New York-based indie-rock band PaperDoll is tearing up Shanghai this month with three performances: August 6 at Frexh at MAO Livehouse and August 10 and 11 at the Expo. Frontwoman and keyboardist Teresa Lee tells us everything we need to know before we see them rock Shanghai’s stages.
How did the four of you meet?
Patrick [guitarist] and I met on the open mic circuit and we decided to start a band. We met Jack, our old bassist, through my roommate and then met Chip [drums] through Jack. Jack left and so we found Steve [bass] on Craigslist.
You were featured on the soundtrack of Canadian sex-comedy People I’ve Slept With. What’s it like seeing your music in a film?
It’s awesome. I haven’t actually seen the movie yet, but I’ve seen the trailers and it looks great. It’s edited to look really cutting edge and it really fits the song. It’s bizarre to us, because we’re just a bunch of nerds, and to see our music in this hip, risqué indie film is just amazing.
What’s been your proudest moment so far?
I think it was finishing our CD Ballad Nerd Pop. It felt really good to finish something we all worked very hard on. The album art was created by my brother and it’s perfect. Then again, anytime we play live it feels really good. Just seeing the crowd sing along is amazing.
Do you think you’ve reached more people because the four of you have varied backgrounds?
I think people are hungry for an Asian-American music scene. I feel it in my bones [laughs]. But I think the first thing is that we play good music; it’s an added bonus that people think, “Oh they’re multicolored!”
What’s your favorite song to play?
I like playing ”Anything At All.” I get to sing some Mandarin, and it’s so hilarious to see the different nationalities singing in Chinese.
Who came up with the Chinese?
It was actually my mom and aunt. The whole process was great because I learned how poetic my mom is. My Chinese is not great; I have a 4-year-old’s vocabulary [laughs], but my mom came up with this great line in Chinese and I was like, “Daaamn Mom!”
DETAILS
Who: PaperDoll
When: August 5 - August 11
Where: August 6 at Frexh at MAO Livehouse and August 10 and 11 at the Expo
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