Amber Liu on Turning 30, Inspirations, and Performing with a Live Band at MetaMoon

Thanksgiving weekend in New York this year is even more eventful as the inaugural MetaMoon Festival will be at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on November 26. Ahead of the show, we had the chance, with fellow media colleagues, to chat over Zoom with one of our faves: Amber Liu. Known to be candid, warm, and funny, Amber opened up about performing at MetaMoon, her music as a soloist, her creative process, image, turning 30, and everything in-between.

**Q: Do you have anything special prepared for MetaMoon that we can look forward to?

Amber: For MetaMoon, it’s going to be the first time in a while I’ve performed in New York, so I’m super excited about that. I’ve got a full band. With my homies, we finally are able to come together, so I’m really excited. We did rehearsal this week. We’ve all just been friends and we’ve worked on our different projects and now we’re all together, which is really cool. So, I’m looking forward to vibing out on stage with them.

**Q: As an artist who has identified with a lot of labels, both as a K-Pop star and as a Chinese-American, how has the significance of this kind of Asian diaspora impacted you personally?

A: I definitely have grown up in different places. I grew up here and in L.A. until I was about 15, and my teenage, my young adult, all my twenties, were mostly in Korea and traveling. I’ve been traveling everywhere, so I’ve met a lot of different people. I’ve been exposed to many different cultures, and sometimes it’s, wow, there’s a lot of stuff going on in the world that I don’t know about. Just having that open-mindedness for me. It has always been, okay, I need to be open-minded about that, what is that about, I should learn more about that, oh, this is really cool. Bouncing from place to place constantly, I’m definitely sleepy [laughs], but I’m so grateful to have had those experiences and to be able to meet so many people who are so vastly different [from] me. Because of music, and I don’t know whether it's fashion, or a certain brand that I like or they like, we’ve always just come together with this chill vibe. And that’s why I love music. It doesn’t matter where you come from or what language you speak, you just go to a concert, or you lip-sync to a track and, whoa, I like that track, that’s dope, let’s talk about that. It kind of just sparks a conversation. It can definitely break barriers and I’m so grateful to have that experience in my life.

**Q: After the Barclays MetaMoon performance, what can fans expect as to new music, tours, creative endeavors, crazy stuff?

A: All the crazy [laughs]. If it’s Amber Liu, it’s crazy. I did announce a while ago that I had to postpone a couple of my shows because of my upcoming album. That one is going to be fun. It was very hard to make the decision to postpone the shows, but I’m taking it as a positive that I was able to work on the album a lot more, and it’s probably some of my best work. I was able to work with so many cool producers, and with some really cool friends, and I’m just excited to put that out. And a tour next year, that’s something definitely that will be happening. And typical Amber shenanigans. It’s always crazy with me.

**Q: With your fourth ep, you said that you were trying to let things flow. How does vulnerability and openness impact your artistry?

A: I feel like my vulnerability, and that openness, is what I’m trying to write about. what I’m trying to talk about. Growing up, I felt alone, I felt misunderstood. I felt like a villain, I felt really down, but through music, there’s a weird click that happens. I feel less alone. It’s okay to be sad. I’ve made mistakes, I can do better. Putting that into my writing is almost cathartic, therapeutic. Definitely when I’m in the studio with my guys, I’m having these really deep conversations. It’s like, I just met you three weeks ago, but we’re onto some deep deep stuff right now. Growing up, that’s how I felt. When I put that into my music and fans say to me, “Thank you for writing that song,” that just makes it go full circle. And it’s why I do music; I just want to help people.

**Q: We know that you’re an amazing songwriter, so what does that creative process look like for you?

A: Thank you for the compliment. The process of songwriting is just so random. I will say most of my inspiration does come from the shower. Showering, and that soothingness, and toning down from the day. Sometimes, I’ll just run out of the shower, grab my phone, and just record something. That’s usually how it starts. Sometimes I’m on a walk, talking with a friend, and I’m like wait, “Say that again, say that again,” and I’ll just write it down. So, inspiration can come at any moment. Definitely, the commonality is me, running to find my phone, or me touching my body trying to find my phone, trying to record it. I can be prepared, and I’ll go into the studio, and I want to write this song out, but it’s total writer's block. So it could just be me free-styling on the mic, just singing gibberish or repeating a word over and over again, and these happy mistakes come. Sometimes it’s like, oh, I have exactly what I want to write and sing about and I just have it all done and then it can be just five minutes or it can be five months. Some songs have taken years and I just keep rewriting it, but there is a point like, naw, it’s done. So, whenever that time comes.

**Q: What do you enjoy most about performing?

A: I think just how much I don’t care about other things. My mind races. Right now, I’m just like next question, then interview, then later I gotta go take care of my puppies. Life is just so overwhelming. But when I’m on stage, I don’t care about anything else but me performing and fans. And that energy. You’re just so in the moment you’re living at, you’re so present in the moment, and I think that’s what I love about it. Nothing else matters, and that’s a great escape, and you’re just able to be in your world for a bit. I’m just glad that my guys, and my fans, can be with me in that world. It’s a beautiful thing.

Q: Recently you turned 30. Going into this next decade, are there any goals you’re looking forward to achieving?

A: What I hear from all my friends, who are now in their 40s or in their mid-30s, they’re all saying it’s the best years. And I’m like, okay, what makes it the best years? And they’re like, it’s because when you’re in your 20s, you’re just running around figuring things out and when you’re in your 30s, you’ve done a lot of things, and you’re just doing what you want. And I think that for me, I’ve been really focusing on my mental health the past year. It’s been nice to kinda slow down. It’s nerve wracking to slow down, but it’s also nice. I’ve always wanted to see my friends more, my family more, because I’ve been traveling so much. And yesterday, I just hung out with my mom and went out on a Costco run with her, and it was great, we had coffee, and it’s like these simple things... I think that was a really big step for me, at least, just taking that time for myself, slowing down and figuring out what was important to me, and what to prioritize in my life, has been a very eye opening for me right now. I'm really excited just to hone in and focus on my music and focus on things I’m passionate about. So, I’m looking forward to my 30s.

Q: What does it mean to you to be one of the highlights of MetaMoon?

A: I’m more honored. It’s the first MetaMoon Festival, and I’m part of the lineup. Like it's been said, I have a lot of labels. I can just be in all these places, and wow, I can represent so many communities. It’s a tiny bit of pressure, I won’t lie, but I’m honored to be part of it and to represent my community. Just to be able to be part of a concert, and perform, and to vibe with people is always a fun time.

Q: Recently you were a mentor on a show. Any advice to give to young people who want to be where you are?

A: To keep going and to stay curious. I mean music and being in the arts is one thing, and the industry is another thing to tackle. And, as a lot of people know, the industry isn’t kind, but you should be kind to yourself and always remember why you started to do things and why you love what you love. And sometimes, it’s okay to take a nap.

So for those fortunate enough to be able to attend, not only will Amber have a live band, she’ll be performing songs that she’s previously released along with songs never performed outside the studio with the band as well. Amber is about to make MetaMoon into a party that you won’t forget.

Thank you Amber, the MetaMoon team, and our fellow media colleagues.

** Question from one of our media colleagues.

Minor edits were made to improve flow.