20 Questions with Big Phony (or more like 18)
Bobby Choy, AKA Big Phony, is a singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles. Originally from New York, NY, this shy, mild-mannered musician is the mastermind behind the trash bag image, which is typical of his dislike of being judged by his cover. He has recorded two albums, Fiction & Other Realities (2005) and Smoking Kills (2006). His sound channels the haunting yet melodic idiosyncrasies of Nick Drake, Elliott Smith and Iron & Wine. I recently had the opportunity to chat online with him. A big shout-out to Bobby for being so chill and laid-back with the interview.
Sarah Ip: Could you give us a brief background on where you are from and how you got your start in the music business?
Bobby Choy: I was born and raised mostly in New York City. Started playing guitar around 12 or 13 after my brother Eddie got his first guitar which I was forbidden to touch. Practiced in secret and got better than him so mom took the guitar away from him and gave it to me. Started writing songs in high school because schoolwork wasn’t cutting it for me. I didn’t have many friends at school so it was straight home after to do a half-assed job on my homework and write songs in my small studio apartment. In college I started playing coffee houses, open mics, and churches. I gave that up and about 5 years later having grown sick of working 9-5 jobs and a girlfriend who didn’t believe in me, I thought I’d give music a shot. Haven’t looked back since.
SI: Where did the name “Big Phony” come from?
BC: Easy answer to that is from “Catcher in the Rye.” Also, I just feel that way most [of] the time.
SI: When did you realize you wanted to pursue music as a full-time career?
BC: It’s only been a few years now and for the most part it’s been a part-time gig until just recently. I’ve started to figure out ways to stay afloat more efficiently on a month to month basis. Let’s hope I can keep it up. I’m sure I just jinxed myself though.
SI: Who or what were your inspirations?
BC: Probably the biggest inspiration I had was realizing I’m not really great at anything. I’m very average, but I figured I enjoyed being an average musician the most out of all the things I fell short of great. I just came to a point where I knew I wanted to be happy. This seemed the most likely route to that happiness so here I am.
SI: Was your family supportive? How did they take the news that you wanted to pursue music as a profession?
BC: I think they just want me to get serious about figuring out how to support myself, or to get married, if possible to someone with a good profession. They worry about me. But they’re supportive. They don’t yell at me.
I once saw my mom giving one of my CD’s to a stranger. She told them to skip most tracks and listen to just one. Apparently she only likes one song of mine. I think because it says “Jesus” in it. She’s very religious.
SI: What keeps you going? (Because, let’s face it, we all know the musician’s life is an uphill battle.)
BC: Support. Friends that tell me I’m not wasting my time with this music thing. The Food Network, NPR, Anthony Bourdain. That and I owe money to some lady named Sallie Mae. Shitty pop music inspires me to continue writing my own stuff. I sometimes feel better about myself when I browse pop radio stations.
SI: Did you ever have to crash at friends’ places or scrounge for food? Live up to the “starving artist” image?
BC: I currently am a crasher. Honestly, can’t afford rent. During my college years (late nineties) I was a drifter during the summers. I’d hop the church fence and sleep in empty rooms, crash in friends’ basements, eat salsa packets at McDonald’s. Senior year in college I had no place to live so some friends let me stay with them off-campus, but for some time I was sleeping in dorm lounges. I’d get there late when everyone was asleep and leave early before they got up. I’d shower in the rec center. I’d nap in the library. I’m a lover of pizza crust to this day because growing up I’d always eat the leftover crust that other kids who could afford it wouldn’t eat. Condiments are free in pizza joints so I was pretty creative with spread open pizza crust covered in condiments.
SI: Do you have any plans to move back to NY? The east coast misses you! Or are you pretty set in LA? What draws you there?
BC: I’m pretty happy out in LA. I think I know myself well enough now to know that LA suits me better. New York is great but I struggle harder to be happy there for some reason. Generally I need to explain myself more to people and even to friends in New York about what I do and why. There’s more people like me out in LA I guess. It’s a place where people from all over live - many of us chasing down some dream.
With that said though, I still love New York. It is home and I’ll always go back as long as I’m allowed to. I miss the subway, food, and water.
SI: What have been the highlights and the pitfalls of your journey as a musician?
BC: I’ve met some really great people because of it. People like me who have sacrificed a great deal of comfort and abandoned the safe route to follow something that’s hard to survive on. Don’t want to get ahead of myself though, it’s still relatively early for me. Still new at this whole music scene thing.
SI: Are you shopping around for a record deal? How about a global tour?
BC: Honestly, I don’t think I’m ready for that. There’s more preparing to do and I need to get better and better at so many things that involve being a decent musician. I suspect I’d be setting myself up for failure if I did try and deal with things I know jack shit about too early on. Right now I’m just trying to write better songs.
SI: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
BC: I have trouble guessing where I’ll be in a week. I’m really a day to day, month to month kind of creature. I’ll be happy if I’m alive and healthy in 10 years. Fishing maybe?
SI: Are you going to take a different direction for your new album? When is it due to be released?
BC: The new album is really just a collection of home recordings that are being released for the heck of it, mostly recorded in the bedroom and kitchen on a cheap mic. I hope to spread a sense of authenticity in imperfection. That’s just what it is, imperfect. Throwing a few studio recorded songs as well that I worked on in New York with Koo Chung, a friend, producer, also a singer-songwriter. It should be available in the next few months I’m hoping.
SI: Please describe your new album in four words.
BC: Sugar, water, purple, okay.
SI: Where can people check out your music and shirts?
BC: Myspace.com/bigphony is always a good bet. A new website is in the works but coming along slowly. There’s a temp site up at the moment I made on Mac. It blows.
[Editor's Note: We have a few of Big Phony's track playing on our station. Come listen.]
[Correction: Bobby is actually from Midtown Manhattan, and not Queens, as was incorrectly stated originally.]
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