Music

On the eve of their Billboard China cover interview, the Sir Deer team decided to hold three impromptu campus performances in Henan province. Bei Bei, the lead vocalist of Sir Deer, described these fleeting moments at the campus concerts as always thrilling to him. In the past two years, Sir Deer has toured nearly 20 campuses.

In Bei Bei’s view, every minor incident holds the potential to alter one’s life trajectory. The experiences of participating in the music club and organizing performances during their university days set the wheels of fate in motion, sowing the seeds that would eventually flourish into the band’s formation. On this campus tour, Sir Deer also encountered many young individuals who shared their passion for music, just as they had in the past. Bei Bei believes this performance will plant a seed of inspiration in these students’ hearts as well.

Akin to their performances in theaters and live houses, Sir Deer’s campus concerts employ a full-scale touring production. For many students, this concert may not only mark their first live performance, but also their inaugural encounter with Sir Deer live. “The pressure of performing on campus is truly immense, as it could impact a student’s life. So we also feel a burgeoning sense of responsibility within.”

Bei Bei hopes that Sir Deer’s campus tour can present students with “another possibility”: “The college entrance exam is like a mountain, and postgraduate studies are exceedingly difficult… but what vistas await on the other side of that peak? Let music become a process to help everyone resolve their troubles. Perhaps the anxieties they currently grapple with will gradually dissipate after a night’s performance. At least in the realm of music, we wish to reveal to students the greater potentialities of life.”

Transcending Adversity, Uncovering the Self

Over the past tumultuous two years of the pandemic, not only Sir Deer, but all of humanity has endured trying times. In Bei Bei’s perspective, this arduous period represented a form of “spiritual cultivation” unfolding both internally and externally.

At the year’s outset, bassist Li Si penned a heartfelt message on Weibo: “During this stage where both our bodies and souls require restoration, we must all march forth hand-in-hand.” For Li Si, the “team spirit” of Sir Deer is the most paramount facet in his life: “These bonds of friendship have aided me in traversing an enormously difficult time and have imbued me with the impetus to progress and look ahead.”

Sir Deer’s rhythm guitarist Yang Songlin is a quintessential “science and engineering type.” Within this ensemble, where artistic and emotional sensibilities form the principal creative axis, Yang candidly admits that his rationality serves as a tool to safeguard everyone’s childlike spirit: “I comprehend my role in the team is to ensure the stability of the rhythm.”

In the digital era, a band can no longer simply perform songs, they must also actively explore social media attempts. As Sir Deer’s lead guitarist, Dong Bin has contributed countless “firsts” for the band. Dong Bin’s primary vocation is architectural design. “I brim with excitement before the performances, and when I revert to my work post, my heart settles. I cannot control the duration of my life, but I can seize the breadth of my life.”

Keyboardist Bing Bing completed the female vocal overdubbing for a new Sir Deer composition alongside her mother, which she deems a career highlight. “Being able to collaborate with my closest family member to imbue emotion into the band’s work, this emotional connection within the musical context is an unforgettable lifetime experience.”

After drummer PP’s maternity leave this year, several different drummers have successively joined Sir Deer’s roster of guest musicians. As for Sir Deer’s in-depth cooperation with Tencent Music Entertainment Group, it has imbued each band member with a renewed creative drive. These new partnership ventures have imbued Sir Deer’s future with an abundance of novel, undiscovered possibilities.

The Tides of Time Flow Onward, Embracing a “Wilder” 10th Anniversary

The sands of time are ever-shifting, and Sir Deer’s evolution has mirrored this restless progression. Mastering the art of embracing change is a lesson Bei Bei has imparted to himself and the band: “The crux is that when you make certain decisions, you must also accept the other facets that come with it. If you possess the courage to transform, there will be no issues.”

Founded on Aug. 31, 2015, Sir Deer will soon commemorate its 10th anniversary next year. Traversing these 10 years, there have been myriad triumphs and tribulations. How will the bandmembers celebrate Sir Deer’s decadelong journey? Dong Bin states there will undoubtedly be a commemorative performance: “I hope this retrospective concert can present our evolution and some reflections, providing a proper account for the 10th anniversary.”

This 10-year milestone will render Li Si unable to resist reminiscing about the year Sir Deer was first formed, in 2015. At that time, all the members convened at Bing Bing’s residence for a meeting, discussing the title of their inaugural song, the overarching creative direction, recording plans, rehearsal schedules. In Li Si’s recollection, they have held countless such work sessions over the past 10 years, but in each one, everyone participated earnestly and diligently, never absent.

Regarding this year’s plans, Bei Bei shared that they intend to release a collection that is “a bit wilder” than the original Sir Deer: “We still harbor many unrealized artistic ambitions, hoping to soar even faster and higher. Participating in the 31st College Student Film Festival made me cognizant of the importance of visual elements for music. I feel immensely honored that these 10 years with everyone have not been in vain, and I hope the next decade of Sir Deer can be even wilder.”

–This article was written by Jifan Wang for Billboard China