In the years since her 2020 single, Small Ache, the musical output of Iris Zhang has been only occasional, but noteworthy for the excellence of production and delicacy of her songwriting. Supported through the New Music Pan Asian funding scheme, her latest beat-driven alt pop single, Haunted & Free, was included on the NZ On Air Music August NewTracks compilation.

What’s your given name, where were you born and what instruments do you play?

My given name is Yuqing Zhang (张雨清) and I was born in Beijing, China, though I have been living in New Zealand – Ōtautahi initially – since I was six. I’m currently based in Tāmaki Makaurau.
I mainly played flute and Chinese zither (古筝, gu zheng) during my school years. I can do some basic things on piano, guitar and ukulele, which were largely self-taught. And, of course, I sing.

Any other projects that we might we know you from?

A quick search of the NZ Musician archives (am I taking this too seriously?) recalls Ersha Island’s lovely debut EP ‘Back To Our Roots’, for which I featured in a few tracks. Fans of the NZ web series Creamerie may recall hearing a snippet of my last single, Lemon Tree, during an episode of Season 2. My other small claim to fame would be a Glamour video where Shawn Mendes reacted to my cover of his song – though I note with horror that this video is now almost a decade old.

What’s the background to Iris Zhang becoming  a recording artist?

I think there were multiple pathways that sort of naturally converged. I’d sung on a few indie albums and really enjoyed that experience, my cover videos were generating some attention, I’d begun experimenting with songwriting and was itching to trade my career in corporate tax for something more, uh, fulfilling.

Do you use Iris only as an artist name?

No, Iris is my generally used name. Yuqing caused a lot of confusion growing up, so I thought adopting an anglicised name would be easier. That said, I receive a lot of emails addressed to ‘Irish’, so maybe the problem lies elsewhere…When I released by first original single in 2020, I had amassed a decent following on my YouTube account under the name ‘Iris Zhang’, so again, for the sake of convenience I kept it as my artist name as well.

How has your writing evolved from your earliest songwriting work?

My earlier stuff was quite regimented. I wanted every song to be neat and tidy and tell a complete, meaningful story. Recently I’ve been making more of a conscious effort to let go and just embrace the creative journey – it’s a work in progress! These days I’m doing a lot more co-writing, which has been immensely rewarding.

Aside from this release, what’s been the highlight to date?

Probably my set at Ponsonby Social Club last year. It was by no means a perfect performance (at one point I literally fell off the stage), but it was the first time my parents got to see me perform my own music. Landing the Creamerie sync was also very cool.

What made Haunted & Free stand out for you as a single choice?

It’s a bop. And the powers that be concurred because it was selected for NZ On Air funding.

What is the story behind Haunted & Free?

Haunted & Free explores concepts of trauma and growth by framing personal experiences as ghosts.

What’s your favourite moment, musical or lyrical, of the single?

Definitely the latin-flavoured instrumental/flute solo section in the second half.

Who did you record/produce the single with? 

H&F was created at a songwriting camp hosted by Big Fan with Tei and Jefferson Chen (Goodspace), both superb artists and musicians. We kicked off the session by independently brainstorming concepts and discovered that all three of us had written something about wind. This mildly eerie coincidence shaped the opening lyrics (‘I catch your name on chapped lips of strangers, mad choir raging while the wind keeps changing key’).

What would you like listeners to take away from this song?

Ideally, life-changing catharsis. But I’d settle for passive enjoyment and perhaps a spark of curiosity about the artist behind the song.

On Spotify your output has been limited to about one strong single a year since 2020. Why is that?

Ouch! But fair question. I did initially try to venture out as a full-time muso, but was woefully underprepared and also really poorly timed à la pandemic. Since then, I’ve always kept a separate job as a safety net and point of balance. So capacity has always been a competing factor, along with other typical hurdles faced by indie artists (and I guess humans in general) – finance, mental health, direction, self-regulation… but I’m hopeful that H&F marks a turning point, as it forms part of the debut album which I have been working on in tandem. Fingers crossed!

Who else is in your team?

I enlisted Danielle Hao-Aickin (impossibly capable and also an incredible artist in her own right as one half of Ersha Island and, more recently, dān dān) to project manage my debut album, which includes H&F. By industry standards I am well and truly “independent”.

Are there any other musical endeavours you’re working on that we should keep an eye out for?  

Did I mention my upcoming debut album?! It will feature a host of talented local producers including Dan Martin, Christian Tjandrawinata and Devin Abrams. Watch this space.

Can you please name three other local tunes that would fit well on a playlist alongside your song. 

Tei: Sabre
Goodspace: Sit Down
Emily C. Browning: Not Done

Have any of your previous single releases been included on NewTracks?

Yes! Lemon Tree in August 2023, and Like The Other Kids in November ’23.

Have you previously applied for / received NZOA funding? 

H&F received New Music Pan-Asian funding, which does not impose the same eligibility criteria as standard New Music Single funding. I have applied for the latter a few times without success, which is not unexpected as I interpreted some of the criteria wording rather creatively and, even then, just barely met the requisite 10 out of 30.

Have you got any advice around seeking funding for others starting out? 

Don’t give up. Anecdotally, after many unsuccessful applications to one organisation, I sent them a polite, sincere email asking if they had any advice for future applications. They ended up stretching their resources to squeeze me into that year’s programme; apparently they were persuaded by my tenacity. So my advice would be to persevere – even if you only release one song a year!

How can we find you on social media?

Instagram
Facebook
Tiktok

Who did you make the stylish video with?

The MV was produced & directed by Edith Fan and Charlotte Zhang (Light Hunter Studio), choreographed by Zoe White (Black Grace Dance Company), and styled by Ange Kong (Kong core design). It’s definitely the most impressive MV I’ve done to date (thanks to NZOA funding).