Two Girls, a Guitar, and Plenty of Gumption: Q&A With Folk Duo Si Si Yu Fan Ahead of Feb 23 DDC Gig
Hailing from the humble town of Changde in Hunan, Sī Sī Yǔ Fān (斯斯與帆) is steadily gaining a reputation as one of Beijing’s sweetest sounding folk duos. Comprised of breezy singer Zhou Fan (who goes by the stage name Fafa, pictured above left) and soft-touch strummer Liu Yusi (stage name Sisi, pictured above right), the pair has a plaintive, earnest style that is deeply moving but also accessible. Below, Sisi and Fafa tell us more about being one of Beijing's most unique musical duos.
Sisi, how did you become a guitarist?
Sisi: When I was a child I liked to listen to folk songs. In my eyes, there was nothing more elegant than playing the guitar. So I cried and cried to my parents until they finally relented and bought me an erhu. I haven't stopped playing ever since.
And Fafa, how did you get your start as a singer?
Fafa: As a child, my mother always boasted that she had a better voice than me when she was my age. But I wasn't convinced, and would sing old hits that were her favorites around the house all the time! Even if I didn't pursue singing with enough diligence to be a conventional star, I always just enjoyed performing songs that made me happy. To me, singing is just all about self-expression. Hopefully, Sisi feels the same way; I'm quite confident she does!
How did the two of you meet and form your duo?
Fafa: We grew up in the same place. In high school, Sisi founded this little independent music club. I was a year behind her in school and she said she had heard me sing in a recital and loved how I sounded, which I was very flattered by.
Sisi: Yes, early on I heard Fafa sing and was surprised by her natural, raw talent. She has such a lovely voice, it just sounds so beautiful. Our aesthetic is similar, and we make each other very happy as a duo.
So many bands in Beijing are fronted by men. How does it feel to be a female folk duo in this music scene?
Sisi: I think we once dreamed of being singing and dancing idols, but since we couldn't find the right musicians to back us up, we said to ourselves "Let's just form a duo and play ballads, for now." I've been in two all-girl bands before this, one of them with Fafa where she played bass and I played guitar. But in the end, the two of us had a stronger dynamic on our own – one crazy girl and another who is the exact opposite, super quiet!
Who are some of your key influences?
Fafa: Hui-Ting Chen (陳惠婷), the lead singer of [Taiwanese rock troupe] Tizzy Bac had a deep influence on me. I've been a fan since high school and grew up reading about her struggles with depression, and how she would listen to upbeat songs to pump her up before job interviews and other daunting challenges. She helped me realize music can give you confidence anytime you're contending with doubts.
Si Si Yu Fan will perform at DDC's post-Spring Festival reopening party on Feb 23 alongside alt-rockers No Trace, psychedelic folk rocker Dan Taylor, and blues rockers OOC. Alternatively, read about the rest of this weekend's gigs via our weekly Noise Pollution blog here.
More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photos courtesy of the band, DDC
