Self Love, Reflection, And Identity: Towa Bird On Her Debut Album ‘American Hero’
Samantha Colleran, September 2023
Towa Bird was always born to be a rock star. The Filipino-English singer-songwriter first picked up one of her dad’s guitars at the age of 12, and by 14 she had started her own band. She played dive bars and festivals in Hong Kong, all of which led her to make the move from England to the U.S. where she is now signed to Interscope Records. With a few singles under her belt, Towa is in the works to release her debut album, American Hero. Ahead of its release, Towa sat with º1824 to discuss the album making process, major inspirations, and how identity plays a vital role in her art.
Some of Towa’s biggest inspirations come from listening to her father’s music and gaining a strong love for it. Artists like Jimi Hendrix, Prince, The Who, and Led Zeppelin were in rotation frequently; their guitar centric style interested Towa which led her to pick up the guitar and begin to emulate the sounds she heard. Although classic rock is at the root of her style, Towa doesn’t limit herself to the one genre; as she grew older and began to develop her own tastes she gravitated towards alternative rock, indie, modern rock, Brit pop, and even hip hop. Towa excitedly shared with conference attendees that they can expect a number of guitar solos sprinkled throughout the record, which were some of her favorite parts of the recording process.
As a child, Towa moved around a lot. This exposed her to a lot of different cultures and people at such a young age, allowing her to explore her own identity; she was able to figure out who she is and what she wanted to be from a very young age. Being exposed to so many different cultures also allowed Towa to determine the type of music she wanted to make. Although physical stability is something she is slightly jealous of other people in her life having, moving frequently and experiencing so many different things at a young age shaped Towa into the artist and person she is today.
Towa was first discovered on TikTok during the lockdown, best known for her guitar solos and impressive guitar collection. Her relationship with the popular social media app is tumultuous. On one hand, it’s a place to promote your music as a new artist looking to build a fan base. On the other hand, it can be difficult to work with because in a social media driven world, many labels put an emphasis on their artists using TikTok because it can help them reach a wider audience. While Towa would much rather use her time to write or play music, she does note that she used to work in dive bars where she would have to clean up vomit, so if TikTok is the worst part of her job, she’s living in a dream.
A number of the songs on American Hero were written during a transition period for Towa, where she was moving from England to the United States and was coming to terms with being an immigrant in a new country. Towa’s girlfriend is from America, and a number of the songs on the album talk about their relationship. The title is meant to be ironic; Towa is a queer Asian woman who is bearing all of her emotions through her music, the opposite of what many people think of when someone says ‘America hero’- strong white men who look and act tough. Describing the album in three words, Towa would say the album is gay, vulnerable, and fun. She believes anyone who listens will be able to find something on American Hero and take a little piece of it with them.
The most recent release of Towa’s, “This Isn’t Me”, reflects on her time spent in Paris during Fashion Week where she felt completely isolated in her experience. Writing this song was relatively easy despite it being so deep and personal. Coming off of a flight to her friend and collaborator Thomas Powers’ house, she was filled to the brim with emotions just waiting to pour out of her. Being able to write has allowed Towa to solidify her feelings regarding real life experiences, she can take her emotions and turn them into an art form that allows her to process her emotions. “Wild Heart” also shows how in tune with her emotions Towa is. Inspired by the way she used to navigate romantic relationships, Towa sings about emotional growth and learning how to respect yourself and others.
Fashion also plays a vital role in self expression for Towa. For her, it’s just as important as lyricism and being a guitar player. The way she decorates herself, whether permanently with tattoos, or temporarily with jewelry and clothing, allows her to step into the world as the truest form of herself. It allows her to be confident and feel cool, which is always a wonderful thing to tap into.
For young artists looking to break into the industry and follow their passion for performing, Towa’s biggest piece of advice is to just go for it and go for it authentically. There are forces that may try to persuade you or push you certain ways, but sticking to your truth will allow you to succeed. As for her younger self, Towa’s biggest piece of advice would be “Don’t fuck it up”. She has an opportunity to share her songs with the world, and being given this chance doesn’t happen to many people, so she would advise her younger self to work hard and not mess up her shot.
You can catch Towa Bird on tour with Reneé Rapp and Alexander 23 this fall (I’ll be at the Halloween show, and am even more excited to be there since Towa said it’s the show on tour she’s most excited for)! To stay up to date on all of Towa’s future releases, be sure to follow her on Instagram and TikTok.