Constantly on the go, Fai has been fortunate enough to spend every couple of years moving around. Originally from Chitral, Pakistan her feet landed in the suburbs of Virginia where she first started dabbling in music. More specifically, it was her ultimate goal to pursue Broadway and perform in theaters. Luckily, we had the chance to meet the incredibly talented artist and find out what exactly brought her to Kuwait.
All plans of a Broadway dream were followed until one day Fai was met with an unexpected change. Her family was asked to relocate back to her homeland. And so, although Fai strongly identified with Virginia being her hometown, she had to move back with her family the night before high school started. Although a halt in her career, Fai shared with bazaar that her move was a “blessing in disguise”.
Starting high school in Pakistan was not an easy ride for her, she was singled out and felt like she had to find somewhere to fit in but couldn’t. What upset her the most was leaving behind her participation in theatre and choir.
One day she pleasantly ran into two students who made her feel very welcomed. The students were playing Use Somebody by Kings of Leon and it motivated her to continue her pursuit of music. Fai gravitated towards playing on the guitar and felt like it came naturally to her. Ever since, she has practiced many more instruments. Although negativity and judgment were surrounding her at the time, which caused a struggle with anxiety it motivated her to keep pushing forward.
She kept moving in ways that made her feel at home, since home was a concept she hadn’t still defined. This led her to her first performance on stage with 500 attendees where she performed Hotel California. Fai talked to bazaar about her first performance and said that it wasn’t what she had expected and it actually felt like a defeat to her at the time.
Fast forward, it was time to move again. This time she was relocating to Kuwait with her family. During her senior year she became obsessed with rock music and purchased her very first guitar. Fai prides herself on being self-taught and thanks her parents for their continuous support. From then on, she became obsessed with the guitar, she breathed, ate and repeated the cycle of practicing till 4AM while making sure her grades didn’t slip. She even gained a lot of attention from an Instagram guitar page that she started.
As college talk was approaching, Fai realized that all her reasoning behind going away for college was to be able to perform and not so much the academia. Becoming one of the only guitar female players in Kuwait in a male dominated rock genre, she knew she had found her calling and it was music. Upon this realization, Fai left the band she was performing with at the time and starting writing her own music.
Only two short months after that, she was signed by a label. Although the experience wasn’t as expected. Fai looks back fondly on the experience as a learning curve that enabled her to spread her wings even further. Fai also shared with bazaar that being in Kuwait was perfect for her because it allowed her to connect with musicians and producers locally, and internationally. Kuwait is a secret hub that people aren’t utilizing as much and she is so excited to be a part of it.
Spending a lot of time with her craft, her guitar, Fai told us about her creative process “I see pictures in my head when I sit down to write, when I find a chord progression I just go with it” and as for her song writing she explained “ I practice what I call chicken writing until I come up with a melody.” We must say that the process inspired us to do some chicken writing of our own and get our feelings out on paper.
Fai even described seeing auras when writing music, which helps her become more vulnerable. Contrary to belief, she says “I don’t always write about things that have happened in my life, sometimes it’s a feeling I want to feel.” Manifestation at its finest!
When asked about her inspirations, they span anywhere from the works of Joni Mitchell and Fleetwood Mac to Led Zeppelin and Bon Iver. While her timeless, airy pop hooks resemble the likes of Kacey Musgraves and early Taylor Swift, with darker elements similar to that of Lana Del Rey and Lorde, Fai does not like to put herself in a bubble when it comes to a genre. She often writes what she feels is right at the time, and whatever genre that ends up being is usually where the song is set.
Fai is very big on music’s healing and therapeutic properties. She shared with us that she encourages people to talk about their traumas, write about the things that scare you. If you don’t talk about it, “it will consume you like a virus”
A nomad in nature, Fai has always been able to bounce back after change. It seemed like many artists’ careers were put to the test recently however, it was quite the opposite for Fai, as this period allowed he to focus on her music fully and release her latest single.
Her latest debut, her single Comet which dropped at the end of last month is a great love song written from a male’s perspective through the eyes of someone loving you. It’s one of her favorite songs as of yet and she has dedicated it to everybody feeling unloved and lonely. Produced by Jacob Moumjian and featuring melodic guitar by Omar Salem, it depicts a budding romance in all its glory, that comes to life to a dreamy, pop ballad soundscape. Fai emphasized how talented Jacob is and how much he pays attention to detail. If you have not heard the song yet, we definitely suggest you do!
Her advice for her fellow artists and people who want to follow in her footsteps is to “never tie yourself to one genre, be comfortable in your own skin, always look beyond your music and know your rights as a musician.”
To keep up with the works of Fai, follow her on Instagram @faimusic.
