Where are you located?

Southport, Indiana.

What is your artist's name?

Sang Lian Uk.

How long have you been writing music?

In terms of singing a capella (since I didn't learn guitar until much later), I started when I was 14 years old. In terms of writing words to music, I started when I was 16.

What inspired you to start playing and making music?

I sang as soon as I could walk, and things went from there.

What were the driving forces or pivotal moments that inspired you to pursue music?

I was in a creative rush as a teenager. Being a teenager was confusing and emotionally complex, so I decided to fully commit to writing as much as I could.

How would you describe your style of music?

For lyrics, I usually either provide a scene or talk about myself in a false sense of "say what you mean" at first, but when you look at it, it could easily apply to any situation the listener relates to. Most of my albums can be considered "coming of age," but I like to see it as a caterpillar in its cocoon.

How is your personality reflected in your work?

I try to keep a balanced mind. I don't want to write stiff music, but at the same time, I want to add a bit of intrigue to veil the true intentions of the work.

Describe your creative process when you write new music.

I usually have an experience or think back to past experiences to form a skeletal idea, an embryo of what I'm going to write about. I go to my laptop, write down the first few lines, and then get my guitar. It's a back-and-forth process.

What is the name of your latest release?

Dandelion.

What was the inspiration for that release?

This release is my "butterfly" record; the first album was the caterpillar thinking about himself, the second album was the cocoon, and this record is the "am I fully ready yet?" album. I still have a lot to learn, but I might explore subjects that aren't about "I just experienced this." I see this album as a finishing send-off to that general theme.

What challenges or unexpected moments did you encounter during the writing/recording process?

There was the issue of burnout. Emotionally, during the last few days in June, I felt numb. I had already recorded the other songs, but I didn't like a song I wrote for the album because I thought it was cringeworthy. So I dug up an old song of mine that I hadn't finished, put a new spin on it, and that was that.

What strategies do you find most effective for promoting your music?

I want a smooth balance between posting covers of songs and music-related material in general, along with promoting my own stuff.

How do you engage with your fans online and offline?

I'm not an influencer in the traditional sense, but if that role was thrust upon me, I want to use it to further the shared interests between me sharing my music and the fans listening to it. I thank them for listening and giving my stuff a try.

What upcoming promotional activities or releases are you most excited about?

As soon as I shake off the emotional chill I've been feeling, I want to write more and hopefully perform live. The problem is, due to a delay in getting my license, it's out of my control. But as soon as I get it, I should be able to perform live for the first time, get on the circuit, make new musician friends, and collaborate on projects.

How can folks contact you (socials/email/websites, etc.)?

For music-related stuff, my TikTok handle is @skipperhill5. My Instagram is @slainsly, and my YouTube channel is "Sang Lian Uk Music" - it's the one with the S on a green background.