Gamers of a sure age would possibly bear in mind FIFA 06 for its legendary intro film, or the faces of a younger Wayne Rooney and Brazil legend Ronaldinho gracing the duvet. However for a younger Towa Hen, the factor that had essentially the most influence was the twanging electrical guitar riff of LCD Soundsystem’s Daft Punk Is Enjoying At My Home that blasted from the title display.

Towa Hen is much from the one one initiated into the world of guitar due to a online game soundtrack, however together with her its affect was a profound one. Immediately, the Hong Kong-born, British-Filipino artist is an internet-moulded guitar star, adored by each the music and trend industries. She opened for Billie Eilish on her Hit Me Exhausting and Tender tour and appeared as a guitarist on Olivia Rodrigo’s Driving Dwelling 2 U documentary. She’s a daily face for Italian excessive trend model Miu Miu, and has toured together with her girlfriend Reneé Rapp.

All of it feels a good distance from when she would sit on livestreams sharing private coming-out tales, cool viral guitar covers and authentic songs on-line to some hundred followers. So, as Hen fizzles onto our Zoom display for her Guitar.com cowl interview, there’s loads to have fun.

Most pressingly, there’s her brand-new second studio album, Gentleman, which has been lauded for its riffy, sizzling queer tracks within the guise of 60s-meets-70s rock, dipping into riot grrrl territory in addition to alt-pop and synth palettes.

“It’s arduous to type of summarise two years,” Hen ponders casually, flicking by way of album anecdotes – flying between Los Angeles and New York, working with producer Patrick Wimberly (the previous member of Chairlift who has credit with MGMT and Blood Orange), ending writing final November and on the brink of let go of a year-long challenge.

“It’s actually troublesome to not connect your total self-worth and the reception proper earlier than I put it out. I used to be so giddy, like a baby, with pleasure and pleasure,” she smiles. Quickly after Gentleman dropped, nonetheless, Hen was able to step apart and let followers and critics alike depart their mark on the album. “I knew I wanted to anchor myself on this feeling, as a result of I do know as quickly because it goes out, individuals put their two cents in and inform me their opinions and the sensation type of adjustments,” she explains.

“Being a guitarist, that’s actually fucking vital to me. It’s the explanation why I bought into music within the first place”

Poster Woman

Hen’s star started to essentially rise together with her debut album, American Hero, again in 2024 – however she by no means actually imagined that songs just like the amped up B.I.L.L.S or the lusty, smirking Drain Me would resonate with an viewers so powerfully.

“It’s all actually been actually fucking mind-blowing, to be sincere,” she displays. “I had no fantasy of the place I might be; I do know that loads of artists develop up being advised I’m going to turn out to be a pop star or a rock star, however I by no means felt that manner.” That doesn’t imply she lacked ambition. Hen was working arduous to construct her profession lengthy earlier than her solo profession took off, most notably enjoying guitar on tour with Cassyette, earlier than issues fell into place.

“I care so deeply about what I do and I put a lot effort into it, however I by no means actually had the fantasy ingredient to it,” she explains. “I believe that comes from a spot of insecurity reasonably than safety, as a result of I by no means actually gave myself the permission to have these huge, huge desires.

“Coming from a blended household, immigrant mother and father, and there’s a degree of realness, and of their tradition and that’s what they handed all the way down to me. It’s way more of an American ideology to dream huge and want for what you need, and within the UK that’s not essentially the case.”

The arduous work has received Hen a broad and extremely lively fanbase – one which transcends the standard on-line guitar viewers – and he or she admits that she maybe downplayed her guitar artistry consequently.

“With the primary report, I had such a deep want to show myself,” she says. “I wished individuals to take me significantly as an artist and as a singer-songwriter, and transfer away from the guitarist label. Now, within the second album, I really feel way more enthusiastic about being a guitarist and that’s actually fucking vital to me – it’s the explanation why I bought into music within the first place.”

If her earlier music wasn’t about celebrating method, it nonetheless confirmed one thing elementary and vital – inspiring connection, resonating with the hum of the guitar, and discovering a degree of self-acceptance that she continues to construct on.

“I undoubtedly really feel a lot extra aligned with who I’m and, with the following album, I hope I’ll proceed to get even nearer,” she says. “I fell in love with this instrument, so I believe it could be a disservice to myself and the viewers to place that within the background. I believe that comes with rising up a bit, turning into extra assured in your self, and remembering who you’re.”

“I had no fantasy of the place I might be… I by no means actually gave myself the permission to have these huge, huge desires”

Chord Idea

To grasp how entwined Towa Hen’s artistry is with the guitar, and the way she thinks about music, it’s value noting that she chooses to speak about her musical evolution by way of her favorite guitar chords.

Again within the day, she proudly advised an interviewer of her love of the Emaj7 chord. “I believe that’s type of humorous!” she displays now. “It’s like a illustration of the place I used to be. The E main seven is an excellent and vibrant chord. It’s an prolonged chord, so there are extra notes within the precise chord itself.

“It’s form of humorous as a result of that’s consultant of how I used to be making an attempt to show myself. Now, I’ve simplified, so I am going for an E energy chord, which is basically the identical. It’s mainly all the similar notes, minus two, so it’s way more simple – it’s the individuals’s chord!”

In terms of her instrument of selection, whereas she’s turn out to be synonymous together with her black and gold Gibson Firebird, she’s moved right into a extra semi-hollow course of late – leaning on the indeniable charms of a cherry crimson ES-335.

“I’ve been actually having fun with utilizing it; it’s an enormous physique,” she explains. “They’re simply huge and form of like Beatlesy and like very 60s. The rationale why I adore it a lot is as a result of it’s big and so resonant due to the acoustic physique. You’ll be able to really feel the vibrations towards your abdomen and chest as you play it.

“It’s extra of a holistic expertise the place you possibly can really feel the music. As a substitute of an extension, it feels way more like an attachment, and has a heat and good sound. It’s very basic, and one of many oldest electrical guitars, so it’s been round for many of in style music historical past.”

“I fell in love with this instrument, so I believe it could be a disservice to myself and the viewers to place that within the background”

Safety Blanket

Hen’s first brush with guitars got here at a younger age, throughout faculty classes when she lived in Thailand. In these early days, she persevered due to her dad’s insistence that she had expertise, however these days the instrument is an extension of her sense of self. “It offers me a way of safety. Once I’m on stage, and I don’t have my guitar, I really feel fucking bare,” she admits.

There’s a throughline in her life and artwork, the place instrument, id and sound mesh. Hen had no intentions of turning into “the lesbian Mick Jagger”, however after watching an awe-inspiring Jimi Hendrix documentary (and loads of outdated YouTube tutorials), Hen picked up sufficient methods. Flipping the script, then, with Gentleman, was playful subversion, bringing her personal queer lens to gender.

“Once I was rising up, I by no means actually noticed myself becoming into any particular field when it comes to sexuality or gender id,” she says. “My androgyny comes from a spot of consolation in the identical manner {that a} guitar made me really feel actually snug.”

Olivia Rodrigo is a pop artist who can be credited with inducting a brand new era of followers to the magic of guitar, and the celebration of music from a bygone age. It’s one thing that Hen bought to expertise up shut, and has clearly left an impression.

“Actually, one of many issues that I really feel about Olivia – whereas she’s on a distinct degree – we’re type of doing [things] in tandem,” she says. “I had Kathleen [Hanna] on my report and [Olivia] has Robert Smith, and he or she did one thing with David Byrne as properly, not too long ago. We’re bringing these legacy artists and bringing it to people who find themselves possibly below 21.”

The Hanna collab in query is the monitor All Gone, which sees Hen and the Bikini Kill icon experience skittering drums, energy chords and buzzed-up vocals. It’s an indication and a reminder that riot grrrl music is prospering and the guitar scene is anybody’s sport.

“After we had been penning this report, we had been sending reference playlists backwards and forwards, and on each single playlist was a Bikini Kill music or certainly one of Kathleen’s data,” Hen remembers. “So once we had been searching for collaborations, we thought we should always simply fucking swing for it and it occurred – I bought my dream.”

“My androgyny comes from a spot of consolation in the identical manner {that a} guitar made me really feel actually snug”

Making Gentleman was an extended course of for Hen – it took practically 12 months for her to get the music to a spot the place she felt revived and genuine. You’ll be able to hear that contemporary enthusiasm within the guitars throughout the album, positively thrumming with hope and panache.

And Towa Hen is in no hurry to plan her subsequent transfer – the thoughtfulness that has come to epitomise her guitar type enjoying out in her profession, whilst she jets world wide from New York to LA, Hong Kong and past.

“I’m not likely speeding to decide. I’m making an attempt to be okay with dwelling within the unknown a bit of bit,” she says. “I’m doing properly as an individual and that may be a basis that’s going to essentially assist inform my subsequent challenge. I’m writing from a spot of safety and pleasure, as a substitute of desperation and approval searching for. I believe a listener can actually inform when it’s writing for oneself reasonably than writing for the world.”

Phrases: Z. Raza-Sheikh
Images: Kristen Jan Wong
Location: 503DTLA