Inspired #149 - I Am Strikes
Korean-American artist I Am Strikes provides us with a beautiful piece of poppy-folk with new single ‘The Truth’. It draws on the story of the first woman she fell in love with, she took a moment to talk to us about the inspirations behind her music and the new single.
Who are your top three musical inspirations?
Frank Ocean. Dude is brilliant. He captures a slice of the human experience that transcends music as a medium. His stuff is exquisite - sonically, musically, contextually, tonally.. From a performance perspective Christine and the Queens has an intensity, a true love of the stage, and a charisma that is infectious. Her intelligence and devotion to peak expression in music is incredible. And finally, John Mayer for his preservation of the guitar solo in modern pop music.
Is there a certain film that inspires you?
Shoplifters. Hands down. Hands up. Honestly, wherever Hirokazu Koreeda told me to go I would. I trust him implicitly. I really hate giving anything away because I like to go into movies without any preconceptions, but suffice to say he and the team around him expanded film in a way I didn’t know was possible. It’s exceptional.
What city do you find the most inspiring?
Paris. Honestly there aren’t enough words, but there is something absolutely magical about a city that has old roots. They still care about bread and markets, about pleasure and greeting, about public open spaces — to foster community. There’s a vibrancy that comes from that kind of living, a refreshing humanity, a connection to the soul of the collective experience. I can’t tell you what exactly that gives to a person, but it’s something remarkable.
Who is the most inspiring person to you?
My partner Caro. She enriches me beyond measure. She is an artist in the most holistic sense. So often in music, there is a dissonance between the artist themself and their projection of themself. There’s a performative element, a facade, a persona. Caro inspires in me a rejection of that disconnect, and through that act, I am more fully accessible to myself.
What were your inspirations when writing the track?
The Truth is inspired by love lost and lingering. I wrote the song about the first woman I fell in love with. We were together in secret for years, precipitating an insular and codependent relationship. It's an ode to the common queer experience of first love - starting in the shadows and ending in heartache.
How would you like to inspire people?
I just hope my music inspires a sense of connection. I don’t have any censorship in what I write. No taboo topics, no shame or timidity. My only motive is to be sincere and honest. My deepest hope is that my music can inspire that same genuine expression in somebody else.