Cover Leah Dou at Clockenflap in December 2023 (Photo: courtesy of Clockenflap)
Leah Dou at Clockenflap in December 2023 (Photo: courtesy of Clockenflap)
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The singer, songwriter and actress, who was in Hong Kong for Clockenflap, talks to Tatler about her latest album—from the creative process behind it to why there’s a goose on the cover
Writing, composing and producing not one but four successful albums by the age of 27 is no mean feat. But Hong Kong singer-songwriter Leah Dou has achieved just that. The latest one from her repertoire is the ten-songs-long album 春游 (which translates to “spring outing”), which she released in April 2023—almost 12 years after starting her music career. Mixing trip-hop, jazz and R’n’B, the project stands out for its raw authenticity, and its therapeutic-like throwback to the early 2000s.
With it, Dou continues to carve her own path in the industry: far from her illustrious music family (she is the daughter of Hong Kong singer Faye Wong and Chinese rock musician Dou Wei) and far from the mainstream scene. Be it her award-winning acting career, her gender-defying fashion statement or her fresh take on the Chinese indie music scene, she’s been challenging established codes for more a decade.
She graced Clockenflap’s stage in December, and Tatler caught up with her at the event to talk about her relationship with live music, her latest album and the philosophy of simplicity.
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You were fantastic on stage. How did you feel about performing at Clockenflap eight years after your last performance?
It’s nerve-racking to come back to Hong Kong and play again, especially since it’s been so long. I always feel that there’s room for improvement—and maybe I’m reading too much into it. I’m just a bit awkward sometimes. But we have so much more new material, including my latest album 春游 (or “spring outing”). Also, it was the first time I played live with the other musicians on stage, and a lot of them come from Hong Kong. So, it was very daunting for all of us, but also something that we all very much looked forward to. I’m really happy about our performance.
Your relationship with the audience felt so unique. You’re mixing English, Mandarin and Cantonese while joking around, like if you are talking to friends.
I guess I’m a combination of different cultures. Which has its good and bad sides, but today I’m decided to take things easy. I just want to share good vibes with the people around me.
Do you have more fun in the studio or on stage?
I’m definitely a studio person. By nature, I love the creative process of my music. I also love writing and arranging. But I think I’m slowly finding my niche for live performances. I’m still discovering what I like and what I don’t, but I’m definitely [headed in the right direction].
Can you tell me more about the creative process of your latest album?
春游 [“spring outing”] is my fourth album, and it took me almost three years to make it, to solve the puzzle of transcending my third album. So, this time, the idea was to focus on something not very serious, not very well produced. I wanted to focus on making simple music, especially as my third album, GSG, was created at a time when I faced a lot of criticism, [and was feeling] a lot of dark thoughts. I wanted this one to be different, to be filled by what I’ve learnt since then.
So, only when I decided to do things in a simpler way did I start to piecing things together. Some of the songs were even recorded in my living room. I guess it has to do with your mindset: you can’t create if you’re not in the right mind for it.
Last but not least, why choose a goose as the cover for your fourth album?
Great question! We had different options, but I felt that they were too serious. As I told you, I wanted something simple, something spontaneous. The picture of the goose was taken in Europe, where we recorded this album. We were playing around, the goose were also playing around and almost putting on a show for the photographer. And I just wanted to convey the light-heartedness and the spontaneity of this photo, which is cohesive with the album itself.
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Salomé Grouard was Digital Editor and Front & Female Content Lead at Tatler Hong Kong. Primarily focused on managing Tatler Hong Kong’s digital platform and content, she also covers gender equality, the music scene and sports through interviews with industry leaders, experts and trendsetters.
Interview highlights include renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, Korean actor Park Seo Jun, singer Jorja Smith, Chinese TV host Yue-Sai Kan, YouTuber Kimono Mom, Japanese rapper Awich, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter Mikey Musumeci.
She has also produced stories on revolutionising sexual wellness in Asia, activism within the surfing community, Asian trans musicians reclaiming their narratives through music and looked at the toxicity of gym culture through the lens of the plus-size community. She also covers music festivals, such as Hong Kong’s Clockenflap and Bali’s Suara.
