Few bands have solidified a space for themselves in the Chinese rock narrative the way PK14 have. Active for more than 20 years, the foursome have grown from a plucky DIY punk troupe in Nanjing to an act often cited as not just one of, but the most influential band in China. In their music and lyrics, they’ve always struck a delicate balance between embodying the protest ethos of punk and a more thoughtful, reflective quality, which has inspired legions of younger bands and catapulted them to international renown.
The band is comprised of guitarist Xu Bo, bassist Shi Xudong, drummer Jonathan Leijonhufvud (who’s Swedish but has lived in China for much of his life), and vocalist Yang Haisong. Yang especially is the band’s tour de force; with his expansive songwriting, emotional vocal delivery and the oft-photographed signature jump-kicks he does onstage, he’s played a major role in developing the band’s complexity over the course of their five studio albums, from earlier, more rough-and-ready records like 2005’s White Paper to 2013’s album of thoughtful social critique, 1984.
This quiet rebellion and singularity of mind that comes across in Yang’s stage presence and lyrics also reveals itself in conversation. “I learned a lot in these 20 years, and I’m still learning,” he says. “I’d rather let things flow smoothly and naturally, keeping my curiosity and creativity.”
Because of their celebrated status and their 20-year output, PK14 is one of the few Chinese bands that has garnered lasting attention from international music critics. Yang is regularly interviewed by publications outside China and asked to analyze and speak for the nation’s entire diverse music scene, something we imagined must be stressful. “Yes, sometimes,” Yang says, in response to whether he feels pressure being this kind of spokesperson for Chinese rock. “But I guess since I have been involved in the music scene for more than 20 years, it’s pretty natural that people want to know more about the scene from me and my experience. And also, I like to read books about the stories of the music scene in other cities, like Chicago, DC, or Manchester. It inspires us a lot.”
The fact that they care deeply about nurturing the music scene in both Beijing and the country as a whole also contributes to their willingness to occasionally be the face of it. Yang is always quick to praise other bands – he has mentioned Shanghai all-girl psych-rock trio Dream Can in several interviews (including our own) and is helping to produce their debut album. He also cites noise rockers Lonely Leary from Beijing as promising acts. Both bands are fairly young and green, but have a distinctive, fully realized sound, something he clearly looks for and appreciates.
Much of PK14’s long-lasting appeal also comes from their continued innovation. Their most recent album, released in 2015, is an improvised live recording performed in collaboration with visual artist Sun Qiuchen at the art museum UCCA in Beijing, aptly titled Music for an Exhibition. Split into four 15-to-20-minute tracks, it moves through ambient noise to grinding post-rock to dreamy soundscapes, with Yang chanting ritualistically. “We were pretty nervous before the show; not for the performance part, but for recording part,” says Yang of the project. “It was one take with no overdub recording, so I was a little worried that we would not record a good take. But when we listened back to the recording, we all loved it.” The whole project reveals the band’s tendency to continue experimenting and not take themselves too seriously.
With notable exceptions like the Music for an Exhibition show and their set for Split Works 10th Anniversary party in Shanghai last fall, PK14 hasn't performed too often since the tour of their last studio album, 1984, in 2013. They’re currently at work on a new album, and will embark on an expansive China tour this month for the first time in years. But rather than an album release tour, it will be a warm-up tour to help them experiment with the way their new songs sound and feel in a live setting. Yang explains that the setlist will showcase their new material mixed with songs from City Weather Sailing and 1984, two of their most celebrated albums. “It has no name yet,” Yang says of the upcoming album. “The songs are still pretty rough and we need to find out their own characters on the road.”
PK14 will invite different bands to open for them in each city that they tour through next month, another way in which they’re using their own fame to buoy up-and-comers. The very fact that they see touring the album throughout China as a way to explore and add texture to its theme and sounds makes clear the value they find in the music scene as a whole – both in its musicians and its fans. “We wrote all these new songs in studio,” Yang says, “but you know, sometimes as a rock band, our songs need to be played and get energy from the stage. We think that after the tour, we will understand these songs much better and record them better.”
Shanghai: June 10, 8.30pm, RMB100 presale, RMB150 door. Mao Livehouse, see event listing.
Guangzhou: June 17, 8.30pm, RMB100 presale, RMB150 door. SD Livehouse, see event listing.
Shenzhen: June 18, 8.30pm, RMB100presale, RMB150 door. B10 Live, see event listing.
Beijing: June 24, 8.30pm, RMB100 presale, RMB150 door. Yue Space, see event listing.
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