Qi Yama: The Interview

Montreal recording artist Qi Yama delivers stunning alternative songs.

Montreal recording artist Qi Yama’s new album wilt is out now: stream it here. His second album is wrapped and is currently prepping for release. The Right Kind Of Brownies caught up with Qi Yama in Montreal.

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What’s your earliest memory of music?

My earliest memories would probably be listening to Akon and DMX on burned CDs in the car. That was really the only time I got to listen to music at that age.

Who was the first person to call you Qi Yama?

Myself! 

What do you remember about the first song you wrote and recorded?

It’s an unbelievable, brutal track. I still remember it was called ‘Underwater’ and I’m pretty sure I have the voice note somewhere on an old hard drive. It was horrible but it got me hooked on the writing process. 

Fast forward to your album, what was the first song that sort of hinted towards an entire album?

‘the flower and her son’ and ‘bamboo princess’ were the first two tracks of the project. I remember they were written the same day. I immediately knew those two tracks would be on the final project, and make up a major piece of the larger idea. 

At 9 tracks, were there songs that didn’t make the album?

So many songs. Hundreds, undoubtedly. This project was written over three to almost four years. I write a ton. I’d say most of the tracks were written in the first year with a couple lingering towards the very end. 

Did you sequence this album yourself?

I did. It’s one of my favorite parts of the process. I think people are forgetting about that nowadays, the importance of how it all flows and comes together. 

How hands-on were you with the cover art?

I was quite involved. The artwork’s a major piece of the puzzle for me in terms of process. I usually get them done before any of the songs because they lead the entire mood of the project. Most of the time I come up with an idea and then execute it with my super talented friend and artist, Jayr. 

What was the last song you recorded for the album?

The last song I recorded for the project was ‘silent’.

I wrote it at the RBMA Bass Camp in Calgary in 2019. Got some time to be in the s studio completely alone while everyone was eating dinner. I wrote the track super quick on an acoustic guitar. I then developed later with a close collaborator, Elliot Sinclair.