I got diagnosed with juvenile glaucoma. So I was half blind for a couple months. And then I had to get surgery for that. And because of that, I had to, like, stop all my passions, temporarily, because my surgeon told me about, like, if I didn’t stop, like doing all the physical activity to heal, then I will be permanently blind. And that time of my life was very difficult, because I couldn’t do what I wanted to do. But at the same time, I realized how important it is for me to like, stay true to myself and value the relationships and the people that are there to support because I realized, like, when you’re hitting rock bottom, or like a hard place, you know, that’s when you really, really need the support of like others, right? And I learned that during that time. There were people that I thought were there for me. And there were people that I didn’t expect for them to be there for me, but they were. So I realized all these things and those ideas, and those lessons really helped me kind of see the world in a different way, in a way where like, Hey, you know, like, relationships matter a lot, substance matter a lot. And having understanding the mission and knowing your why about what you’re doing means a lot. So all of that kind of like got added to the sixth dimension. And then yeah, and then I started talking about it more and more, and I released the song called Dimension, to share the world and invite the sixth dimension, you know, with my fans, and yeah, that’s kind of how I came about. And now my AZRA deities, they’re all about the sixth dimension. So whenever I do my show, when I’m performing or talking to them, or just, in general, connecting with people, like they’re tapping into the sixth dimension.
Angela Lin 26:02
That’s awesome. So much positivity.
AZRA 26:04
You gotta you gotta
Jesse Lin 26:09
Part of this podcast is really a celebration of us, like Asian Americans, because I think we’re awesome, because we’re the perfect blend of different distinct worlds. And one of the things that we’ve been talking a lot about is how that background really gives us such a strong backbone, backbone, and resiliency in situations like this, where we can float a little bit better than other people. So, you know, it was so great to hear you really say that about yourself, because you kind of revealed like, you took this thing from your childhood that was not really meant as a compliment. And you were able to package it into something that would help you grow and help you cope with difficult situations. So I think this is like, the exact resiliency that I love to hear and see from our guests.
AZRA 27:01
Yeah, definitely. I think it’s important and, and you hit it. I don’t know what that thing is, like, hit it on the nail head that what it’s called..
Angela Lin 27:09
Hit the nail on the head.
Unknown Speaker 27:14
But seriously, I think that like when you said, you know, our culture, like Asian Americans, like we have that perfect blend of resiliency, and, you know, understanding the, the Zen way because in in Asia, like, you know, I went to school there grew up there. And you know, there’s actually a course dedicated from first grade all the way to like, middle school or high school, I’m not sure. But there’s definitely a dedicated course called, etiquette, and manners, and like respect, you know, things like that. And it’s very big. Right? And and I’m not saying that other cultures don’t, obviously, they do. But, you know, we’re talking about Asian Americans here. So we definitely have that as one of the pillars of like, supporting each other and having that respect, and kind of like leading our lives with conviction at the same time, like, collaboration and all of that. So I think it’s important.
Jesse Lin 28:07
I couldn’t agree more
Angela Lin 28:10
Question related to the spirituality piece, because I feel like you’ve you’ve defined it for yourself and like it is very centered on this positivity. But you also talked about like being connected with source energy. I’m just going to ask you out right. Have you done psychedelics?
AZRA 28:30
Oh, my gosh, like shrooms?
Angela Lin 28:32
Yeah. Or like ayahuasca, or..?
AZRA 28:36
No, I really haven’t.
Angela Lin 28:38
I feel like you should.
AZRA 28:42
Have you?
Angela Lin 28:43
Yeah, so we have a whole a whole episode about it. Drugs. Yeah. Because I I connected more with my spirituality after having those psychedelic experiences. So like, not for a party party. I did it for like therapeutic and like turning inward, but I didn’t really understand what it meant to be like all connected to one being and one energy until those experiences so, I would recommend it.
AZRA 29:15
I’ll definitely check out the podcast and yeah, I know like a lot of my friends have done it and like you know, not to party like you said, but like really to like connect, um, and and one thing that I want to try to do and like I always say, like, we’re all forever students, right? Of our minds and our body and this world or whatever. And for me, like, I I’ve met people, like in Sedona and other places who literally can tap in to that place of like that, that that what is that called, like oneness, like what you just said, literally like this after like, 10 breaths, and I was like, wow, they’re not doing it. So like, I kind of want to Learn to do that and figure that out. Like, actually, last week, I did a yoga session at home. And then I did like a 45 minute meditation session. And for the first time, I literally started spinning. Like it was a, it was the most craziest experience, like, I got to like, kind of have this like out of body experience through this meditation, and my entire body felt like it was spinning. And I told my friend and he was like, you maybe were nauseous, because you just did yoga, and you’re dehydrated and you know, you’re just you just think it was a spiritual situation. But I’m like, No, I swear, it was the craziest thing.
Angela Lin 30:42
I think you you probably started reaching that place. Because, well, so my dad, we had my dad on as one of our first guests..
AZRA 30:51
You did shrooms with your dad?!?
Angela Lin 30:52
No, I didn’t. I don’t know, I think tbh I think he’d like it, but..
AZRA 30:58
Can you image like all of our parents, you know, like,
Angela Lin 31:01
I think if you had people who are speaking their language to help them guide through because I think my dad would actually like it. But he would be like, freaked out because he wouldn’t totally get what’s happening. And whoever is guiding him would only be able to speak in English, right? So like, it would just be anyways. But he’s like, very spiritual. And he studied theology as like his masters. And he’s always thinking about Eastern religion and things like that. He meditates for like, two hours every day, and he talks about how, like, you know, Buddhist monks, they meditate everyday to reach enlightenment, right and like, it takes a lot of practice to reach kind of like the space like you were talking about. I don’t think it’s a fluke that you hit that but psychedelics are like for the people that are lazy like me and want like a cheat because it’s like an expressway.
AZRA 31:55
I know, girl, sometimes you got to take the expressway. I’ll definitely think about that.
Angela Lin 32:08
Awesome. Okay. So well, we already kind of like bled into the fortune cookie. So sorry, listeners, we went into that already. But before we end, definitely want to let you plug all the really exciting stuff that you have already come out with. And if there’s anything new that is on the horizon that you want to plug, like, let everyone know.
AZRA 32:29
Yeah, definitely. So I recently released the single called Turn Me On. So check that out. Have a music video out too. And check it out on YouTube. I mean, anybody all the listeners, thanks for tuning in. If you guys want to connect with me, I’m on Instagram and all those social media interwebs. And then, and I’m definitely working on new material and sharing more music and content with everybody. So stay tuned on that.
Jesse Lin 33:01
There were some there was some bops. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I’m down for it.
Angela Lin 33:07
I mean, that Dangerous. that one that one strong. That was good.
Jesse Lin 33:17
Well, thank you again for joining us. And for you listeners, obviously thank you for joining us as well if you have any questions for AZRA or if you have any opinions or thoughts that you want to give us about your experience. If you are in the music industry, feel free to reach out to us and reminder that we’re still looking for listener story submissions, so write us in about whatever experience with this topic you have, or whatever you want at telluswhereyourefrom@gmail.com.