Tell the five, one of Taiwan's most influential index orchestras, in 2022 in the three major streams to accumulate nearly 200 million listens, short video platform playback of 1.82 billion, in 2023 to capture Taipei Kaohsiung double eggs, storm growth, full of schedule, but also live steadily, how do they do it?
Tell the five people, starting from Yilan, surrounded by mountains and seas, with the blessings and wind of the plain, blowing to the new world.
In 2021, the five won the MAA Best Asian Artist Award. In 2022, it will accumulate nearly 200 million views on the three major streaming platforms of KKBOX, Spotify, and Apple Music, and the short video and audio Douyin platform will be played 1.82 billion times. In 2023, the five were invited to be the warm-up guests of the British rock group coding in Taiwan, and in the same year, the New World Tour "The Fun of the Universe" was held, landing on the Taipei Arena and Kaohsiung Arena.
The music of the five members is highly infectious, the double lead singers have a wide vocal range, low back to high-spirited, and the voice line and drum beat are intertwined, reflecting thousands of universes and reaching hundreds of millions of ears. The classic "Miss You in the Stars and the Moon", or the ending song "It's Not Easy" of the well-known drama "The First Lights", have become familiar melodies in the lives of many Chinese at home and abroad.
Over the years, the five people have grown stormy. But every day, the three of them still drive through the snow tunnel, back and forth to Yilan Taipei, work and perform, the same for years, never changed. Tell the five people that there is nothing special, just go home to rest and sleep. "When I walk through the snow tunnel and see a whole field, I feel, ah, I'm home."
Five (from left): Guitar/vocalist Yun An, lead singer Inu Qing, drummer Zheqian (Brother Qian)
Write people's BGMs and see everyday moments
Singing into the 10,000-person arena is something that I never thought about at the beginning of the group.
Six years ago, under the scorching heat and sunshine of Keelung, the five people made their debut, stood on wooden pallets to set up a temporary stage, and the three sang for 40 minutes in front of five audiences and a dog in front of the audience.
"There were very few audiences in the audience, and halfway through the performance, my feet would keep accidentally stuck in the wooden pallet." Inu Qing shared with a smile, "But we weren't in stage fright, and while performing, we introduced ourselves and the song, just as a 40-minute concert to interact with the people who listened to the song." Will it be a little embarrassing? Yun An said how could it be, that day was very chilling, "For us, as long as we can share the music we like with everyone, it is happy."
In the early years, the three of them recorded in the empty room without soundproofing in Brother Qian's hometown, lacked equipment and had to use "human wheat racks", there were wild dogs outside, and they had to stop when barking, remembering this past, the interview scene was full of laughter. "Occasionally when I think of how we used to be, I feel that the fans are really fierce, it's true love!" Inu Qing said.
The moments when outsiders seem to think that "it's so hard and too serious" are all wonderful and cute in the eyes of the five people.
Don't make sense, but always accompany you. The creation of the five people, in the daily rhythm, flashes the whimsy of "take you fly".
Before and after the interview, after looking at more team members' journeys, I learned that the lightness of telling the five people to "take you to fly" was not weightless floating, but a leap after the gravity of reality.
In the first two years of the group, the income was almost zero at first. Pillowing the dream of music, Yun An often slept in the car. Inu Qing rushed to the performance while reading books. Brother Qian wears many hats and supports his life. There are no generous conditions to start, stand on the surface of the earth, fight for dreams, keep playful, and explore the universe. The resonance of life has become the background music of many people at home and abroad.
On the performance stage, the five people will say: "I hope that our fans and listeners and friends can find their own life BGM (background music) in the songs of the five people."
Not only the protagonist of the movie has a soundtrack, not only the writer can write life, everyone can have their own theme song, can also have their own small book, write the texture and texture of life.
This year, for the first time, the five of them and women's fans have cross-border cooperation, launching the 2024 Play with Time handbook, taking everyone to create life from the perspective of the "protagonist", you are the protagonist who promotes the development of all stories: see all the passages, ups and downs, there are beautiful poetry, or wonderful and interesting.
On the handbook, the five people wrote this paragraph, "If you find the BGM of your life, we are happy for you, indicating that you are on the path you have chosen and are very confident." But if you haven't found that song yet, it's okay, we'll accompany you and find that confidence, which belongs to you."
The handbook is also the most cute and shining foil for everyone who lives seriously, and it is a blessing from the five people and women's fans: freely create and explore the new world that belongs to you.
New World Tour, hoping to always retain the spirit of freshness
In 2023, the five will embark on a new world tour of "Fun in the Universe", challenging the orchestra's rare extended stage. Yun An said that for this performance, the five people seemed to have been preparing for six years.
Under the magnesium light of the Taipei Arena, everyone's blood was boiling and sweating, and the drummer Brother Qian couldn't help shouting on stage: "Little Arena, I'm coming!" In July, five people boarded the Kaohsiung Dome to star, ticket sales were also second-sold, the members said that they were newbies to large-scale performances, we laughed that according to this rhythm, they would soon become veterans, Yun An immediately replied "No, I hope we can always be novices, treat every performance, always have a novice spirit."
"It's very basic that performers like to perform. From indoor performances to outdoor venues, we have the opportunity to rethink, what is the core of the whole concert to bring to the audience. What elements can be added and need to be replaced? There are many things to learn in terms of site planning, stage technology, etc." Speaking of concert performances and attempts, the three quickly switched from laughter mode to professionals.
During the tour, the three often saw familiar fan faces in different cities and different stages, "Their planes and driving cars are faster than us!"
From the outside, the media often say that the five people are popular, but in fact, the audience comes from various large and small stages, campuses, music festivals, and countless performances at signing concerts, gradually accumulating.
In the past seven years, the members of the group have deeply felt the practical weight of "step by step", "It is the energy that everyone has given us to achieve the current five people."
Every stretch of the road is worth celebrating, as is the early end of work
Stay on the road and take the next step. To celebrate yourself is to give the next leg, more energy and gifts.
When they finished their first album, the trio went to the hot stir-fry shop with the team for the first time to celebrate, "when the whole team added up to less than ten people". Later, the third album was released, shortlisted for various awards, and the celebration banquet at the end of the Little Dome concert, more and more people participated in the celebration, "No one swiped the mobile phone, living together in the moment, a very magical moment!" Three people recall.
Celebrating is about giving energy and gratitude to those who support each other in life. It is also to see all kinds of things happening in life, which are all highlights.
"You don't need to wait until you win the prize to celebrate," Yun An said, "You can celebrate anything: finish work at five o'clock today, celebrate!" Brother Qian echoed, "It's daytime when work ends, celebrate!" Inu Qing added, "I started makeup after twelve o'clock in the afternoon, celebrate!" The three of them sang together, "No work today, celebrate!" Walking today has been met with a green light, celebrate!"
In the 2024 Play with Time handbook, the five wrote down all the big and small things worth celebrating along the way from the school period to social work, and saw every little miracle of daily life. Sometimes you have to be a little tricky, a little bit of waste, take a breath, don't feel guilty, stop to celebrate yourself, and look at your own attitude, it will be completely different.
Being alive is just as important every day, and we create every day
After singing the last note on the stage, the excitement ended, through the long snow tunnel, back to Yilan at night, and the three kept their own alone time every day.
Inu Qing used to light candles, take a bath, take care of himself, sink down, and draw a gentle rest for the day; The first thing Yun An did when he went home, poured a glass of ice water that calmed his thoughts, and then petted the cat; Brother Qian's time alone, practicing drums for himself, and writing the itinerary on the hand account, can be regarded as steady.
The group members said that Brother Qian has old-school romantic habits, and the characters are also the most beautiful among the group members. On Brother Qian's handbook, he recorded the drum scores at different stages, and he said that "handwriting is a physical action, written and remembered by the body".
A bright day, a day of rest, each of them through different rituals, set anchors for themselves, and each day is a good ending, which is the average law of the life of the five people.
Yun An shared his feelings about time, whether there was a performance on that day or not, or a special festival, every day passed evenly. "Whether it's December 31 or January 1, treat every day equally, because every day is a new beginning."
"Give yourself Me Time every day and finish it with yourself – because every day we live is equally important, and we create every day."
Dare to create, be happy to celebrate, use music, words, in the universe, explore your own fun and happiness.
Along the way, through day-to-day inspiration gathering and members building on each other, the five have forged a unique path in the music scene. We can also write for ourselves, in a handbook carrying warm hearts, simply stroke by stroke, depicting every page of the living person.
I hope that our listeners and friends can find their own life BGM (background music) in the songs of the five.
As long as you can share the music we like with everyone, you are happy.
I hope that we will always be "newbies" and always have a new spirit in every performance.
Whether it's December 31 or January 1, look at each day as equals, because every day is a new beginning.
Give yourself Me Time every day and finish it with yourself, because every day we live is equally important, and we create every day.