Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Gohst.
Claire, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am a musician and songwriter from sunny Singapore. I moved to the USA in 2013 and found myself in the beautiful city of Boston, where I now live in a colorful neighborhood called Allston.
It’s been quite a journey to get here but I’ll be quick.
Daughter of an ex-military-captain-turned-preacher-man and an accounting lecturer, at the age of 17, I was kicked out of home shortly after my parents found out that I was gay.
For the next few years, I found myself living day to day, month to month, moving from bedroom to bedroom, working odd jobs and playing music to support myself. I found new family and friends in the close-knit gay community, fellow artists and music lovers. I played violin and sang backup in the local music scene, playing covers nightly at various bars across the island.
Fast forward to 2013, I moved to Boston alone after receiving a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music. I arrived with the dream to live freely in America, study music, learn from western culture and begin writing songs.
The melding of my artistic message honed with these musical influences and technological skills gathered over the next few years resulted in the indie-rock project, Paper Citizen in my final year of college. Through Paper Citizen, I have been finding my own voice and a way to share my story, with the hope of connecting back to my roots, as well as with others, through music.
Paper Citizen’s 2nd EP, titled Distraction was just released earlier September. This album is inspired by very personal experiences from the last five years, such as learning the difference from eastern to western cultures, discovering new music, falling in love, heartbreak, the feeling of loneliness, and taking steps to adopt a new home away from home. While being very personal, distraction reflects on the impact of modern technology on our lives, moving between a deep sense of isolation and, on the other hand, constant interconnectedness.
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way? Any advice for other women, particularly young women who are just starting their journey?
Just like any long-distance journey you take, a musical journey a full of surprises, obstacles, and breakthroughs.
I struggled a lot with my family’s acceptance after they found out I was a lesbian, struggled even further when I was thrown out of home and eventually left school to pursue a career in music. Amidst facing rejection from my community of religious friends and family I grew up with, I had discovered what I love doing most – and that was being in music.
Moving to a new country all alone was a struggle. There was the culture shock aspect. The weather shock aspect. The lack of a familiar face I could call upon. Just when I was convinced I’d be alone, I made new friends, new bands and soon enough, new music.
Leaving home twice, first abruptly and the second by choice, left me feeling very lonely and low on self-confidence. At the same time, these situations pushed me to reach out, do things outside of my comfort zone, make new ties and in turn, I was able to grow and re-discover my identity. I still have struggles I am working on, and I don’t think that it will ever truly be smooth-sailing, because we have to push through to earn the little victories. So, I guess my advice is that, even though some experiences feel like they are insurmountable challenges at that moment, they can surprise you and end up being opportunities for growth.
Other than that, my advice to women starting out their journey in music – what a wonderful time to be a female musician! You have all the resources available to you today to make your own music and put it out there. Collaborate. Empower one another. Be kind, bold and persistent – we’re shaping the future for women in music!
We’d love to hear more about your work and your bandt Paper Citizen?
I’m a musician! I front an indie-rock band, Paper Citizen, based here in Boston. What makes me excited about this project is that I’ve been able to combine what I learned as a musician in Singapore – playing guitar, piano and violin, and singing – with what I’ve learned since I’ve moved to Boston – which is songwriting, production, and engineering. I’m proud of the music that we’ve been able to create, two EPs and three singles – I love being able to capture live instruments to create an “organic” sound while being able to add a modern element of synthesis, using technology to enhance and color the music that we produce today.
I think what sets me apart from others is how I apply my skill-set of composition, lyric-writing, audio-engineering knowledge, ears, heart and creativity into the music I’m working on. From orchestration to arrangements, I am meticulous about capturing the right sound to serve the song.
I am keenly aware of the lack of representation of female producers and engineers in the music industry. As an Asian woman in America, I feel like I often get looked over at first for being small and unassuming. What I want folks to see, and what I think sets me apart, is here’s this Asian woman out there composing, singing, rocking, and producing her independent music. I hope to be a part of the ongoing growth and future of women in music.
What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership, in your industry or generally?
The music industry is very similar to the film industry – in both worlds, you have to ask yourself who wrote the work, who is performing it and who is producing it. Women have been performers for most of history, but only in the last several decades have we’ve been able to enjoy music that is both written and performed by female artists. I had Garbage, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, and Paramore to listen to and look up to. But if you look to who is sitting behind the glass in the studio or behind the camera on set, it’s still predominantly men. I think one of the main remaining challenges for women in music is getting into that producer’s chair – the barriers for that have been part lack of representation, part sexism, and part the fact that young girls don’t have many opportunities to learn about engineering, and sometimes discouraged from getting excited about technology. I wish I was introduced to playing with electric circuits and toy synths as a kid!
Contact Info:
- Website: papercitizen.bandcamp.com
- Email: papercitizenband@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/papercitizen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/papercitizen/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaperCitizen
- Other: papercitizen.com
Image Credit:
Jia Jun Yew, Maya Harary, Eric WK Ng, Dylan Kaufman, Peter Woo, Elise Ansher
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