From The Horse's Mouth: Judy Kang on S/T

Judy Kang


Violinist Judy Kang has an impeccable resume.  In addition to earning her Master’s Degree from Julliard at age 19, she’s worked with the likes of Lady Gaga (she played on the MonsterBall World Tour) and Pierre Boulez.  And she’s an artist in her own right, marrying lively, evocative classical playing with such disparate influences as Bjork-inspired vocals, indie, electronica and hip-hop. Her multi-instrumental compositions, rooted in a love of classical and chamber music, explore how to make violin music for modern audiences in beautiful and often surprising ways.
Ghettoblaster caught up with Kang to discuss her self-titled, self-released album that will debut for the world to hear on March 5.  This is what she said about it…
When did you begin writing the material for your most recent album?  
The last night of Feb, 2012 was when I wrote the first song on the album.
What was the most difficult song to take from the initial writing stage through recording and mixing?  Why was it so troublesome?
Probably “Champagne and Chandelier.” Structurally, it doesn’t really follow any standard form of a song. It has a lot of layers and the challenge was mostly in balancing and mixing the different voicings.
Which of the songs on the record is most different from your original concept for the song?
I think “Electric Sun” turned into something very cool and not the original concept I had intended for it. Ultimately, the song is expressive of what I had wanted to say with it.
Did you have any guest musicians play or sing on the record?
I had friends who played guitar on a few songs, a drummer on one song, and my audio engineer/mixer play bass on a song.
Who produced the record?  What input did that person have that changed the face of the record?
I produced all the songs with the help of my mixer who co-produced on two songs.
Is there an overarching concept behind your new album that ties the record together? 
The first song I recorded back in February really inspired me to do a full album. It was a real “intro” type song and I visualized a live performance. I began to record with the notion of developing themes and motifs that connect each song but with the idea to explore different sides to myself.
Have you begun playing these songs live and which songs have elicited the strongest reaction from your fans?
I performed a couple songs off the album thus far but have had a few people hear the album. “Genesis,” “Strawberry Dream,” “You, Champagne and Chandelier,” “Everything is Pink,” “Over the Moon,” “All That Remains/Hope”, and “Horizon” got the most reactions.