Q&A: Wubi Is Still Finding His Sound — The Artist on Making Music Without the Pressure
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY ALICIA ZAMORA ☆
WUBI IS LEARNING TO TRUST HIS OWN TASTE—The funny thing about making something you love is that sometimes, the more you care about getting it right, the harder it becomes to enjoy. Wubi knows that feeling. When he started thinking more about what people might like, what genre he should stick to and whether every song was good enough to release, making music started to feel a little less spontaneous. Now, he wants to get back to trusting his own taste. If a song makes him happy, he wants to be able to put it out there and let people decide what it means to them, without talking himself out of it first.
That freedom has him exploring sounds that feel right to him, from electronic pop to artists like Brakence, who's been a major inspiration since Wubi first started making music. He's not in a hurry to pin down exactly what his sound should be, either. He'd rather follow an idea that excites him and see where it goes than make music based on what he thinks an artist is supposed to sound like. For Wubi, finding his own lane means giving himself the space to try things, change his mind and enjoy the process along the way.
And that's what makes his perspective so easy to connect with. Wubi isn't trying to present himself as someone who has it all figured out. He wants people to hear his music, get to know him through it and see that there's a real person behind the songs, someone who's still learning and having fun with what he does. He cares about getting better, but he also wants to remember that he started making music because he loved it. Right now, he's giving himself permission to hold on to that feeling.
Read Luna's conversation with Wubi below.
LUNA: For anyone who’s just discovering you, how would you introduce yourself as Wubi? What do you feel best represents you as an artist right now?
WUBI: I was actually reading this question, and I was like, “Hmm, what kind of impression?” I think I want to give off the impression as an artist that I also don't have stuff figured out yet. Even now, I keep trying to find my color, and I still haven't been able to. But I think I'm trying to gear more towards making stuff that I enjoy. So I want people to see my stuff, see that I'm enjoying it and enjoy it with me. I think that requires a level of, “It's not all that serious.” He's just having fun—that's what I'm trying to go for, at least.
LUNA: You have a new single coming out Oct. 16, and I'm curious about where this one came from. Was it something you knew you wanted to make, or did it come together in a way you weren't expecting?
WUBI: This directly comes from what I was talking about. I think in the past, I was overthinking a lot of things, and I thought I was basically putting myself in a little bubble where it's like, “Oh, I need to do R&B or I need to do a certain genre.” But then I came across this artist called Nate Sib, and I was like, “Oh my god, this is beautiful.” I think the electronic pop sound really energized me and made me want to try it. I think that's where this single is coming from. I wanted to do it because I liked what this genre meant to me, and I hope my listeners enjoy it too. It was a very new thing.
LUNA: Something I kept thinking about after our last conversation was you saying you felt like you were getting closer to finding your color as an artist. I wanted to revisit that because I feel like figuring out your sound is such a personal thing. Have you started to recognize what that color actually looks and sounds like?
WUBI: I think yes and no. I think I'm trying to find something that's more comfortable for me, in the sense that I don't have to prove anything. Like, with vocals, for example, I don't have to prove that I'm a singer or that I want to sing. It's more like I'm just putting my stuff out there and doing things that feel comfortable. I guess that's what I think my color is and what naturally comes from me, rather than trying to perform in a way that I think people might be impressed by.
I think I had a degree of that before because I felt this need to prove myself. This all goes back to me just trying to enjoy the craft that I make, rather than going, "Oh, fuck, are they gonna enjoy this? Are they not going to enjoy this?"
LUNA: When we last spoke, you described “Ride or Die” as a song that came out when you were so fed up that you just said, "Fuck it." I loved that because it sounded like you weren't giving yourself time to overthink anything. Do you wish you could make music that way more often, or do you need those moments where you really sit with a song and work through it?
WUBI: I definitely need more of that energy because, looking back, I feel like a lot of the songs that actually did better, or that I listened to and thought, "Wow, this is good,” were the ones where I didn't overthink it. Most of the time, when I overthink things, I feel like it really takes away from the fun of everything.
I think I was at a point where I was trying to get my stuff out there more consistently, and somewhere along the way, I started forgetting to actually have fun with it. I became more analytical, thinking, “Oh, what about this part—do I not like? What if they don't like it?” So I definitely want more of those moments where I'm just like, “You know what? This is pretty good.” And I just get on with it and release it.
I'm trying to chase that feeling right now because it definitely feels like less weight to bear on my shoulders.
LUNA: You talked about wanting your music to sound and feel more cohesive, even taking older songs down because they didn't fit where you wanted to go. Was that a difficult decision to make? I feel like there's something vulnerable about letting people hear your growth while also deciding which parts of your past you want to leave behind.
WUBI: Honestly, yes and no. I was listening to some of them, and I realized that when I was talking about performing rather than being authentic, I could hear that in a lot of my stuff. I was like, “This doesn't really match my vibe.” I think I could hear that dissonance. This sounds like I'm trying too hard. So I deleted those things.
Unfortunately, some of them got taken down, too. I don't know why. Some songs I didn't want taken down still got taken down. But I think that actually helped me find my sound a little bit better, or at least made the genres and sounds I pick a little more defined. I want people to listen to my music and be like, “Oh, this is what Wubi made, or this is the type of music he likes.”
LUNA: I'm curious about the music you gravitate toward when you're not thinking about your own sound or what you want to put out. What have you been listening to lately that you wouldn't necessarily expect people to associate with you?
WUBI: Hyperpop. So, Brakence. Oh my God, I've been listening to him for a while now. My first album, before anything got too serious, was heavily inspired by his sound because I thought it was revolutionary. Every time I listen to hyperpop, especially now that it's becoming more of a thing, I just love the energy. I think the way Brakence breaks that down into his own craft is so admirable. And listening to his music and the lyrics he writes—it's beautiful.
Since most of what I make isn't really hyperpop or pop-oriented, I think that's why I chose him as someone people wouldn't expect. But yeah, I've been trying to listen to a lot of hyperpop these days to keep myself a little happier, rather than listening to slower songs all the time.
LUNA: You've said that finding the right words matters to you, both in songwriting and in everyday conversations. When you're writing, do you prefer to be direct about what you mean, or do you like leaving certain things open for listeners to interpret themselves?
WUBI: I don't think this is a hot take, but I personally don't like having to guess what someone means when I look at lyrics. I think sometimes I prefer to know what they're actually thinking, pretty directly. I think this also comes through in how I interact with people in real life. I like to be direct about things rather than hinting at stuff. I just like saying what I mean, respectfully, of course.
I think that also shows in my lyrics, or at least I hope it does. If it doesn't, I think that's a skill issue with my writing. But I try to be very direct about the things I feel and the things I want to share.
LUNA: I feel like when people discover an artist, they usually meet the music first and then slowly piece together the person behind it. Since you're continuing to put more of yourself out there, what do you hope people start to understand about you that they might not pick up on just by listening to your songs?
WUBI: I think I just want to show that I'm also human. I put stuff out that I don't think is entirely perfect, but that's fine. It's more of an in-the-moment type of thing where I'm like, “Oh, I think it's good,” so I just upload it, and that's basically it.
When you look at a lot of different artists, there's this disconnect where it's hard to relate to them, and they don't seem personable in some ways. I just want to veer away from that and be like, “Hey, I'm just a dude making music, you know?” I think that's the impression I want to give off, but also wanting to be cool while doing it.
LUNA: When we last spoke, you were pretty open about still trying to figure things out, and I liked that you didn't try to make it sound like you had everything under control. Do you feel comfortable letting people see that unfinished version of yourself, or is there still a part of you that wants to wait until you've figured things out before sharing them?
WUBI: I think there definitely is a difference. I find it easier to admit verbally that I have certain things I'm not good at, but I find it much more difficult to show that process. For example, with music, I could say that some things aren't working out or that I don't think something is that good. But I find it so hard to actually show the process of how I make it because I feel like that's a lot more vulnerable and personal to me. I make mistakes, and sometimes they're really bad and embarrassing, so I find that really difficult.
I try to be as transparent as possible by being more verbal about it. But yeah, that's the extent to which I can be like, “Yeah, this isn't quite there yet.” I'm still figuring it out.
LUNA: If you could spend a day making music with absolutely anyone, whether they're an artist you've always admired or someone from a completely different musical world, who would you choose and what would you want to make together?
WUBI: There are two artists I have on repeat right now. One is the artist I mentioned before, Brakence, and the other is an artist called Greek. Okay, so with Greek, I don't even need to make music with him. I just want to sit down in a session and see what he does, listen to his process and see all the choices he makes. I just want to watch him work. I don't know how he even comes up with that stuff. It's amazing. He's so talented and, in my opinion, revolutionary.
LUNA: If you could go back to when you first started making music as Wubi and tell yourself where you’d be today, what do you think would surprise you the most—and what are you most proud of when you look at how far you’ve come?
WUBI: You know, I really appreciated that question because it got me thinking. I think when I first started making music, I wouldn't have imagined myself even doing this interview. This is amazing. I still find it surreal, and I'm grateful that you're asking me these wonderful questions and that there are people who genuinely enjoy my music. It's insane. I think past me would be like, “There's no way that's happening.”
But at the same time, that doesn't mean I've reached a point where I'm like, “Oh, I'm satisfied with this.” I want to be so much better. I keep wanting to improve at what I do, but nevertheless, I think past me would be proud. I'm saying this because, right now, I don't feel that as much, but I think it'd be crazy for past me to see where I am now.
