Thao Nguyen
Telling Tales with Tunes
2008-01-10
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The typical lad or lady in their early 20s is slowly working toward a stable career, coming to learn their likes and dislikes and finding their own little niche in life. Such is not the case for Thao Nguyen. The 23-year-old Virginian is a college graduate with a clearly defined niche, but it doesn't involve her degree. Nguyen’s passion is music, which she creates by plunking and strumming chipper beats, adding her own self-layered vocals and telling first-person tales that break and flow with melody. Her sound is then expanded upon to create a fuller noise compliments of Nguyen’s band, The Get Down Stay Down.
Nguyen is a self-taught musician, and her urge to learn an instrument came originally from Sarah Mclachlan and her creation of the Lilith fair.
“More than anything, I saw women playing music — well actually no, I'll say it, I was a huge fan and I still think Fumbling Towards Ecstasy is a great album,” Nguyen said.
The experience of seeing solely women showcase their talent as independent musicians left a lasting impression.
“Music is a male-dominated field, so, you kind of have things to prove, because if you walk into a place as a female with an acoustic guitar, good luck.”
From the start, Nguyen has worked hard at her craft to be held in esteem as purely a musician, rather than a female musician.
“There were guys who would come up and say, ‘hey you're good for a girl, you're a good guitar player for a girl,’” Nguyen said. “I would try my best — and still do — to develop as much as I can on the guitar, so they'll shut the fuck up.”
Nguyen entered into the College of William and Mary with a focus on sociology and women’s studies and a knack for writing songs. But as university years progressed, it became all too apparent that music would be her primary focus.
“I was interested in what I studied, but for sure music was the vein, was the artery. School definitely became an afterthought; it showed,” Nguyen said.
School didn't altogether blend into the background, in fact, that education was the base for a lot of her songs. The ideas expressed in her tunes can be “pretty women-centered,” Nguyen said.
For instance, “Swimming Pools” from her latest album We Brave Bee Stings and All references a terrible freshman year spring break experience, where men sat high in balconies, witnessing a wet T-shirt contest and exercising “uninhibited objectifaction of women,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen's words, “We splash our eyes full of chemicals/Just so there’s none left for little girls,” explain that the current generation of women endure sexism in hopes to overcome it and prevent it for future girls. This is Nguyen’s most politically charged tune, something the artist rarely dabbles in, because “it's a lot of responsibility I'm not interested in,” Nguyen said.
The College of William and Mary was not only a source for song material, but the arena in which the formation of Nguyen’s band, The Get Down Stay Down, came to be. Starting with drummer Willis Thompson, who approached Nguyen with pre-made drum parts for her solo EP which had been wandering through campus. The two became a duo, followed by the addition of Frank Stewart (guitar) and finally Adam Thompson (bass). The group has now become a “hugely collaborative effort,” Nguyen said.
However, aside from flexibility with instrumental parts, the songs are formed for the most part by Nguyen.
“I’m actually a huge control freak, and I wouldn't want anyone even if they wanted to,” Nguyen said.
Although school plays its part in song inspiration, the biggest source of fuel is Nguyen's mother.
“She's incredible, a lot of the songs that I write are directly or indirectly for her, about her,” Nguyen said.
On “Feet Asleep” Nguyen speaks as her mother if she were to complain, something according to Nguyen she seldom, if ever, has attempted.
“My life growing up with my mom has given me the most humanity,” Nguyen said.
Aside from learning from her mother, Nguyen spent an overwhelming amount of time glued to the television, which has given her a self-proclaimed personality made from a combination of television shows, including Roseanne, The Cosby Show, Saved By the Bell and Full House. Today, with no television to her name, Nguyen only has encounters with the tube on airplanes, and then it’s mostly reality shows.
Inspiration may vary, but a very personal constant remains in Nguyen’s writing.
“I write almost exclusively autobiographically, even if I do take on another voice,” Nguyen said. “All the songs are incredibly personal, and I have to borrow from real things or else I don't even know what to say.”
Nguyen is a self-taught musician, and her urge to learn an instrument came originally from Sarah Mclachlan and her creation of the Lilith fair.
“More than anything, I saw women playing music — well actually no, I'll say it, I was a huge fan and I still think Fumbling Towards Ecstasy is a great album,” Nguyen said.
The experience of seeing solely women showcase their talent as independent musicians left a lasting impression.
“Music is a male-dominated field, so, you kind of have things to prove, because if you walk into a place as a female with an acoustic guitar, good luck.”
From the start, Nguyen has worked hard at her craft to be held in esteem as purely a musician, rather than a female musician.
“There were guys who would come up and say, ‘hey you're good for a girl, you're a good guitar player for a girl,’” Nguyen said. “I would try my best — and still do — to develop as much as I can on the guitar, so they'll shut the fuck up.”
Nguyen entered into the College of William and Mary with a focus on sociology and women’s studies and a knack for writing songs. But as university years progressed, it became all too apparent that music would be her primary focus.
“I was interested in what I studied, but for sure music was the vein, was the artery. School definitely became an afterthought; it showed,” Nguyen said.
School didn't altogether blend into the background, in fact, that education was the base for a lot of her songs. The ideas expressed in her tunes can be “pretty women-centered,” Nguyen said.
For instance, “Swimming Pools” from her latest album We Brave Bee Stings and All references a terrible freshman year spring break experience, where men sat high in balconies, witnessing a wet T-shirt contest and exercising “uninhibited objectifaction of women,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen's words, “We splash our eyes full of chemicals/Just so there’s none left for little girls,” explain that the current generation of women endure sexism in hopes to overcome it and prevent it for future girls. This is Nguyen’s most politically charged tune, something the artist rarely dabbles in, because “it's a lot of responsibility I'm not interested in,” Nguyen said.
The College of William and Mary was not only a source for song material, but the arena in which the formation of Nguyen’s band, The Get Down Stay Down, came to be. Starting with drummer Willis Thompson, who approached Nguyen with pre-made drum parts for her solo EP which had been wandering through campus. The two became a duo, followed by the addition of Frank Stewart (guitar) and finally Adam Thompson (bass). The group has now become a “hugely collaborative effort,” Nguyen said.
However, aside from flexibility with instrumental parts, the songs are formed for the most part by Nguyen.
“I’m actually a huge control freak, and I wouldn't want anyone even if they wanted to,” Nguyen said.
Although school plays its part in song inspiration, the biggest source of fuel is Nguyen's mother.
“She's incredible, a lot of the songs that I write are directly or indirectly for her, about her,” Nguyen said.
On “Feet Asleep” Nguyen speaks as her mother if she were to complain, something according to Nguyen she seldom, if ever, has attempted.
“My life growing up with my mom has given me the most humanity,” Nguyen said.
Aside from learning from her mother, Nguyen spent an overwhelming amount of time glued to the television, which has given her a self-proclaimed personality made from a combination of television shows, including Roseanne, The Cosby Show, Saved By the Bell and Full House. Today, with no television to her name, Nguyen only has encounters with the tube on airplanes, and then it’s mostly reality shows.
Inspiration may vary, but a very personal constant remains in Nguyen’s writing.
“I write almost exclusively autobiographically, even if I do take on another voice,” Nguyen said. “All the songs are incredibly personal, and I have to borrow from real things or else I don't even know what to say.”
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