Photo courtesy of the artist
Singer-songwriter Yuika has a knack for transforming seemingly mundane objects or memories into poignant reflections on mental health, self acceptance, or even cultural barriers. On her as-of-yet untitled debut EP, due out this summer, the song “Microwave Tea” mirrors her life right now, repeating the same patterns like reheating a cup of lukewarm tea, which isn’t as satisfying as something fresh. “Obento” reflects on her assimilation to the US at age four and her growing appreciation for her mother, who lovingly packed her lunchboxes of rice. And the music video we’re premiering today, “Surfboard,” can be summed up by the chorus: “Help a girl out, ’cause she’s on a surfboard and you’re on a motorboat.”
Harkening back to the original pop surfers, the “Surfboard” video opens with the Beach Boys’ “Surfer Girl” before someone snaps off the radio with a psychedelic transition to Yuika’s light jazzy twist on the singer-songwriter genre. Wistful guitar and low but thudding drum beats abruptly transition to jaunty piano chord progressions and smooth snares. Director Henry Caughey pairs the song’s seeming lightness with scenery on beach boardwalks and carnival rides, but Yuika maintains a pensive expression as she sings.
The song is about carving the waves of life — its ups and downs can be a little too much for the surfer girl. From far away, she might seem like a happy and sweet love interest, but when you look up close, she’s struggling and feeling a little awkward. When the surfer sees someone on a motorboat, he cruises on by without offering a lifeline. Juxtaposed against the carefree Beach Boys, “Surfboard” frames the surfer girl of yore as her own person with her own needs and wants and gripes.
The lifelong pianist tries not to stay in the same place, style-wise, but she admits that can be hard sometimes. Collaborations have helped her break out of the singer-songwriter mold. She says collaborating with friends such as Jordan McLean from System Dialing Records, “pushed me in a direction I never explored for myself…It still felt very me, but channeling a different part of me.” You’ll hear some electronic influence in “Surfboard,” but be sure to tune into Yuika’s EP to hear how she’s expanded her sound beyond her early inspirations of Regina Spektor, J-pop classics like Yumi Matsutoya and Shiina Ringo, and more recently, Mitski and Hiatus Kaiyote.
Yuika, born in Japan, says she was a really quiet kid because she didn’t speak much English when her family emigrated. But she always loved music. When the opportunity came to perform in the first grade talent show, singing about an acorn sprouting into an oak tree allowed her to grow confident in herself. “Singing gave me a voice I thought I didn’t have. It made me want to write songs and express my thoughts. It was where I was most comfortable being myself.” By age 9, she wrote a song about how much she loved her mom, accompanied by her dad playing chords on piano. Her own piano lessons that soon followed carried her through her popular music degree at Goldsmiths, University of London and her studio composition MFA at SUNY Purchase.
In a pre-quarantine world, Yuika had the chance to return to Japan as a musician to perform at Saravah Tokyo. “I performed with these talented Japanese artists. I was just happy to be a part of it. Growing up, I didn’t think I had a part of any community in Japan, so being with people who appreciated my music was nice for me.” Sounds like wherever Yuika points her surfboard, she’ll be able to carve her way forward.
Photo courtesy of the artist