Ena Mori Q&A

Bound for SXSW this week, artist Ena Mori talks to NOUS

In today’s OPM arena, no one cheers louder for the offbeats than Ena Mori. Since the 2020 release of her self-titled EP, Mori has cranked fizzy, self-celebrating dance pop as consistently as a soda fountain in the summer. Through tight beats, rapturous melodies that cite a childhood steeped in classical piano, an Infinity Gauntlet’s worth of vocal flourish, and Mori’s vulnerability spattered Pollock-like on the walls, the Filipino-Japanese artist has rallied together the strange, the silent, or simply anyone who’s been spurned by love.

With last year’s release of DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE!, recorded under Ely Buendia’s label Offshore Music, she’s only given wallflowers more reason to spill their anxieties on the dancefloor. The album is packed with anthems that arise from epiphanies. “KING OF THE NIGHT!” is simultaneously a get-over-your-ex, get-over-yourself pep talk that summons gameness for a rollicking night out, while “VIVID” is a scintillating hip shaker, bopping to one’s neediness, obsessiveness, and the general unease of second-guessing a relationship. Meanwhile, the album’s title track is a confetti shower of syncopated mayhem reveling in not having to apologize for yourself anymore, with Mori marching to the beat of her own drama.

Given her 33,000-strong monthly listeners on Spotify and the devoted who pack her gigs, sing-shouting her lyrics back to her, Mori’s got multitudes marching along these days. With SXSW inviting her to perform this year, the girl who’s sung about dancing alone will be wilding out onstage as the world watches.

Before jetting to Austin for shows on March 14 and 15, Mori talked to NOUS about her burning desire to see New Order at the festival, setting fire to self-destructive tendencies, and the hottest of takes: how she cooks the best Japanese curry.

Hi Ena. You recently released DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE!, which was like a battlecry for every second-guessing, self-sabotaging offbeat and wallflower—a call not just stand in their power but to dance in it. What led to working on the album in the first place?

After the first EP I released in 2020, the pandemic hit and immediately, lockdown happened. After living in the Philippines for a while, I quarantined in my hometown together with my family, and that gave me so much inspiration to start writing. Environment affects my writing a lot and gave me different perspective to a lot of things. The water tasted different, and the air felt strange as well. The changes I had to adapt to ultimately pushed me to write an album. I could say this album was a map of my own artistry. Coming from an EP that I created during my time in college and up to the album, I was still figuring out where I wanted to go as an artist. Spending many times with myself is something I won't necessarily be doing if it wasn't a lockdown, but helped me understand who I was on a deeper level.

How would you describe your current relationship with Japan and your Kanagawa hometown?

Growing up with a Japanese mother and a Filipino father, I was naturally drawn to experiencing different cultures.
My childhood up to my senior high school was spent in Japan, and I've listened to countless J-Pops and western music throughout my teenage years. Now looking back, I've realized that the books that I read and the clothes that I wear still reflect my roots. Now that I am here in the Philippines, I make time to see my mother and my grandma in Japan as much as I can.

I read an interview where you talk about how Cher’s pop was so formative to you as a singer-songwriter. In putting the album together, do you make a point to revisit some of the pop you were empowered by growing up or do you like to freshen your ear with stuff you haven’t heard yet?

During the making of this album, I listened heavily to Bjork, Kate Bush, and a UK artist called Georgia, a lot of female artists with interesting stories to tell. I guess naturally, my influences are reflected in my craft, but I always strive to look for ways to make my songs sound like my own.

Could you share some of the non-music influences to assembling the album? Films? Memes? Late-night YouTube binges?

During the pandemic, I went down a rabbit hole of watching films whenever I get the chance, and some films inspired me. Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange and 2001: A Space Odyssey; and a Czechoslovakian surrealist movie called Daisies are one of my biggest inspirations. Also, my cat Lily. I mean she’s gotta be the biggest inspiration!

You’ve spoken about the necessity of giving your vocals character rather than just simply singing in the most conventional sense. Listening to your album, your voice really does take on a whole spectrum of personality. Can you talk about the process of giving your vocals character?

I have a basic idea of my vocal arrangement before I get to the studio, but the real magic happens when I get to the vocal booth and start layering the vocals. Vocal arrangement and character is very important to me when it comes to my songs. I don't want it to just sound "pretty," I want my vocals to live and breathe, especially when my productions are heavily processed and electronic. As much as I can, I try my best to express the rawness of the song by using my voice.

In another interview, you mentioned how “FALL INLOVE!” was a fave, especially by adding a rendition of it in the album. Since the record’s release, have any songs crept up to become more meaningful to you?

“WHITE ROOM” is a song that I wrote in hopes to encourage me when I get anxious, and it surprised me how popular it got after releasing the album. It was an instant crowd favorite and I wasn't really expecting it to be as popular as it became. It’s one of my favorite songs to perform because there's this line in the chorus that my fans and I always sing: "Who are we to say that we are not enough?" and It is such a precious moment to see them sing together as a unit.

Given how some of your songs tackle the fear of speaking up before eventually deciding to raise the volume of one’s identity, what has been your relationship with performing live for an audience?

I've always had a hard time being vulnerable on stage and It is one of the biggest fears I am still figuring out. Over time, I learned that being vulnerable is necessary when I perform. As much as it is scary, vulnerability and rawness help to connect with the audience on a different level, and surprisingly, performing and letting people into my emotions helped me heal even more.

A lot of what makes your music videos so memorable is the styling—for example, the prim mod dresses in “VIVID” and “SOS” give great contrast to the manic energy you give off in these videos. How involved are you in picking the outfits on these videos?

When I write songs, I love visualizing it immediately. I sometimes use my vision as a pathway to making songs, as well, and clothing is part of my artistry and It is such an important aspect to my overall art. I picked the mod-ish dress to match the overall theme of the album with ‘60s commercials as inspiration.

Since we’re on the subject of visuals, the album is magical and it’s mostly giving me the Alice in Wonderland feels of being awe-inspired by the strangeness surrounding you. Can you share the concept behind the cover?

I like to be open-minded and spontaneous when it comes to photoshoots, and for this album cover, I only had the clothing and color in mind. I wanted to give a hypnotic and enchanting feel with the dress and the makeup to match the surrealistic feel of the album, and I think we were able to achieve that look!

In getting signed by Offshore in 2019 and occupying a more public profile as an artist, what has been the most challenging part of the journey?

I think the hard part of being an artist nowadays is that you have to keep up with the online content as much as possible, and that is something I'm not very good at. Especially after the pandemic, I think it is challenging for artists to learn how to be "content creators" at the same time.

Can you talk about the moment you got the invite from SXSW? What festival scenarios are you willing into existence?

When we submitted our profile to SXSW, I wasn't even thinking that I will get a chance to be part of them. I even forgot that I submitted thinking that nothing will happen, so it was a total shock when I received the news. It is such a surreal moment that I can't even envision what is about to come, but I have many artists that I'm looking forward to see. One of them is the one and only, New Order. Also, I'm looking forward to watching Low Island, one of my favorite UK bands.

Beyond SXSW, where do you want to go from here? Any concrete things—big or small, music- or non-music related—that you are anxious about or looking forward to?

One of my bucketlist items is to do an Asian or European tour. I would like to visit many cities with different cultures and to be able to perform to new crowds. I'm looking forward to many things and as much as it gets scary when the pressure is on, I know it will all be worth it, so I am excited for the unknown!

Before you go, I really wanted to ask you about your album’s intro track, “there’s a fire in my kitchen up it goes i’m to blame,” which sounded like a raucous vintage jingle. What led to kicking things off this way?

I came across ‘50s, ‘60s commercials and advertisements and I got inspired by how quirky and a bit sarcastic it was.

I wanted to create my own commercials for my album, and that's how it came about.

That commercial break beginning got me wondering, as well: does Ena Mori cook and what are some of her standby dishes?

I love cooking. I think it is my love language, and my stress reliever as well. I can claim that I can cook the best Japanese curry! And my condiment of choice is always soy sauce! So Asian of me.

And re: the intro track, what were you making that caused the said fire in your kitchen? And was that fire worth it in the end?

I have a bad habit of self-destruction. I have a hard time accepting myself as my own and I end up setting myself on fire. I think having the "fire" is the only way for me to learn how to put the fire out within myself. It is a painful process but it is all for my inner peace.