What inspired the name of the band? What are your influences?
My mum and her family are from Trinidad, and my dad and his family are from Hong Kong; they met in London working in the hospitals, and so my family heritage is very mixed, not just in country but also culture, and that fusion kind of describes my influences.
I feel as though I am from multiple places and nowhere specific at the same time – a citizen of the universe! The spelling of “DUEL” is both a play on the word “DUAL” and also reflects that ongoing battle I have in myself over so many things – not so much in the “war” sense, but in the Yin and Yang sense – the continuous dancing of opposite forces which are interconnected.
How do you approach songwriting?
My songs almost always start in a meditative trance of sorts – I’m usually alone and I am simply sitting at the piano or playing the guitar, and let whatever comes out to come out. At some stage, when I’m ready and they’re ready, I will share songs with my band, who add their own flavour, as bands do.
Quite often I dream about songs, and as soon as I wake up, I reach for my phone to record what I remember from the dream before it gets lost from memory. In that sense, I really like to adjust my sleeping opportunities to get as much REM sleep as possible!
Why do you write the sort of music that you do?
Beyond the influences of my childhood, which ranged from pop to rock to calypso to traditional Chinese classical and so on, I write the music I write because that is what is in me. Very often it’s not genre-based at all – however, it is always song-based. I love songs. I love listening to authentic songs from all ages, and all I hope to do is to contribute back into the world of music that I gained so much from myself during my life.
How do you decide what to perform live?
It mostly comes down to the venue and the overall theme of the show. We’ve been fortunate enough to play grungy gigs, intimate productions, and perform in a live theatre setting, and so the songs generally lean in towards the energy of the show, or at least what I hope it to be. I’m really very determined to serve the song for what it is though – to find and express its true essence, and adapt it to suit the limitations of live performance whilst maintaining that essence.
What plans do you have for the future?
SO many! I’m really excited about the rest of 2022, with two new singles, some fun live shows, and to continue working on a passion very close to my heart, which is finding ways that making and sharing music – whether digitally or physically – can be “restorative” – environmentally as well as socially.