Q&A: Deeply Authentic, Pei Evokes Bittersweet Expressions of Truth Through Debut Single “Honest”
TO SPEAK, OR NOT TO SPEAK? — Pei’s new single, “Honest,” beautifully and meaningfully inspires listeners to reflect on their own personal relationships and feelings, tackling the complex nature of honesty. The musically experienced singer-songwriter also known as Joji Malani presents his new single as the debut of solo project Pei, produced by his friend and collaborator Tim Fitz. Former member of alternative rock band Gang of Youths, Malani now ventures into new musical endeavors with an impressive debut. Pronounced pay, “pei” is a Fijian word for “baby,” as Malani pays deep homage to his identity as a Fijian-Australian, drawing on his upbringing and life experiences as creative inspiration. “Honest” is upbeat and playful, simultaneously feeling like love, heartbreak, and everything in between. Right in time for summer, the track is perfectly suited for days showered with sunshine and warm sunset car rides. A melodic mixture of indie, pop, and folk with alternative influences, Malani incorporates a myriad of experimental sounds such distorted electric guitar and vocals ranging from joyful whistles to deep guttural expressions. “Honest” is lively and cheerful but pulls at the heartstrings as an intimate and dynamic portrait of what it means to be honest, specifically within friendships. The importance of speaking one’s truth with authenticity, despite the painful struggle it may present, is the central theme of “Honest,” with three different perspectives expressed through soulful lyrics.
Its music video reflects these intimate themes as well, taking inspiration from filmmaker Ari Aster’s cinematic style in Midsommar, emphasizing light and naturalistic elements. Movement and dancing serve as an expression of the emotional journey of honesty, which are highlighted throughout the music video. Crashing waves accompany the emotionally charged rhythmic dancing with recurring imagery of yellow flowers to match the eye-catching song cover. Perhaps most powerful and visually striking of all from the music video is Malani’s act of shaving his own head followed by the pouring of honey over his body, acknowledging how the internalization of feelings can indeed feel like drowning. Pei’s music is released through Malani’s own record label, Broth Records, with a strong dedication to diversity and empowerment of artists.
Read below to learn more about the creative process behind “Honest” and Pei’s upcoming projects to look forward to.
LUNA: Congrats on the release of "Honest"! I love the fun nature of the track — it really is a pick-me-up track. Can you share a favorite moment from the creative process?
PEI: Thank you. It’s weird because I feel like I’m a veteran but also an ametur venturing into new territory. I feel like if there was a movie that in some way relates to this experience, it would be The 40 Year Old Virgin.
[My] favorite moment of the creative process was definitely being made to write lyrics to this song. I had never written a whole song before in my life and my friend Tim Fitz, who produced the record, put me in a room and didn’t let me out until I had finished the lyrics.
LUNA: What set of lyrics are you most proud of?
PEI: Probably the chorus lyrics. Each chorus is different and acknowledges a different perspective. First chorus is “You couldn’t be honest…”; the second is “I couldn’t be honest,” and then the third is “It wouldn’t be honest.” The first is my perspective, the second is acknowledging that I can also be at fault, and the third is a collective acknowledgment of both sides and the need to be honest. This song is about friends being honest with each other, particularly from the perspective of myself making observations about two relationships in my life. But I didn’t want to write this solely from my perspective because I didn’t want to give this implication that I’ve got my shit together. We’ve all been there and we are all going to be in that place again, that place of self-destruction or making bad choices that can harm ourselves and/or others, which is why we need friends to be real with each other. I feel it’s a big part of friendship.
LUNA: Sonically, who were some key inspirations or references that shaped the feel of the track?
PEI: I’m really not sure. I had this period of unchanneled creativity and felt like I needed to create something. I contacted Tim and kind of lied and told him I had a song I needed to record. I was staying with my sister and her family in Brisbane at the time, and they had a nylon string laying around. I recorded something on my phone or laptop, just really simple on GarageBand and sent it to Tim and he was like, “That’s cool. Let’s do something with that.”I think that place where I formed the demo was key to shaping the feel and mood of the track. Being in Brisbane surrounded by family — [a] strong Fijian community. I kind of wanted to convey the warmth I was feeling at the time, and the nylon acoustic is kind of synonymous with Pasifika culture, so I wanted that to be prominent in the song.Sonically, I have no idea. I just made stuff. This song was really me just taking a stab in the dark. I had never completed a song before. I’ve had a lot of references with Bon Iver. To be honest, I know “Skinny Love,” “Perth,” and another song, whose title escapes me. Couldn’t say I was a big fan but definitely think he’s super dope.
LUNA: The music video that accompanies the track is beautifully done — it takes us through an interesting narrative in a way. What role do you play in the visual end of your work and why is that important to you?
PEI: Thank you! I was really inspired by the movie Midsommar. I remember seeing the film with the two friends I had written the song about and just felt so inspired. Something so beautiful yet so disturbing. It kind of mirrored a lot of experiences in my life, especially growing up in an pentecostal evangelical church. There’s a lot about that experience that I want to articulate in my solo work. I’m not involved with the church that I grew up in and now have differing views. There’s a lot of fucked stuff that went down but also a lot of beautiful life-affirming moments — experiences I haven't been able to experience elsewhere. I reflect on that period and see trauma but also absolute euphoria, and these are the themes I see present in Midsommar. There [are] aspects of my music that are gonna seem very gospel, worshipy, culty. And it’s gonna be really fucking creepy to some people and really beautiful to others. To me, it’s both, and I want to acknowledge that.
I wanted to do something within the same theme as Midsommar as kind of a homage to that part of my life. The clip follows like a sweet normal person being taken into a cult. I have a lot of people to thank for the clip. This was a concept I formed and had envisioned even whilst I was recording the song. This clip was a real lesson in what it took to put a clip together. I worked with long-term friends to put this together, in particular Jonathan Zerger (director), Natasha Sturgis (choreographer), Hudson Reed (photographer) and Arash Vesali (runner, utility and MVP). This clip cost, like, $800, and we really strategized and squeezed the shit out of all resources, which was a great result but also quite taxing on everyone involved. Sorry crew! I was involved with almost every component of the clip but, to be honest, I’m not sure if I like it. It’s a lot of work and a lot of responsibility. I wouldn’t mind getting to a point where it was someone else running the ship (laughs).
LUNA: I've gotta ask about the honey shot: How many takes did you have to do for that one?
PEI: (Laughs). I shit you not, one take. We had literally four hours to shoot this clip, and we only had enough in the budget for one tub of honey.
LUNA: What do you want your listeners to take away from "Honest"?
PEI: I don’t know, that’s hard. Since its release I’ve really enjoyed all the different takes and perspectives people have had on the track and the clip. I guess, for me personally, I just hope you all like the song and just know that this was home made with no added preservatives or additives. Just a bit of honey ;)
LUNA: In addition to your musical projects you have your own label, Broth Records — so sick! What's the ultimate goal you have with this label?
PEI: Thank you! I’m very lucky to be doing what I am doing. This industry can be quite disheartening and discouraging, especially for minorities. My goal with Broth is to create a space where artists feel encouraged and empowered to pursue their music and tell their stories. I want to help diverse acts avoid the unnecessary bullshit I have had to navigate through in my career and help give the opportunities I never had. In our industry, there’s this toxic idea that you kind of aim to build your empire and only align yourself with others who will be friends to your future. I just find that if your fulfillment is aspiring towards building your own kingdom, that’s kind of dangerous. Especially if it doesn’t work out. If you believe that other’s success can only be achieved by proxy of your own, that kind of sounds like a god complex. I saw a lot of that growing up in the church I was a part of. But I also witnessed selfless people who aspired to build stuff for others. I remember someone in my young life saying to me, “You might not get to live out your dream. It might be your kids or the next generation who get to live out what you’re trying to build.” I just loved the sound of it. That your dream or your goal is too big for your own life span, so you gotta consider facilitating a dream or a vision for others.
I don’t care what happens to me. I am a really simple person with fairly low-maintenance needs (although I’m a needy emotional Cancer, eww), but I really hope I leave this big ol’ planet with something that helps and empowers others. And I hope this label helps with that.
LUNA: With this track out and your label growing, what can we expect from you in the coming months?
PEI: I’ve got my first show coming up in late June, which is part of a night of music I am curating at the Art Gallery of NSW here in Sydney, which will be showcasing a lot of local Pasifika talent. Also got a bunch of cool new releases — my own as well as various artists. Hoping some of my artists who have released EPs this year will have some new material that will be ready. (I’m looking at you Coconut Cream and Meteor Infant!)
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