NoSo Shares Origins of New Song “Parasites”: Exclusive
The post NoSo Shares Origins of New Song “Parasites”: Exclusive appeared first on Consequence.
Our recurring new music series Origins is an exclusive platform where musicians can offer insight into their latest release. Today, NoSo shares “Parasites.”
LA-based musician NoSo (real name Abby Hwong) has a preternatural ability to convey the complexities of accepting one’s identity in its entirety. Ahead of their upcoming debut album, Stay Proud of Me, NoSo shares a piece of themselves in the hauntingly mesmerizing single “Parasites.”
Capturing feelings of isolation, “Parasites” manages to find solace in feeling small in an infinitely large universe. NoSo’s journey to finding a space free from judgment is reflected in the music video for the opening track of Stay Proud of Me, and they explore the challenges of finding oneself while navigating an intricate range of emotions during self-discovery.
“Parasites” was made after a season of stagnation, as NoSo tells Consequence. “I recorded and produced the instrumental for ‘Parasites’ and shelved it — I wasn’t feeling very inspired about music in general and was mostly anxious for my upcoming top surgery,” the Korean-American artist explains. “Post-op while recovering, I was unable to play music for six weeks which made me miss it and develop a newfound appreciation. When I returned to my music software and found the ‘Parasites’ instrumental, I wrote lyrics addressing my younger self about gender, surgery, and the blissful, safe future we both are waiting to experience.”
NoSo also reveals how they have artistically recharged and what has re-sparked their love for songwriting. “During the pandemic, I’ve been spending a lot of time journaling and trying to draw/read more. I’ve also been voice-memoing a lot of my thoughts and feelings as a sort of way to self-soothe during this very odd time,” NoSo says. “I just got off east coast tours with Yumi Zouma and Molly Burch which was a great experience. Playing live music again really brought me back to sanity and reminded me how much I love it.”
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As for Stay Proud of Me, out July 8th via Partisan, it’s been in the making for quite a while. “It’s been a long time coming (some of the songs I wrote years ago) and I’m looking forward to finally sharing the music with everyone,” says NoSo.
Watch the video for “Parasites” below, followed by NoSo’s inspiration behind the release.
The Wind Rises by Hayao Miyazaki:
The Wind Rises (Studio Ghibli)
For the video, I sent the Director of Photography Seannie Bryan music videos that star a child protagonist (“Holocene” by Bon Iver, for example) where the character is in huge landscapes to make them appear even smaller in the big, big world. To emphasize this theme of a small character in surreal, nature-oriented scenery, Seannie sent me a screenshot she wanted to recreate from The Wind Rises by Miyazaki.
Yoshitomo Nara:
Yoshitomo Nara is my favorite artist and inspired me to get back into drawing after a long, 10-year dry spell of quitting. I’ve always loved how Nara’s work revolves around kids and animals with a flair of danger (like babies holding knives) because of the juxtaposition between childhood innocence and violence in the world. My music video for “Parasites” centers around a child protagonist attempting to be an adult, longing for freedom by going up to the mountains, but clearly displaying she’s still a kid by eating fruit roll-ups and strawberry milk. The character knows the inevitable consequences she’ll face from others in the future who won’t approve of her, which is why wearing a suit and eating lunch by herself at a park is such a significant moment for her.
Dogs:
Photo by David Pupaza via Unsplash
I wanted my love of dogs to have a little spotlight in the video as well; there are several scenes featuring the vizsla Ellie Anastas, whose real owner Sophia Kim-Anastas is the star of the video. I made Ellie present in the video not only because she’s adorable and sweet, but because the unconditional love and loyalty of dogs are healing when you’re isolated like the character is in the video. I didn’t have a lot of friends as a kid and felt ostracized growing up Asian and trans in a homogenous town, and I always wanted a dog because I knew I’d feel accepted by them without judgment.
My Cousin Sophia:
NoSo’s “Parasites” video
My original idea for the music video was different in terms of visuals — I imagined the protagonist to be around 8 years old. I tried to search for a child actor for a very long time, but I realized 8 years old was too young to display the range of emotions you experience as a trans kid when going through puberty and feeling betrayed by your body. I ended up choosing my cousin Sophia (who also starred in my music video “Suburbia,” wearing a spooky mask) because she’s right at the age I started doing the rituals she does in the video: obsessively drawing portraits of men and leaving it under the bed hoping to wake up looking like that magically, putting on a big hoodie and “lip ring” (that’s actually my mom’s earring), and secretly trying on my dad’s huge suits when no one was home. Sophia absolutely nailed the acting.
Directing and Editing a Video for the First Time:
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
I’ve always been interested in cinema and enjoy writing screenplays in my spare time, so I wanted to really push myself by directing and editing a legitimate video for the first time. I’ve never been super keen on music videos that require lip-synching (unless it’s a very specific concept) and I wanted the “Parasites” video to read more as a documentary or short film with natural shots and scenery. This is a very sentimental and meaningful song for me (my favorite on the record, probably my favorite song I’ve ever written) and I felt like it’d be a powerful statement if I didn’t appear in the video to drive home the message of addressing my younger self, which is the theme of the record. I’m really proud of the song and video, and I hope others feel seen by it as well.
NoSo Shares Origins of New Song “Parasites”: Exclusive
Kelly Park
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