You’d think that someone who admits to being a “music idiot” and “never listened to music as a kid” might not turn out to be such a dynamic singer/songwriter.
Think again.
Born in Shenyang, China, Psyclo – has released her newest single, “friEND.” With elements of pop, punk and hip-hop, “friEND” is the kind of song that will never let you down.
“My time was dedicated to school almost my entire life,” shares Psyclo. “My daily routine was going to school, going back home, doing homework, and having dinner, watching movies then sleeping. I wasn’t allowed to listen to music while doing homework, even though I still loved music.”
Now based in Los Angeles, Psyclo learned to play piano at the age of five, and wrote her first song at 16 after a particularly grim day at high school.
“Without knowing anything about chords or musical theory, I just sang a melody on top of lyrics that I’d written,” recalls Psyclo. “Back then everything was so mysterious to me. I didn’t know the process of making something into a song. What I did know is that music would become the most important thing in my life. A lot of the times when I feel sad for no reason, I sit in front of the piano, and start singing what I feel. It heals me instantly.”
Psyclo was inspired to write her newest single, “friEND” during the throes of heartbreak. “I tasted the loneliness in this big city (LA) and wanted to tell myself that I’m married to myself, and it’s okay,” recalls Psyclo.
“The idea of the song came from a few actors whom I’ve worked with. After years of hard work, one of them finally got to a place where his acting career supported his living expenses. Another actor I have worked with… she’s 80 and she is still working hard every day doing what she loves. I understand that life can suck sometimes and you have to do a lot of shit to push yourself to keep going, but these two inspired me that you will always find a way doing what you love. I learned that no matter where you are in your life, it’s never too late. It’s always important to be married to yourself, taking care of yourself and feeling alive. Never sacrifice your dreams and passions for anything.”
The concept for the video was inspired by the need for attention.
“I wanted to talk about attention,” shares Psyclo. “People love getting attention, especially nowadays in the social media age. For me as an artist, I want to be noticed, I want to be found; I want to feed myself from making music, I want attention as well. Also nowadays people feel much more closer to each other with social media but in reality people are further apart from each other. Many people would sit face to face being on their phones. Nobody’s present anymore. I pictured the entire video in my head, made a concept video and I’m really satisfied with how it turned out to be just like what I pictured.”
Produced by Ben Cohen and mastered by AJ Afterparty, “friEND” is available everywhere now.
MORE ABOUT PSYCLO:
Psyclo loves that her stage name looks like ‘Psycho.’ A generally quiet person, Psyclo grew up watching violent movies and anime.
“I never felt happy,” shares Psyclo. I felt stuck and trapped being at school. I suffered from mental illness for a long time. I’m good at following rules but inside I’m a rebel and I constantly think ‘fuck the rules.’ I never felt like myself until I started to write songs.”
To Psyclo, her name is not just a name. it represents a place for her and others – a place full of unknowns. A place full of weirdness and fun, but a safe place. A place where you can find yourself, or just stop for a bit to rest before you continue on your journey. It’s a place for those who have lost themselves or for those who have yet to find themselves.
“I’m one of those people who’s lost, but still on my way figuring out who I am. Psyclo represents a place that feels like home.”
As a child, Psyclo dreamt of being an actress. She was taken by the idea that through acting, she could live someone else’s life. Though she fought to go to acting school, Psyclo’s parents insisted that she study abroad. Subsequently, she landed in the U.S. – specifically Hollywood, where she studied filmmaking.
While in college, Psyclo made friends with several music majors, from whom she learned about making music. She began to write songs, first in Chinese and then in English.
“It was just for fun at first,” remembers Psyclo. “Then I started to love the way English allowed me to express an idea. It’s more direct than Chinese, I think. Eventually, I got more serious about it, and music became the most important thing in my life.”
A year before graduation, Psyclo no longer wanted to be an actor, following a script. She wanted to be herself, and dedicated her life to music.
“I love writing songs, I love to sing and I love performing on the stage. I don’t really have a plan for the future. Man plans and god laughs. I want to keep writing and keep singing. My goal is to keep having fun, always be myself and to learn about who I am,” says Psyclo.
