We got real with badass artivist/singer-songwriter Pyra about her art, activism, feminism and balancing it all over coconut shakes!

Based now between London and Thailand, we discussed the artivist's colourful musical history, how she got to her current brand of dystopian pop, her brand spanking new album 'PYRADISE' and how she manages themes of activism and feminism within her work.

Pyra starts by sharing about her move to London and the motivations behind her vocal stance on activism, government, and economics. Together we delved into exploring Singapore (where the interview was held) as a "utopian but dystopian" place, particularly challenging for those facing financial struggles, and learned the backstory behind her immersive debut album 'PYRADISE'.

We then shifted our focus to the intersection of feminism and creativity in music, discussing the importance of using music to convey messages about oppression, political issues, and feminism. Pyra also shared with us on the climate for women in Thailand, including the obstacles to achieving gender equality, as well her experiences as a female producer, writer and artist in the wider music industry.

Watch the full video interview on our YouTube channel!

Learn more about Pyra by following her on Instagram and listening to her album 'PYRADISE' on streaming platforms everywhere.

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We had the pleasure of attending the Freshmusic awards LIVE for the first time ever last month, and I came away with so much more than I bargained for. Attending the ceremony and many discussions I've had recently around the topic of community inspired me to invite Yuneng, the founder of Freshmusic Awards to join us for this very special conversation where we talked about some of the understated values of community building, and the origins of grassroots platforms like Freshmusic Awards who have been around for 16 years.

Yuneng, Freshmusic’s founder was one of my first industry friends I made when I came back to Singapore, and of course I had already long been aware of the work that Freshmusic had been doing with their cutthroat yet expert reviews and annual awards ceremony which made waves in the indie Taiwanese scene every time they announced their nominations and winners.

But being a creator of a media platform myself, and also as someone who does this out of passion while managing a day job, I found solace and comfort in the work that Yuneng had been doing because I could see so clearly that it also came from a place of pure unadulterated passion, the kind that sustains, that invigorates, and lasts for decades. So we wanted to unpack this topic thoroughly with someone who knew the topic better than most, leading to this nurturing, uplifting conversation that could warm the cockles of any seasoned music journalist's heart.

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A bonus episode produced in commemoration of Asian Pop Weekly's 14th Anniversary in 2023!

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On this bonus episode, we invited Asian-Australian singer-songwriter and Tiktok creator Keenan Te onto the Level Up Podcast to answer all our burning questions about Tiktok, social media, and most importantly - how to navigate social media as a musician. Amassing over 4 million followers currently across Tiktok, Spotify and various social media platforms, Te broke through the clutter during Covid while stuck at home during Melbourne's lengthy lockdowns with his soulful covers and heart-wrenching deliveries. But what was even more interesting for us was how he navigated the transition successfully from cover artist to original singer-songwriter, and maintained and grew his audience while doing so.

Back with his new single 'Scars', we took the chance to ask him all our burning questions, and to pick his brain on the changing social media landscape as he sees it. For all budding musicians, this is one episode you won't want to miss.

• Subscribe to our Patreon ‘Level Up’ Tier for forthcoming ‘Level Up’ cheat sheets and materials
• Subscribe to our mailing list for access to the first three episodes’ cheat sheets!
• More about the podcast
• Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for Podcast updates
• Hang with us on Asian Pop Weekly
• Follow Keenan on Tiktok or Instagram
• Listen to 'Scars' out on all streaming platforms

Don’t forget to subscribe/follow our podcast if you enjoy levelling up with us! And please leave a review so we can keep helping even more artists!

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