We recently had the pleasure to Skype with Bay Area raised, Brooklyn occupied Internet Crush, Effie Liu. During our interview she sported bright pink hair, perfectly lined cat eyes, with a background of kawaii toys and accessories. Effie is a classically trained, electronic pop musician, artist, and designer that we should keep an eye on. Her videos and visual aesthetics are a perfect mix of cuteness and 60s rock & roll vibes. We also can't resist her charming and glittery personality!
Who would be in your dream squad? TBH I have a pretty dreamy squad already! But if i had to choose: AHS Coven’s Cordelia Foxx + Marie Laveau, Maleficent, Nermal the world’s cutest kitten, and Ursula from The Little Mermaid. Magical, powerful ladies and one srs QT.
We love the Eff Bomb jackets in your video Gimme All Yer Money video! Are those for sale? Do u also make clothes on top of music and illustrations?? The jackets themselves are not for sale but the patches are! You can cop them separately or together as a package on my site. I don’t make my own clothes at the moment but I do collaborate with my friend’s line, NOT by Jenny Lai to make custom pieces occasionally.
Get the patches on her online shop!
Tell us about your music and where the inspiration comes from? We love your aesthetic!
I’m inspired by everything from the lovers, the haters, and more. Actually, Sponge Bob Square Pants has been inspiring me quite a bit as of late, I love the soundtrack so much. Aesthetically, I love swirling vintage (50s and 60s), rock’n’roll, and kawaii vibes together.
What gets you motivated and how does your production process go? (like do you work most in the morning/night? Do you need to be alone or are you with your team? etc. ) I’ve been working on this new EP a lot with producer, Woodro Skillson. He is familiar with the sounds that I like already and since I trust his ability to make a dope beat, we talk a little bit about where we want to start sonically for a track, and then while he creates the beat, I start writing the lyrics and melodies. Sometimes I come through with a subject I want to write about or a little jingle (aka hook) and we build around that. Since creating is such an organic process, a song can really come together differently every time, which is the beauty of it all!
What words of advice could you give to other women who are also trying to pursue their dreams? There will always be someone telling you “no", and chances are, you will hear it a thousand times before you get a “yes” so don’t get lost feeling bad because someone might not “get” you; don't lose sight of your end goal. Always strive to improve, stay resilient and humble. Surround yourself with uplifting, honest and loving friends and family. (ayyyyee #squad)
Real talk, what can you say about the way asian women are portrayed in the media? You obviously break those stereotypes! Do you take them into consideration, or do you just do your own thing? I can count on one hand the number of Asian women making waves in music in the US which says something about the scarcity of us in the media. I’m just being myself — I am proud of my ethnicity but my skin color doesn’t define who I am as an artist; I make music and I happen to be Asian American.
What's in store for the future of Effie Liu?
I’ll be dropping an EP later this year! I’m excited to share all the new songs :D
Fantasy collab??
Since my background is in fashion, a fantasy collab for me would probably be something with apparel! I would love to collaborate with designers like Alber Elbaz and The Blonds on something amazing to wear for stage or collaborate with an athletic wear company on a collection of cute sport bras and yoga pants. I practice pilates so athletic wear has crept its way into my life in a strong way.
Keep tabs on this baddie! She's gonna be making big moves this year!
lurk her on Instagram, soundcloud, and her website!