IMAGES Courtesy of Kings & Queens PR
Raised in Thailand and London, 25 year-old singer songwriter Towa Bird has always emphasised the importance of creating music that feels authentic to her own experiences.
Bird’s highly anticipated and satirically titled debut album American Hero is a testament to that spirit, while also expressing her exhaustion with the hypocrisy of quintessentially American capitalistic ideals. “I’m not American, and in my view, I’m not heroic either,” she points out.
The artist’s phenomenal guitar talents shine through the album alongside emotionally charged songwriting, exploring themes of queerness, identity, and the complexities of her love life. “I just write about my life and my experiences. I also am a lesbian, I guess,” she explains.
American Hero, which features collaborations with producers like Alexander 23, Luke Niccoli, and Thomas Powers, attempts to reconcile the dichotomy of powerful rock performances and the sentiments of tenderness that define queer love. “These songs are me being completely honest about queer love and all its essence; there’s a lot of yearning and vulnerability and dealing with difficult emotions.”
The album’s lead single ‘Sorry Sorry’ is a hypnotic piece of alt-pop rendered with equal parts sweetness and urgency. “It’s a song about falling in love with a friend, and how daunting it feels to know that it could end up changing your relationship forever,” explains Bird. The track captures the tension and vulnerability of such emotions, framed by her prismatic beats and hypnotic guitar textures. Other standout tracks on the album include the pop-punk frenzy of ‘FML,’ which captures the ache of long-distance love and channels a deep longing for domestic bliss, and fan-favourite ‘Drain Me!’, a loopy expression of lust with a shout-along chorus.
These songs are me being completely honest about queer love and all its essence; there’s a lot of yearning and vulnerability and dealing with difficult emotions.
After forming her first band at age 14, honing her guitar skills at dive bars and street festivals in Hong Kong, and co-writing and producing tracks for other artists, the artist gained popularity on social media in the early days of the pandemic thanks to her videos deftly playing guitar over hip- hop, pop, and R&B songs. “I think [social media] is a double-edged sword,” continues Bird, whose online content eventually landed her a deal with Interscope Records. “It has opened so many doors for me and got me exactly here, but at the same time it also feels like it cheapens the artistic process sometimes. I also definitely lose IQ when I spend time on there.”
Despite having benefited from the modern intersection of music and the digital sphere, Bird’s heart remains with the rock and roll rawness of her guitar – the most essential tool throughout her creative process. “I love the guitar, it’s my first instrument, so I will usually start there. I will also always have the theme and topic ready,” she explains. “I’ll get the chords down, the melody down, and piece the lyrics together. I think of it like a puzzle.”
It’s almost like the now LA-based guitarist was born for the rocker life, citing Jimi Hendrix, Joan Jett, and Prince among her longtime inspirations. For American Hero, Bird stresses the importance of capturing the organic energy of live performances. “I grew up playing in bands, and I wanted the record to have that feeling that you can only get from people in a room together, playing live instruments.”
In true rockstar form, Bird celebrated her release with a party at LA’s queer hotspot Honey’s. “I got aggressively drunk,” she laughs. “I would advise any person to not mix gin with tequila.”
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