Sweet John

Musicians — Taiwan

01Profile

A Sweet John Photo

03Interview

Name
Chung, Yao-Nien (Drummer)
Wu, Chun-Wei (Vocal)
Shih, Yu-Chiang (Bass)
Chen, Kuan-Yu (Guitar)
Iang, Tan-Chun (Vocal)

What do you do?
Musicians / Sweet John.

Where are you from?
Taiwan.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
K: Sheena Ringo 2015. Live at Taipei.
T: SXSW 2019.
Yu: Big Mountain Music Festival 2019 in Thailand.
C: Same as Kuan-Yu, we were there together.
Y: Big Mountain Music Festival 2019 in Thailand.

Which subcultures have influenced you?
K: I think R&B influenced me a lot, it also influences many types of modern music including ours. This is the starting point for my guitar playing.
T: Jazz music. The chord changes and improvisations are quite important to make a song sound interesting.
Yu: I have been seeking inspiration by whisky tasting and replaying all the movies that I am obsessed with.
C: I was attracted to Banksy as a teenager.
Y: Software engineering, extraterrestrial intelligence, UFO, tech gadgets, Mac computers and workout.

Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
T: Hangzhou Mao Live house.
Yu: Strawberry Music Festival in Shanghai. 
C: Hangzhou Mao Live house.
Y: 66Livehouse in Tianjin.

If you could be on the line up with any bands in history?
K: That would be Jimi Hendrix!
Yu: Red Hot Chili Pepper for sure.
C: Definitely Tokyo Incidents, with all my heart.
Y: John Mayer.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
K: Stevie Ray Vaughan; wish I could have a chance to play guitar with him.
T: Chet Baker. I’d love to shop with him.
Yu: Bass master, Victor Wooten. I’d love to learn guitar from him.
C: John Mayer. I would like to go camping with him.
Y: Avril Ramona Lavigne. I wish to be her drummer.

Your greatest unsung hero (or heroine) in music?
Coldplay, Oasis, Fouls, Radiohead, Glass Animals.
These bands are classic of the classics.

04Playlist Notes

The first track you played on repeat?
K: 'Love before BC' by Jay Chou from Fantasy. This is the first album I bought for myself.
T: 'Chicago' by Clammbon.
Yu: 'September Magazine' by Touming Magazine. 
C: '10:30 in Airport' by David Tao.
Y: 'My Happy Ending' by Avril Lavigne.

A song that defines the teenage you?
K: 'Basket Case' by Green Day - it was the first song I played in a band at my high school.
T: 'Misread' by Kings of Convenience.
Yu: 'Empty' by The Click Five.
C: 'Counter-clockwise Clock' by Jay Chou.
Y: 'Go Go Power Rangers' - this song defines my debut as a band player.

One record you would keep forever?
K: 'Adult' by Tokyo Incidents.
T: 'Chet Baker Sings'.
Yu: 'Californication' by RHCP in 1999.
C: 'Days with Uncertainty' by The Fin.
Y: 'Where the Light Is' by John Mayer Live in Los Angeles.
We picked these albums because they are interesting; they have tunes that would keep us company.

A song lyric that has inspired you?
K: 'Shuraba' by Tokyo Jihen.
T: 'When You Sleep' by My Bloody Valentine.
Yu: 'Creep' by Radiohead.
C: 'Night Time' by The Fin.
Y: 'The Dance of Eternity' by Dream Theater.

Best song to turn up loud?
K: 'Inhaler' by Foals.
T: 'Yuragu Sakana' by Nabowa.
Yu: 'Go!' by M83.
C: 'Belief' by John Mayer.
Y: 'Yellow' by Coldplay (best forever!!!). The lyrics to this song are absolutely beautiful.

A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
K: 'Hump de Bump' by Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Yu: 'History' by Rich Brian.
C: 'Life's a struggle' by Shawn. It’s a pity he passed away at age 23; his talent was not discovered until after his death.
Y: 'Nymphetamine Fix' by Cradle Of Filth.

New bands you are listening to now?
K: 'Swim Slowly' by Meltt.
T: Land of Peace (Korea).
Yu: H3F (TH), offonoff (Korea).
Y: Ovall (Japan), BANKS (US).

03Interview

Name
Chung, Yao-Nien (Drummer)
Wu, Chun-Wei (Vocal)
Shih, Yu-Chiang (Bass)
Chen, Kuan-Yu (Guitar)
Iang, Tan-Chun (Vocal)

What do you do?
Musicians / Sweet John.

Where are you from?
Taiwan.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
K: Sheena Ringo 2015. Live at Taipei.
T: SXSW 2019.
Yu: Big Mountain Music Festival 2019 in Thailand.
C: Same as Kuan-Yu, we were there together.
Y: Big Mountain Music Festival 2019 in Thailand.

Which subcultures have influenced you?
K: I think R&B influenced me a lot, it also influences many types of modern music including ours. This is the starting point for my guitar playing.
T: Jazz music. The chord changes and improvisations are quite important to make a song sound interesting.
Yu: I have been seeking inspiration by whisky tasting and replaying all the movies that I am obsessed with.
C: I was attracted to Banksy as a teenager.
Y: Software engineering, extraterrestrial intelligence, UFO, tech gadgets, Mac computers and workout.

Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
T: Hangzhou Mao Live house.
Yu: Strawberry Music Festival in Shanghai. 
C: Hangzhou Mao Live house.
Y: 66Livehouse in Tianjin.

If you could be on the line up with any bands in history?
K: That would be Jimi Hendrix!
Yu: Red Hot Chili Pepper for sure.
C: Definitely Tokyo Incidents, with all my heart.
Y: John Mayer.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
K: Stevie Ray Vaughan; wish I could have a chance to play guitar with him.
T: Chet Baker. I’d love to shop with him.
Yu: Bass master, Victor Wooten. I’d love to learn guitar from him.
C: John Mayer. I would like to go camping with him.
Y: Avril Ramona Lavigne. I wish to be her drummer.

Your greatest unsung hero (or heroine) in music?
Coldplay, Oasis, Fouls, Radiohead, Glass Animals.
These bands are classic of the classics.

04Playlist Notes

The first track you played on repeat?
K: 'Love before BC' by Jay Chou from Fantasy. This is the first album I bought for myself.
T: 'Chicago' by Clammbon.
Yu: 'September Magazine' by Touming Magazine. 
C: '10:30 in Airport' by David Tao.
Y: 'My Happy Ending' by Avril Lavigne.

A song that defines the teenage you?
K: 'Basket Case' by Green Day - it was the first song I played in a band at my high school.
T: 'Misread' by Kings of Convenience.
Yu: 'Empty' by The Click Five.
C: 'Counter-clockwise Clock' by Jay Chou.
Y: 'Go Go Power Rangers' - this song defines my debut as a band player.

One record you would keep forever?
K: 'Adult' by Tokyo Incidents.
T: 'Chet Baker Sings'.
Yu: 'Californication' by RHCP in 1999.
C: 'Days with Uncertainty' by The Fin.
Y: 'Where the Light Is' by John Mayer Live in Los Angeles.
We picked these albums because they are interesting; they have tunes that would keep us company.

A song lyric that has inspired you?
K: 'Shuraba' by Tokyo Jihen.
T: 'When You Sleep' by My Bloody Valentine.
Yu: 'Creep' by Radiohead.
C: 'Night Time' by The Fin.
Y: 'The Dance of Eternity' by Dream Theater.

Best song to turn up loud?
K: 'Inhaler' by Foals.
T: 'Yuragu Sakana' by Nabowa.
Yu: 'Go!' by M83.
C: 'Belief' by John Mayer.
Y: 'Yellow' by Coldplay (best forever!!!). The lyrics to this song are absolutely beautiful.

A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
K: 'Hump de Bump' by Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Yu: 'History' by Rich Brian.
C: 'Life's a struggle' by Shawn. It’s a pity he passed away at age 23; his talent was not discovered until after his death.
Y: 'Nymphetamine Fix' by Cradle Of Filth.

New bands you are listening to now?
K: 'Swim Slowly' by Meltt.
T: Land of Peace (Korea).
Yu: H3F (TH), offonoff (Korea).
Y: Ovall (Japan), BANKS (US).

 

05Videos

Sweet John - 'Until You'

Sweet John - 'Rain onto The One'