♪ This is the diagnosis ♪ ♪ It's a catch-22 ♪ Davis: Coming up on "Studio 3 Live"... My goal with releasing "Diagnosis" was just hoping that people would hear it and feel that they could relate to it in some way.

And now that it's out, I realize I had to write about this stuff, or I wouldn't be able to make art at all.

♪ This is the diagnosis ♪ I mean, still trying to figure out how to live this life in a sustainable way.

You know, we're figuring out how to tour in a way that doesn't, you know, kill ourselves.

♪♪ Announcer: Funding for this program was provided by Friends, the Iowa PBS Foundation, as well as generations of families and friends who feel passionate about the programs they watch on Iowa PBS.

Good evening and welcome to "Studio 3 Live."

I'm your host, Mickey Davis.

Tonight, we're joined by Sen Morimoto.

The Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist makes music that defies genre.

It's a little bit hip-hop.

It's a little bit pop.

It's a little bit funk.

What it is is uniquely Sen. Sen's most recent album, "Diagnosis," came out in 2023 on Sooper Records, a record label of which he is the co-founder.

Please help me welcome to the stage Sen Morimoto.

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪ When the road lifts off the ground ♪ ♪ And the sky comes tumbling down ♪ ♪ As time moves past ♪ ♪ The vines, the grass ♪ ♪ Will find the cracks in the concrete ♪ ♪ What will last?

♪ ♪ What will last?

♪ ♪ I know plenty must pass ♪ ♪ Tell me what can we have ♪ ♪ But if the answer isn't love ♪ ♪ Then forget that I asked ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ What will last?

♪ ♪ What will last?

♪ ♪ I know, I know I know plenty must pass ♪ ♪ Tell me what can we have ♪ ♪ But if the answer isn't love ♪ ♪ Then forget that I asked ♪ ♪ What will grow?

♪ ♪ What will grow?

♪ ♪ When there's nothing to show ♪ ♪ Must be something that grows ♪ ♪ And if the answer isn't love ♪ ♪ Then I don't want to know ♪ ♪ And if the answer isn't love ♪ ♪ Then I don't want to know ♪ ♪ If the answer isn't love ♪ ♪ What will grow?

♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ At some point, you're gonna start losing your mind ♪ ♪ If you keep thinking about it ♪ ♪ What are you so afraid of now?

♪ ♪ At some point, you'll have to start living your life ♪ ♪ Instead of thinking about it ♪ ♪ Daydreaming about it ♪ ♪ Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I know that you need someone to blame ♪ ♪ And you always choose yourself ♪ ♪ Yourself, yourself, yourself ♪ ♪ Think nobody else would do the same ♪ ♪ But you haven't asked for help ♪ ♪ For help yourself ♪ ♪ Can you teach me how to climb?

♪ ♪ I keep on falling down to find ♪ ♪ I'm in a baaaaaaaad ♪ ♪ I'm in a baaaaaaaad ♪ ♪ Can't you teach me how to climb?

♪ ♪ I think I'm running out of time ♪ ♪ I'm in a bad state ♪ ♪ I was all shook up again ♪ ♪ I had to put the puzzle together in my head now ♪ ♪ But I was missing a piece at the end ♪ ♪ At some point, I had to start choosing my battles ♪ ♪ It works like a flashlight ♪ ♪ It scares off my shadow ♪ ♪ Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ♪ ♪ I said it works like a flashlight ♪ ♪ It scares off my shadow ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ I know that you need someone to blame ♪ ♪ And you always choose yourself ♪ ♪ Yourself, yourself, yourself ♪ ♪ Think nobody else would do the same ♪ ♪ But you haven't asked for help ♪ ♪ For help yourself ♪ ♪ Can you teach me how to climb?

♪ ♪ I keep on falling down to find ♪ ♪ I'm in a baaaaaaaad ♪ ♪ I'm in a baaaaaaaad ♪ ♪ Can't you teach me how to climb?

♪ ♪ I think I'm running out of time ♪ ♪ I'm in a ♪ Thank you so much, y'all.

[ Cheers and applause ] Sen, thanks so much for being here.

Tell us a little bit about your music, about your sound.

It's kind of hard to pinpoint my sound.

It mixes a lot of different genres, so I always have trouble with this question in particular.

But it's a lot of jazz influence because I grew up playing jazz saxophone.

It's definitely maybe part of an indie category in terms of the songwriting style, with some hip-hop influence and the instrumentals, and also like the flow of the lyrics.

So yeah, it's sort of this mixed super genre thing.

Yeah.

You know, I've seen a lot of different adjectives and different genres used to describe your music.

Like you said, hip-hop, rock, jazz, pop.

What about your music do you think makes it so difficult to kind of pin down?

I think it's really like each instrument sort of comes from a different genre or influence because I grew up, like I was saying, playing jazz saxophone, but I am self-taught with everything else.

And up until "Diagnosis," my latest record, I was playing all the instruments on my music.

So I was playing guitar and bass and drums and singing and doing all the production, and each of those things I sort of picked up through my teenage years just by learning different kinds of music I was into.

So, like, I learned piano by studying, you know, Stevie Wonder songs over and over again.

So, like, if you listen to the keys on the music, it sounds like some sort of Motown influence.

Or I learned guitar playing, like, indie rock songs.

And so the guitar sounds like it's got this rock thing to it.

And it's not so much that I'm, like, trying to mix genres, but it's sort of what I can do on each of those instruments.

And so naturally it becomes this sort of mixed bag.

How's everybody feeling?

[ Applause ] I appreciate y'all coming out.

Thank you so much to PBS for having us.

These are all Chicago legends.

We came here to play some songs for you off a record called "Diagnosis" that I released recently, and we're going to keep it rolling.

This song is called "Saint Peter Blind."

♪♪ [ Woman, man speaking indistinctly ] ♪♪ ♪ I was on my way to the end of time ♪ ♪ We were gonna see if the reason rhymes ♪ ♪ Whyyyyyyy?

♪ ♪ Whyyyyyyy?

♪ ♪ I was on my way to the other side ♪ ♪ We were gonna rob Saint Peter blind ♪ ♪ Myyyyyyy ♪ ♪ Myyyyyyy ♪ ♪♪ [ Woman, man speaking indistinctly ] ♪ People just believe in what's convenient ♪ ♪ What's the meaning?

♪ ♪ What you need is something true ♪ ♪ Worry about someone else but you ♪ ♪ Truth is simple, that's the truth ♪ ♪ No such thing as wasted youth ♪ ♪ I can't keep this pressure running up ♪ ♪ Everything's made up, what do I do?

♪ ♪ What if you told me everything ♪ ♪ I mean, everything, anything that you go through?

♪ ♪ Friendships, medicine, tension, relatives ♪ ♪ Everything's relevant, everything's you ♪ ♪ I'm making my way to the end of time ♪ ♪ I just have to know if the reason rhymes ♪ ♪ Whyyyyyyy?

♪ ♪ Whyyyyyyy?

♪ ♪ And I'm not gonna live to be judged when I die ♪ ♪ I think we should rob Saint Peter blind ♪ ♪ Myyyyyyy ♪ ♪ Myyyyyyy ♪ ♪ What makes you feel?

♪ ♪ I know you're cynical ♪ [ Woman speaking indistinctly ] ♪ It's not clinical, that's just life ♪ ♪ But we don't have much time ♪ ♪ So say what you want ♪ ♪ Anything you need to ♪ ♪ Don't waste any time worrying about ♪ ♪ Anything if you don't need to worry 'bout that ♪ ♪ Share your love, don't hold yourself back ♪ ♪ I was on my way to the end of time ♪ ♪ We just have to know if the reason rhyyyyymes ♪ ♪ Rhyyyyymes ♪ ♪ I was on my way to the other side ♪ ♪ We were gonna rob Saint Peter ♪ ♪ Bliiiiiind ♪ ♪ Bliiiiiind ♪ Thank you.

[ Cheers and applause ] Between yourself and some of your other band members, it looks like a number of you are multi-instrumentalists.

Yeah.

You talk a little bit about how that influences your kind of creative process and the style of your music.

How does that influence how you perform?

Like, how do you -- how does bringing more instruments into the mix kind of change your performance?

Yeah, it just -- honestly, touring with the band that I do, I'm so lucky to have my friends with me who all sort of can wear different hats and the crew because it just allows us to communicate more of what's on the record and that sort of mixed bag.

Like, I would be a little sad to bring the music out and only be able to play it like as a rock band, you know, drums, bass, guitar and doing it that way.

But luckily folks can sort of hop from guitar to the synthesizer, from -- I'm jumping from the sax to the guitar, and Kaina's playing the sampler.

And so we've got all these different sounds that you hear on the album that we're able to create in a live space, which is the dream, really.

Yeah.

And maybe kind of adds to the -- where you can take the music.

Right?

Like having those different elements, and you talk about how each of those instruments allows you to go down a bit of a different path genre-wise and stylistically.

How does it influence, like -- What does a songwriting process look for you?

Where does a song start?

Songs start in different spots depending on the tune.

Sometimes it's just like a group of chords that I find on a guitar that I really like.

Or I'm thinking about a lyric over and over again, something that really, like, makes me think or feels like it tells the truth really concisely.

Once I feel like I've hit that lyrically, then I'm like, "Oh, the song is coming together," and then sort of build around that with different layers, usually lots of like saxophones and vocal stacks and all this stuff.

And then recently for like the stuff on "Diagnosis," it was a lot about, like, scaling back, sort of taking off layers once it had become this mess and finding what the most concise and perfect way to deliver that message was.

♪♪ As I was saying, we're playing songs from a record called "Diagnosis."

My name is Sen Morimoto.

This is the title track, "Diagnosis," kind of what the album is about.

In a nutshell.

♪♪ ♪ I feel like Miss America ♪ ♪ I'm filling gasoline ♪ ♪ Watching commercials at the pump ♪ ♪ Because they have a screen ♪ ♪ Pick up my cigarettes and scratches for the ritual ♪ ♪ Working to afford to be another individual ♪ ♪ I'm always feeling like ♪ ♪ It's not the way it's supposed to be ♪ ♪ Until I get my little fix, I get my dopamine ♪ ♪ We've been set up since we were kids ♪ ♪ You're where you're supposed to be ♪ ♪ We've been set up since we were kids ♪ ♪ You're where you're supposed to be ♪ ♪♪ ♪ This is a diagnosis ♪ ♪ And it's a catch-22 ♪ ♪ You'll live a long life doing what you have to do ♪ ♪ I feel like Miss America ♪ ♪ I'm filling gasoline ♪ ♪ Watching commercials at the pump ♪ ♪ Because they have a screen ♪ ♪ Pick up my cigarettes and scratches for the ritual ♪ ♪ Working to afford to be another individual ♪ ♪ I'm always feeling like ♪ ♪ It's not the way it's supposed to be ♪ ♪ Until I get my little fix, I get my dopamine ♪ ♪ We've been set up since we were kids ♪ ♪ You're where you're supposed to be ♪ ♪ Right where you're supposed to be ♪ ♪ It's not a diagnosis ♪ ♪ It's a catch-22 ♪ ♪ You'll live a long life doing what you have to do ♪ ♪ It's not a diagnosis ♪ ♪ It's a catch-22 ♪ ♪ You'll live a long life doing what you have to do ♪ ♪ Out in the coooooooold ♪ ♪ Again, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, it's a 22 ♪ ♪ You live a long life feeling bad for being you ♪ ♪ You run away from love you don't even mean to ♪ ♪ You ask the stranger in the mirror what they see in you ♪ ♪ That's not what I want for you ♪ ♪ You're so misunderstood ♪ ♪ They want you thinking that you couldn't ♪ ♪ Change the things you could ♪ ♪ They like the way it works ♪ ♪ Too busy working to work it out ♪ ♪ Until you're in the dirt ♪ ♪ And capital manipulates the labor ♪ ♪ Make a bag, it feels like it'll save you ♪ ♪ The money never acts against its nature ♪ [ Cash register dings ] ♪ The cops, the banks ♪ ♪ The legislature, murderers, presidents and mayors ♪ ♪ Status quo capital or life ♪ ♪ Don't let them choose ♪ ♪ They won't think twice ♪ ♪ Don't let them choose ♪ ♪ This is the diagnosis ♪ ♪ It's a catch-22 ♪ ♪ You'll live a long life doing what you have to do ♪ ♪ This is the diagnosis ♪ ♪ It's a catch-22 ♪ ♪ You'll live a long life doing what you have to do ♪ ♪ This is the diagnosis ♪ ♪ And it's a catch-22 ♪ ♪ You'll live a long life doing what you have to do ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] We talked about how on some of your kind of older records, you played all of the instruments.

For "Diagnosis," which you released in 2023, did you bring in other musicians to record in the studio, and how did that change kind of the the output for you?

Yeah.

Recording "Diagnosis" was really different from my past records.

It was my first time recording in a studio.

I had always made, you know, "bedroom pop" or whatever at home.

And so I worked on the record with my good friend Brok Mende, who opened up a studio called Friends of Friends in Chicago.

And that was my first experience doing that.

And brought in Ryan Person, who played drums, Michael Cantella on bass, Kaina, who's performing tonight.

And we all sort of produced the record together, found different sounds, and it totally changed the way the music sounds.

It just sounds more like a live band, which is what I was hoping, which also really helps us then communicate that on the shows we play, because it's so related to how we recorded it.

I also feel like because of the nature of the lyrics on the album, which are so much more about sort of like looking outward at the systems around us as opposed to sort of like, introspective lyricism, it helped to then also in the same way, sonically make it more outward facing with a group of people, you know, as opposed to keeping it so locked in and such a private experience.

Like I was saying, my name is Sen Morimoto and this album, it's a lot about this sort of different ways in which capitalism affects all of our lives, not just like our ability to survive and sort of make it through the rat race every day, but also affects our ability to have empathy for each other and understand each other, which ultimately, I think is what causes so much violence in the world.

And, um, it's hard to find meaning in a kind of senseless reality.

And ultimately you have to define it for yourself because nobody's going to do that for you.

And it really doesn't make any sense most of the time.

So this song is called "Pressure on the Pulse."

And it's about... ...deciding what your own reason to keep on living is.

[ Speaker feedback ] ♪ You asked me iiiiiiiiiiiiiif ♪ ♪ You asked me iiiiiiiiiiiiiif ♪ ♪ The answers came down from above like you wished ♪ ♪ And youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ♪ ♪ Could catch them ♪ ♪ For once, your hands not in fists ♪ ♪ Would you trust thiiiiis?

♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Keep pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪ I've been lost for far too long ♪ ♪ To hide the way I feel ♪ ♪ To hide the way I feel ♪ ♪ To let my pride, the fear inside ♪ ♪ Deprive me of what's real ♪ ♪ I can't allow what I can't predict ♪ ♪ To let me down again ♪ ♪ To let me down again ♪ ♪ I know we are the source ♪ ♪ Keep pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Keep pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Keep pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Iiiiiiiiiiiiif ♪ ♪ The answers came down from above like you wished ♪ ♪ And youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ♪ ♪ Could catch them ♪ ♪ For once, your hands not in fists ♪ ♪ Would you trust this?

♪ ♪♪ ♪ Keep pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪ Pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪ Pressure, pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪ Keep pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪ Pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪ Pressure, pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪ Keep pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪ Pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪ Pressure, pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪ Keep pressure on ♪ ♪ Pressure on the pulse, pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪ Pressure on the pulse, pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪ Pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪ I've been lost for far too long ♪ ♪ To hide the way I feel ♪ ♪ To hide the way I feel ♪ ♪ To let my pride, the fear inside ♪ ♪ Deprive me of what's real ♪ ♪ I can't allow what I can't predict ♪ ♪ To let you down again ♪ ♪ To let you down again ♪ ♪ I know you are the source ♪ ♪ Keep pressure on the pulse ♪ ♪ Hey, so how did it go?

♪ ♪ When it was real, how did you know?

♪ ♪ What were your doubts, what's it about?

♪ ♪ I have so many questions ♪ ♪ Can you guess them before I let them out of my mouth?

♪ ♪ It might be easier to tell me everything that you know ♪ ♪ You had a song, how did it go?

♪ ♪ When it was real, how did you know?

♪ ♪ Are you seeing this right now?

♪ ♪ Does it end?

♪ ♪ What kind of pen?

♪ ♪ Are these the right sounds, does it depend?

♪ ♪ I need some REM, how long's it been?

♪ ♪ I need a ten, I need a ten ♪ ♪ Where were your friends?

You needed them ♪ ♪ What was your name?

We meet again ♪ ♪ I quit the games, I couldn't win ♪ ♪ I couldn't change, I doubled down, I dumb it down ♪ Thank you.

[ Applause ] Now please make some noise for this amazing band.

These are some real Chicago legends.

I'm so privileged to get to make music with them.

And, uh... Yeah.

We're gonna bring it down a notch, I think, to my little cosplaying country song.

What does that even mean?

[ Laughter ] ♪♪ ♪ Oooooooh, ooooh ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I get by ♪ ♪ On a smile ♪ ♪ I can't find anymore ♪ ♪ On a dime ♪ ♪ But it'll be alright ♪ ♪ I get high ♪ ♪ When you call ♪ ♪ Out to me ♪ ♪ Like you spittin' the shells of a seed ♪ ♪ Out the window, I'm walking to see you again ♪ ♪ Only to feel naive ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Only to feel naive ♪ ♪ I'm walking over to see you again ♪ ♪ You see it all over me again ♪ ♪ Me again ♪ ♪ Me again, again, again ♪ ♪ Oooooooh, ooooh ♪ ♪ Out of all ♪ ♪ My delusions ♪ ♪ Recurring dreams ♪ ♪ There is one ♪ ♪ I still like to see ♪ ♪♪ ♪ We're in Tennessee ♪ ♪ I can still feel the heat ♪ ♪ While you spittin' the shells of the seeds ♪ ♪ Out the window, we're driving away from here ♪ ♪ Only to feel more free ♪ ♪ Who made a fool out of who?

♪ ♪ You made a believer of me ♪ ♪ Happy to feel naive again ♪ ♪ -Eve again ♪ ♪ Naive again, yeah ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] Thanks, guys.

That song's called "Naive."

I'm pretty much playing this record hat, shoe, top to bottom, so if you like it, check it out.

If you don't like it, it's different on the record a little.

[ Laughter ] There's only so much I can do to convince you.

Can you talk to us a little bit about your song "Feel Change"?

Yeah.

"Feel Change" is sort of in the middle of "Diagnosis."

It's a song I wrote about how difficult it is to sort of think about how much you want the world to change, you know, which is a lot of what the album is about, but how dissonant that is with our sort of natural inclination to avoid change.

You know, it's so hard to accept change and that can create a lot of fear and anxiety.

And at the same time, though, that fear and that mistrust for change can stunt our ability to imagine better futures.

And it's sort of a song that I enjoy singing because it has empathy for that feeling, which is part of what the whole album is about.

You know, I'm trying not to be really preachy about what the world should be but really just, like, meet people where they're at and be like, "I know it's hard, but we have to try."

This is actually the song that I was talking about that sort of made me start crying when I was singing it last night.

This next song is called "Feel Change."

It's about how hard it is to accept change.

It's hard to change.

Everybody knows it's hard to change.

But we also need change.

So it's about that dissonance, sort of needing it and also struggling to appreciate it.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ It didn't use to be content ♪ ♪ It used to be art ♪ ♪ Change can be hard ♪ ♪ I'm getting used to it ♪ ♪♪ ♪ You answered the phone like you used to do ♪ ♪ Then we'd play a game where we both haven't changed ♪ ♪ Like we're new to this ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I have so many jokes ♪ ♪ But nothing is funny to me anymore ♪ ♪ There are some things I need to see ♪ ♪ Autumn dyeing the leaves ♪ ♪ Drying concrete ♪ ♪ When I start to feel ♪ ♪ When I start to feel ♪ ♪ Nothing should chaaaaaange, yeah ♪ ♪ Nothing should chaaaaaange, yeah ♪ ♪ Nothing should chaaaaaange ♪ ♪ Yeah, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Driving over the same potholes ♪ ♪ From four winters ago ♪ ♪ Like the salt on the road ♪ ♪ I have short-term solutions ♪ ♪ For eternal delusions ♪ ♪ Back and forth, back and forth ♪ ♪ Enough to make a child spit up ♪ ♪ Vanity and charity ♪ ♪ Shameless insincerity ♪ ♪ And those are the good ones ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Oh, evil, eeeeeeeevil ♪ ♪ You kiss me with your eyes wide open ♪ ♪ Then you hide your face from me ♪ ♪ But there are some things I need to see ♪ ♪ Autumn dyeing the leaves ♪ ♪ Drying concrete ♪ ♪ When I start to feel ♪ ♪ When I start to feeeeeeel ♪ ♪ Nothing will chaaaaaange, yeah ♪ ♪ Nothing will chaaaaaange, yeah ♪ ♪ Nothing will chaaaaaange, yeah ♪ ♪ Nothing will ♪ ♪ Oooooooooooooooh, ooooooooooooooh ♪ ♪ Oooooooooooooooh, ooooooooooooooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooooooooooooooh ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Don't go making metaphors ♪ ♪ Out of seemingly meaningless moments ♪ ♪ Parables out of friendship patterns ♪ ♪ Picking at scabs won't heal them faster ♪ ♪ Fact, you'll make a scar out of nothing ♪ ♪ Harder to trust than to call it what it is ♪ ♪ I call it how I see it these days ♪ ♪ I'm over over-thinking, only hearing what you say ♪ ♪ What you say, I found it matters what you say ♪ ♪ Found trouble in the void ♪ ♪ Dark matter, outer space ♪ ♪ What you say to yourself, it matters what you say ♪ ♪ Some trouble can't avoid ♪ ♪ Have to laugh in its face ♪ ♪ Oh, let's step bravely into another day ♪ ♪ And we can call it what it is for no one's sake ♪ ♪ The life that we've made ♪ ♪ Oh-oh-oh ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ I set out to make something of ♪ ♪ What's scaring me the most every day ♪ ♪ Turns out what I was most afraid of ♪ ♪ Was that I might have nothing left to say ♪ ♪ What to say when you spend so many long days ♪ ♪ Psychoanalyzing every single choice you ever made ♪ ♪ Just to find a simple answer to the right questions ♪ ♪ You never had the courage to debate ♪ ♪ What you say, I found it matters what you say ♪ ♪ Found trouble in the void ♪ ♪ Dark matter, outer space ♪ ♪ What you say to yourself, it matters what you say ♪ ♪ Some trouble can't avoid ♪ ♪ Have to laugh in its face ♪ ♪ What you say ♪ [ Echoing ] ♪ Trouble ♪ ♪ What you say ♪ ♪♪ ♪ What you say, I found it matters what you say ♪ ♪ Found trouble in the void ♪ ♪ Dark matter, outer space ♪ ♪ What you say to yourself, it matters what you say ♪ ♪ Some trouble can't avoid ♪ ♪ Have to laugh in its face ♪ ♪ Oh, let's step bravely into the blinding light ♪ ♪ And you can call it what it is, call it what you like ♪ ♪ The chance to change your life ♪ ♪ Oh-oh-oh ♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] Thank you so much, y'all.

I'm so happy y'all are here.

Like, it would be weird to do this alone.

[ Laughter ] As you kind of navigate this journey and you think about, you know, this year and next year, where do you really see yourself going?

Like, what do you hope to achieve?

Is it more about the story you're trying to tell in your music?

Is it trying to find the corner of this world in which you occupy?

What is kind of your goal in this?

My goal with releasing "Diagnosis" was just hoping that people would hear it and feel that they could relate to it in some way.

I think that was what was difficult for me about the writing process was it was a lot of thoughts and worries I was having that were difficult for me to voice publicly.

And so I was sort of having these feelings and then trying to write music just as an art form outside of it, and it was impossible for me to move in those two different directions.

So I realized I had to write about this stuff, or I wouldn't be able to make art at all.

And now that it's out, yeah, I mean, I'm still trying to figure out how to live this life in a sustainable way.

You know, we're figuring out how to tour in a way that doesn't, you know, kill ourselves and still be able to enjoy art and participate in this community still.

We're going to turn it back up.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Out in the woods behind the house there is a rock ♪ ♪ I swear you'll only find ♪ ♪ If you find yourself lost ♪ ♪ Trees mark the path abandoned ♪ ♪ I learned to surrender ♪ ♪ Take me back to that place ♪ ♪ I want to remember ♪ ♪ That's not how I feel now ♪ ♪ 'Cause that's not where I'm at ♪ ♪ Please don't give up now ♪ ♪ I can't give up ♪ ♪ But it's killing me ♪ ♪ Killing me ♪ ♪ Is it that easy?

♪ ♪ I walked right into it, didn't I?

♪ ♪ I set it up now, willingly ♪ ♪ And it's killing me ♪ ♪ But I know there's something still in me ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ I searched through a bottomless pit ♪ ♪ For the bottom of it ♪ ♪ Trying to make it to the top of a list ♪ ♪ That doesn't exist ♪ ♪ I searched the state forest for it ♪ ♪ I couldn't tell you what it meant to me ♪ ♪ Meant to me ♪ ♪♪ ♪ The sun went down as I searched ♪ ♪ Every inch of the Earth ♪ ♪ Not for a place but for a memory ♪ ♪ And it's killing me ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Surrender, surrender ♪ ♪ Surrender, surrend-- ♪ ♪ I surrender, render ♪ ♪ I surrender, render ♪ ♪ I surrender, surrender ♪ ♪ Surrender, surrender ♪ ♪ I surrender, render ♪ ♪ I surrender, rend-- ♪ So, in your song "Forsythia," you make the kind of choice to sing in Japanese in that song as well.

Can you talk a little about -- a little bit about what inspired you to do that?

Yeah, absolutely.

I was born in Japan.

I moved as a baby with my family to the States and grew up in a small town in the middle of nowhere in Massachusetts, in the beautiful town called Wendell.

And outside of our house there was a forsythia tree.

And it's these big, bright, almost like a giant monster-looking thing in the yard.

And so the English verses on "Forsythia" are about growing up there, feeling very isolated and sort of self-consciousness and self-deprecating feelings that would sort of come up at night and always sort of looking out my window at the yellow leaves of the forsythia tree, sort of fading into darkness.

My father's Japanese and I struggled for a long time to get back to speaking the language.

It's still, you know, pretty rusty for me.

But through music, I've been able to revisit Japan, tour in Japan and reconnect with my family there, and then also become closer with him through that process, which I'm super grateful for.

And, you know, having gone back now a bunch to play music and visit family, I have thought a lot about, like, what my life would have looked like if I was there and, you know, through the lens of this sort of, um... outward-facing album... [Clears throat] ...sort of critiquing the world we're in, I was thinking about whether I would have this same point of view if I grew up outside of America.

A lot of the album is sort of about dysfunction in America.

And so the Japanese verse is about how I may have been feeling the same way in another country growing up in a different alternate universe, maybe, looking out the window at the sakura tree as opposed to the forsythia tree.

And it also is a little bit about just the langauge difference.

I love to explore, when I'm writing in Japanese, which I do, you know, maybe one or two songs an album, I'm always exploring the words that don't have direct translation because I think that's one of the most beautiful things about different languages is it's almost like if you could see different colors than somebody else.

And being able to see both sides of the language, between English and Japanese, it always fascinates me that there are some things that you can't say with one word that you can in another language.

So, that back and forth is part of the writing process and what inspired me to write "Forsythia."

Great.

Well, Sen, thank you so much for being here.

We're so happy to have you perform on "Studio 3 Live."

Thank you so much for having me.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Silence in the shadow of night ♪ ♪ Insecurity comes to light ♪ ♪ Blooming in the dark ♪ ♪ Like the forsythia tree ♪ ♪ Out the window from me ♪ ♪ And every night the dark comes to illuminate my fears ♪ ♪ As the yellow leaves of the forsythia disappear ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Singing in Japanese ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Silence broken sharply at noon ♪ ♪ Magnolia outside of our room ♪ ♪ Blooming in the branches ♪ ♪ Through the gaps I can see the forsythia tree ♪ ♪ Framed in petals, purple and cream ♪ ♪ How the melody of the forsythia sing to me ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Searching in the dark for sunshine ♪ ♪ Feeling out of place ♪ ♪ Pointing at all of the others ♪ ♪ Aren't they wicked and depraved?

♪ ♪ Sometimes we miss being toxic ♪ ♪ It made us sick ♪ ♪ It made us change ♪ ♪ Then we feel like if it's not pain ♪ ♪ Then we might never feel a thing ♪ ♪ Trying to fix a broken mirror without losing luck or face ♪ ♪ Trying to solve systemic problems individually in vain ♪ ♪ Fall prey to traps of sweet nostalgia ♪ ♪ Moving backwards, walk in place ♪ ♪ Try to describe the otherworldly with a song ♪ ♪ A simple phrase ♪ [ Singing in Japanese ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] Thanks, everyone.

I'd like to invite our amazing band back on stage.

We got one more song for you.

It's the album closer.

It's called "Reality."

And it's about whatever you want it to be about.

I don't know why I keep telling you stuff.

Like, you got to think.

You got to think about it the way I think about it.

♪ Say would you need to say ♪ That's fine.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Oh!

♪ ♪ I had it all wrong ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I had to rearrange ♪ ♪ The way I've been thinking ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I've been judging myself more than anyone else ♪ ♪ I know the world's so cruel and it don't need my help ♪ ♪ I'm a fool, I played along ♪ ♪ No, you know how it felt ♪ ♪ Is it heaven?

Is it hell?

♪ ♪ Getting harder to tell ♪ ♪ I'm in a room full of souls ♪ ♪ And we're all so alone ♪ ♪ I get home, I get high ♪ ♪ If I'm lucky, I get stoned ♪ ♪ I get home, I get high ♪ ♪ If I'm lucky, I get stoned ♪ ♪ If I'm lucky, I'll remember what it is that keeps me goin' ♪ ♪ Open up your phone, tell me what you see ♪ ♪ It's your own reality ♪ ♪ Everybody there agreed ♪ ♪ See the value in the person who you know is currency ♪ ♪ You could learn to be the version of yourself ♪ ♪ They want to see ♪ ♪ That's a perfect recipe for depression ♪ ♪ And the fear moving forward ♪ ♪ Only for the sake of productivity ♪ ♪ Deconstructing my identity for opportunities ♪ ♪ Just to pop up in your feet ♪ ♪ Be the first thing you see ♪ ♪ Like a morning ♪ ♪ Good morning to you ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Oh, I hurt myself ♪ ♪ I know you know how it felt ♪ ♪ I know the world's so cruel and it don't need my help ♪ ♪ I'm a fool, I played along just like everyone else ♪ ♪ But I'm trying every day, now I'm looking for help ♪ ♪ I'm in a room full of souls ♪ ♪ And we're all so alone ♪ ♪ I get home, I get high ♪ ♪ If I'm lucky, I get stoned ♪ ♪ I get home, I get high ♪ ♪ If I'm lucky, I get stoned ♪ ♪ If I'm lucky, I'll remember what it is that keeps me goin' ♪ ♪ You make a face ♪ ♪ Seen a photo of you make as a child ♪ ♪ Try to leave home ♪ ♪ Thought the day would never come ♪ ♪ Stuck in time ♪ ♪ I was in first grade asking what's the point?

♪ ♪ Couldn't get a reply ♪ ♪ Now I hear the song my mother used to sing every night ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I will love you still ♪ ♪ Some things change, but this won't ♪ ♪ I always will ♪ ♪ I will love you still ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Some things change, but this won't ♪ ♪ I always will ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Funding for this program was provided by Friends, the Iowa PBS Foundation, as well as generations of families and friends who feel passionate about the programs they watch on Iowa PBS.