ON THE RISE
Thought-provoking, alternative/pop singer songwriter, ECHASL delivers an impactful story through her latest single, “I Know U Know.”
ECHASL—an acronym for “Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining”—turns to her diverse background to create a sound uniquely her own. Born and raised in China, she was later educated in the United States. Blending Eastern and Western cultures, ECHASL digs deep for her music, often uncovering topics and emotions with raw, authentic strength. Her music often evokes the frustration and anger provoked by how women are unfairly treated in society, from gender inequality to sexual abuse to daily injustices.
Growing up, ECHASL played the oboe and piano; more recently, she also took up playing the drums. Empowered with the mastery of these instruments, ECHASL is able to approach her songwriting from a technical standpoint that often evades artists who focus solely on vocal art.
“Singing came naturally to me,” shares the artist. “I would hum while playing the piano, thinking about a specific melody I wanted to sing, and it just popped out. Now, I start songs with the piano and then use DAW to help shape the song.”
Fresh, unique, and powerful, “I Know U Know” is a protest song. “It’s against all kinds of discrimination—racism, sexism, etc.—but it’s actually based off a real historical story about a girl called Moi Afong,” explains ECHASL. “She was the first Chinese person to land in the U.S. on record. She was tricked and sold to a circus where people would pay 10 cents for a ticket to see her. She was like the other animals sitting there, just being herself. No freedom—and no one knows what happened to her in the end.”
Inspired by the chilling tale of Moi Afong, ECHASL gave her a voice generations later through her single, “I Know U Know.” While the title implies that we should all know we’re equal on a basic level, the song tells the lesser-known story of the hardships faced by those who weren’t given the respect they deserved.
To write the song, ECHASL first focused on the melody. “My producer was with me at the time, and he was like, ‘I want this’ when he heard the melody and verse.” Powered by collaboration, the song was quickly finished.
“I Know U Know” is one of the eleven tracks on ECHASL’s first album that she worked on with her producer. Compared to the other tracks (all electronic base), this single leans toward world music and relies on the intricate use of three instruments: the double bass, drum, and a traditional Chinese string instrument.
“This song is the trigger that makes me feel this is what I want to do,” shares ECHASL, after connecting with the musical style of her latest single. “As I’m planning my second album, it’ll be closer to this style.”
Listeners can look forward to ECHASL releasing more Chinese songs this year as she works toward her next English album. “Writing music is more like confessing,” she adds unapologetically. “My music is a confession as a human being. We’ve been creating all these harms to each other and to nature. My songs are a bit like protest songs. I don’t write love songs. They’re not happy—they’re pretty heavy. This is what I think is most important. A lot of people may not feel comfortable listening to this type of music, but it’s me.”
Make sure to stay connected to ECHASL on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
Welcome to SOUND ADVICE, Interview’s weekly space for playlists put together by artists, collaborators, and people from all corners of our circle. Over the past few weeks, we’ve highlighted selections from Zack Fox, Danny L Harle, and Mckayla Twiggs. This latest edition spotlights British French songwriter and producer Lauren Auder, who released her second album, “Whole World as Vigil,” just last week. Created alongside Dviance and Alex Parish, the project explores the emotional layers of human relationships, from the struggles to the moments of beauty. To celebrate the release, we invited Auder to curate a playlist for us and share a few personal insights along the way.
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Where do you dance? In the bedroom.
London or France? Unfair advantage for France, being a whole country.
What song on this playlist is your guilty pleasure? I have no guilty pleasures!
What’s your favorite sound effect? Roblox “OOH” or Bathory’s horse neigh on their album Blood Fire Death.
Dream collab, dead or alive? Lou Reed, obviously.
Who do you trust most with the aux? My roommate, Cajm.
What do you pray about? More time, more rest.
Best arrondissement in Paris? 20th probably?
What song is currently on replay? “Close to the Edge” by Yes.
What album was your coming-of-age soundtrack? Mysterious Phonk: Chronicles of SpaceGhostPurrp.
Tell us a secret. I cheated my way through Latin class in secondary school.
Night or day? Day!
What is your studio session pet peeve? Weed smell :/
Which Skins character did you relate to the most? None, I’m 27!
What are you listening to as you complete this questionnaire? Space heater next to my bed, Italian lesson next door.
What does your notes app look like? Incriminating.
You just arrived at the function. What are you drinking? What are you smoking? Cheap lager or expensive red wine, a Syrah if it’s winter.
The world is ending. What are you wearing True religion jeans and a white button down, as per.
