How wide is a road less traveled when Jane Lui (aka Surrija) is in transit?
Thinking, writing, singing, playing, recording, performing, sharing, teaching, and acting with Jane Lui
Surrija is a new electro project by Jane Lui. It will forever be under the radar since that’s where she prefers it. Recording artist, multi-instrumentalist, and actor originally from Hong Kong, she grew up on classical training, but quit the second she discovered her love for playing by ear and singing in choirs. She got a degree in music (choral conducting) against her family’s wishes and even though she and her father didn’t speak for almost a decade, she says she would do it all again if she had a second chance.
She most recently released her fourth full-length album, SURRIJA, funded by her fans on Kickstarter ($40K), and which received resounding reviews. With 4.3 million views on her YouTube Channel Luieland, Lui’s work has evolved and been featured on Virgin America In-Flight, Huffington Post, and Make:Mag.
Live & Leap
Just after her third album was released in 2012, Lui was doing the best gigs but was unhappy. She was tired and decided to take a break and live life. She didn’t know if she had more music in her, and it was a strange thing to be in limbo, but it was during this time that she tried acting.
Through a series of good luck and hard work, she was a part of developing a play with music called Cambodian Rock Band by Lauren Yee. It’s been a joy to deepen her work and move with the show (arranger, Pou, keys, percussion). In fact, CRB had just opened at New York off-Broadway Signature Theatre when COVID hit, having just finished their run at La Jolla Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and South Coast Repertory. Her other recent theater credits include Vietgone (Huong) at East West Players, Secret in the Wings (Music director and compositions) at Coeurage Theatre Co.
Somewhere in there, she disappeared to a writing retreat and found that she had more music to give. SURRIJA is about finding voice — half the songs were written about four of Picasso’s past muses/lovers, half are about her father. She at first had no clue these two ideas were connected. But one day in the studio after solving a huge mystery on how to play/produce Gilot, she realized she was essentially conversing with these incredible women. They gave her agency to search, and the album is the sound of her brain healing.
Communicating authenticity with your voice with Jane Lui, aka Surija
SURRIJA is available on all platforms.
https://www.surrija.bandcamp.
https://www.songwhip.com/
Jane Lui’s Professional Affiliations
SAG-AFTRA
AEA (Actors’ Equity Association)
Jane Lui’s Toolbox
Ableton, Logic Pro
Yamaha P120
Prophet Rev 2
a bunch of guitars
Boomwackers
Neumann U87
Apogee HypeMic
Hand Drums, percussion accessories
Service bells, bucket, small celeste
Typewriters
But ear is still the most valuable gear all musicians own.
