Fiji Blue's music has always been a solace for heartache and healing, so it comes as no surprise their live shows are the same. 

Most recently, the chill house act wrapped up their first-ever Asia tour, bringing a wave of tears and sentimental feels across the region. Fiji Blue has always made it a point to create a refuge for their listeners to feel what they feel, so whether you were in the mood to cry or dance—or maybe, even both at the same time, there was always space at their shows. 

Ahead of their Asia tour, Bandwagon had a quick chat with Fiji Blue's Trevor Dering to talk about the magic of their live shows, their latest record I Loved You, What Happened?, and what's next. 

You opened your Southeast Asia tour a couple of weeks ago in Manila, what was the Manila crowd like?

The Manila crowd was crazy in the best way possible. I feel like they knew every single word—the Fiji Blue-niverse, which is this fan base [in the Philppines] that was created recently were there and they're growing every day. I feel like Manila was super surreal in the fact that I've been getting messages by the thousands from Filipino fans for years so finally, to be there in person and to experience it live, it blew my expectations away, which are already so high. So the Minella fans were wonderful. I cannot wait to be back already. They were outstanding.

 

 

 

 

 

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How do you prepare for a live show? Do you have any pre-show rituals? Walk us through what usually goes on backstage, as you count down to the show time. 

I usually pace the room more often than I should. But right beforehand, we kind of clear the room and just have the band in the room. My wonderful drummer, Joe kinda does a huddle with us and calms everybody down and puts everyone in the right perspective of emotions to step out on stage.

And yeah, I feel like it's just some nice breathing exercises and just to get appreciation for being in the moment, to not let it pass by, and to just kind of be grounded in that exact moment. I'm trying to do that as best as I can.

What song do you love performing live and why?

To me, I feel like 'Affection', it's like my favourite song. Currently. It's typically the first song I play in this set so it just sets me in the right mood. I feel like everybody's screaming the words right off the bat, just needing affection and it just really sets that starting point for what I want this experience of this live show to be—which is love, heartbreak, and everything in between, but it starts out with a little love. I love that.

Your songs take on very intimate and personal stories, what is it like taking those on stage and performing them for so many people?

It's really such a treat because the songs are written so vulnerably but to be on stage kind of in front of everybody—it's more so you're with everybody. I feel like everybody listens to and experiences the song differently but being on stage is kind of the opposite feeling of what I think people would expect.

I actually feel more comfortable in the moment with everybody because I feel like these songs are telling stories of mine that I really am still trying to get over. And I feel like being on stage with everybody gives me kind of a step forward and sometimes a step back emotionally depending on what the song is about. But it's just really something special that I love being a part of every night.

What do you hope people take away when watching a Fiji Blue show?

I hope people feel things, as silly as that may sound. I stress that this music is meant to be listened to in a way that it's okay to feel the way you feel. Whether you're coming to the show completely heartbroken recently from a relationship or coming completely in love, I just want to have people know that it's okay to feel and be wherever they're at in their minds and hearts. And just to kind of let go, and just to be there in that hour and 15 that we're all together and just be there with everybody.

Going to your latest EP, it stays true to Fiji Blue's signature brand of being set yet hopeful. What was the creative process behind the album?

I feel like the EP—it's funny, I always have to say [EP] because the debut album is coming out next year, which I'm working on for sure—but the EP is a message between the starts and ends of relationships and everything in between. I Loved You, What Happened? kind of incorporates that idea of you're confused at the end of a relationship standing there which is such a terrible thing that nobody should have to experience but unfortunately, a lot of people do.

Some [of the songs] were even written in older times but they found their way into this collection and this little book that we put together that tells the stories of heartbreak and the ways in which you get there, which is never a fun experience, but also on the other side again, the silver linings of heartbreak, and what you can get to afterwards, which is new love.

What's next for Fiji Blue?

What's next is a little bit of sleep after this tour, but then afterwards, at the start of the year, we start writing the debut album, which I'm so excited to finally be able to do. As an artist. It's just a dream to be able to start that first album, and I cannot look forward to anything more than to finally be writing again and putting together the next chapter and story for Fiji Blue. 

Listen to I Loved You, What Happened? here.