Singer-songwriter thùy went from the sterile halls of medical clinics to gracing the sandy Coachella stage as the festival’s first Vietnamese American artist in a seismic career shift — and, serendipitously, a successful one at that. Bay Area-bred artist was raised by Vietnamese refugee parents in Northern California; working towards becoming a physician’s assistant, she tried her hand at her favorite childhood pastime — singing. And it stuck. thùy’s been crafting and releasing singles, EPs and albums since 2015, and she’s not slowing down now. Her latest full-length album, “wings,” dropped this past October to huge success and a world tour announcement.
Character Media had a chance to sit down and chat with the singer about her most recent musical venture and what it took to get to this point.
Character Media: What made you want to take that leap and pursue music full-time after working in the medical field? Was music always a passion for you?
thùy: I get this question so much and I try to change it up, but the facts are the facts. I’ve wanted to sing ever since I could talk, and I knew I would make it happen, but it wasn’t something I would tell people. But when I was at home alone, it was serious to me.
Because my parents never encouraged us to pursue the arts, I was like ‘Okay, I guess I have to work in the medical field.’ I remember I moved back home after graduating from UC Santa Barbara. I was taking a bunch of classes so I could apply to PA school, and I [worked] at all these different medical offices. But I met somebody that brought me into the studio. And this was my first time experiencing creating music, not just singing karaoke. I remember feeling so at home — it was what I wanted to do.
A couple years after I moved back…
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