Carsick Cars on China's music and the Olympics

Carsick Cars currently stands next in line as the most likely band in China to make a stab at international success. The new poster boys for the resurgence of Beijing rock will play in Shanghai, at eno and 4 Live, on Aug. 10-11. City Weekend chats with singer/guitarist Shou Wang about their upcoming China tour and the expectations for China's live music scene's future amidst the hype surrounding the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Do you have any special plans for your tour of China?

We have already written three new songs that won't be on the first CD, and we hope to have another, which we will also perform. The first part [of the tour] will be in August just before the CD comes out, but Carsick Cars will go to Germany in September. When we get back in early October, we will do the rest of the tour.

Do your shows in Shanghai give you a special feeling that is different from shows you play in other Chinese cities?

Beijing audiences see so many shows that they sometimes don't get as excited as Shanghai audiences and, for musicians, it helps when the audience is excited. But Shanghai is like Beijing a few years ago because Shanghai audiences still do not trust Chinese musicians as much as foreign musicians.

Will you be doing anything special during the upcoming Beijing Olympics?

Yes. I will find a big box and hide inside. Or maybe I will go to another city.

How do you think the Olympics will affect Chinese rock music?

I think it is good that, thanks to the Olympics, so many foreigners are learning about Chinese music. It helps us because we are getting more concerts abroad and this gives us a chance to work with many great musicians.

When do you plan to release an album? What about performing abroad?

Our CD will come out in early September. Yang Haisong [vocalist of PK14] produced it. Our label [Modern Sky Records] is organizing a US tour for early 2008 and we are supposed to go to Europe before the end of this year. Nevin from D22 [Club in Beijing] is also organizing a tour for us this year of Australia, I think, with Joyside and Hedgehog.

What is your vision of Chinese rock in the future?

When Joyside toured Europe in May and June, they told me they were tired of being a Chinese band. They want to be a rock band from China. My hope is that soon no one will ask us about Chinese music any more, just like no one asks Sonic Youth what it is like to be an American band.