This interview has been edited for clarity and length and was conducted on August 17, 2024.
The pathway from a popular YouTube star to a professional in the entertainment industry isn’t always straightforward, but for Thai Anisong singer MindaRyn, her rise to fame came at an inopportune time when the world shut down and remote work was mandatory. Despite the initial setback, she and her management team persevered through the challenges to release her debut major label single “BLUE ROSE Knows” in November 2020.
Fast forward to 2024, and MindaRyn made her Canadian debut as a headliner at this year’s Japan Festival Canada in Mississauga, Ontario, ahead of the release of her second full-length album, Across Miles.
In anticipation of her performance and the release of her second album, Anime Trending had a chance to speak with her about her single, “Miracle Soup,” what she learned on YouTube in her early career, and why her fans continue to motivate her love of singing and live performance.
Welcome, MindaRyn, to Canada. It’s your first time here, correct?
MindaRyn: Yes, it’s my first time.
So while I was taking an Uber here, I actually was listening to one of your newest singles, “Miracle Soup.”
MindaRyn: Oh, thank you. Thank you so much!
What’s the message behind a song like “Miracle Soup,” and why does it sound so happy and positive like some of your other songs?
MindaRyn: So actually, the sound is so happy and positive, but the reality is that it’s not that happy, but it’s not that sad either. It’s about all the experiences that we’ve been through with all our friends, [like] when we meet a lot of people, and also when we say goodbye. We use all those precious memories as ingredients to create our “Miracle Soup.” When you make a soup, it takes time to make a great one, like you have to cook until the taste comes out from all the ingredients. That is the idea of the song.
Another one of your singles, “Make Me Feel Better,” was also used for That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Scarlet Bond, and “Like Flames” for the second season. What do you find the most appealing thing about the TenSura franchise, and why do you feel like it’s a good series for your songs?
MindaRyn: I think the thing that I really love about TenSura is that it’s not about the battles. Of course the battle scenes are really amazing, but the main story of TenSura is to create a community, to create a kingdom, and meet a lot of people and be friends, so it’s more like a relationship. We also share that part together too, because I also went to many places and met a lot of people, became friends with other people around the world, so maybe because of that, it makes my song fit TenSura.
TenSura is one of my favorite series as well, just because I like all the characters, and your songs are definitely the ones I remember the most too.
MindaRyn: Awww. Thank you so much!
So going back to the beginning of your career, you first launched your YouTube channel around 2015, and gradually built up your following through 2020 when you first debuted with Lantis. What lessons did you learn from managing your channel by yourself and uploading your cover songs during those early years?
MindaRyn: Well, I think I learned a lot of things from making the channel. Before making the channel, I was really shy — I couldn’t even sing in front of people. In Thailand, we also have a lot of anime events, and there are so many anisong contests, but I never applied for them because I was scared of singing in front of people. With YouTube, you’re recording by yourself and [are] just singing in front of the camera, so it was fine for me. So I started that YouTube channel, and because of that, it [shaped] me a lot.
Many of my fans gave me confidence [and] very sweet words like, “I like your voice!” or “You’re singing great!” Something like that built up my confidence and I’m able to sing in front of people now. I still get nervous sometimes when I sing on the stage, but because of the channel and because of my fans, I can be more confident.
Technically, by recording myself and editing the videos myself, it gave me skills that made my job a lot easier too. Sometimes we have to record a demo and it doesn’t [require us to go to the studio]. Instead, I can do it all by myself at home [and] I just send it to my team after. I also sometimes do video editing for my content too.
Have those lessons that you learned continue to guide and help you now that music is your full-time job?
MindaRyn: As I said earlier, when we record the full song, we have to go to the studio. However, when we record a demo, I can apply what I’ve learned from my cover channel, record it at home, and send it to my team. I’ve also started uploading shorts and vlogs now using my YouTuber skills.
One thing some of your fans might not know is that you have an educational background in software development.
MindaRyn: Yeah, how do you know that I wonder?
I did some digging.
MindaRyn: Thank you, you’re so sweet.
But making a career change from software development to musical performance is really bold. When did you decide you wanted to pursue your passion in music?
MindaRyn: Well, I think the skill of developing code is always with me and I think I can be a developer at any time. But being a singer [isn’t] an opportunity that comes to you all the time, so I just grabbed the opportunity.
You’re continuing to do a lot of great work for your fans as well. Your first major release with a label was “BLUE ROSE Knows” around November 2020, and that was an interesting time in history. Could you describe what that time leading up to the song’s debut was like as the world was working through the pandemic?
MindaRyn: Yes, it was a very tough time for all of us as a team because we decided to make a major debut before we knew about the pandemic. All the dates were already fixed, but the pandemic suddenly came. So, we had to change a lot of plans because I was still in Thailand and couldn’t come to Japan to do work like recording or making music videos — we had to record it [all] remotely.
We called each other online, and to make the sound clear, we had to livestream it on YouTube as an unlisted video. All of my producers listened to the livestream from Japan and communicated with me via live calling. That’s how we did the recording for “BLUE ROSE knows.” It was really, really hard, but we made it through.
So, you had to be flexible and kind of adapt to the situation when it came?
MindaRyn: Yeah, and it was like that for like two years. “BLUE ROSE knows,” “Like Flames,” “Shine,” and “Daylight,” were all done remotely.
That’s very interesting to know, but I guess with song recording, you can kind of record anywhere as long as you have good equipment and a good space, right?
MindaRyn: Yeah, but the problem is the music video. It’s so hard to make the music video remotely. For example, with “Like Flames,” you can see that I have my band members playing in the back, but all of my band members were in Japan. So I ended up filming in front of the green screen and we mixed it together in Japan.
And now, you know, the pandemic is doing a little better now.
MindaRyn: Yeah! Finally I can come to Japan!
You mentioned some of the songs and anime series you were involved with. From 2021 onwards, many of your fans could hear you in TenSura, Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest, Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion, and most recently, SHY as well. What’s it like knowing that the songs you’re performing and creating are being selected for upcoming anime?
MindaRyn: It’s like a dream come true. I sing for quite a lot of anime, but the feeling is just fresh, like the first time I sang “BLUE ROSE knows.” It’s because I am a real otaku and singing an anime song has always been my dream. So, every time people trust me to do the work for anime, I always appreciate it and am grateful for everyone who works on the show.
You talked about still getting the nervous butterflies whenever you perform in front of your fans, but now you’ve got more experience and are a bit older. How would you describe that experience of live performance now? And do you remember what and when your first live performance was like post-pandemic?
MindaRyn: This is quite interesting because my first live performance was overseas, and [at the time] I had very little experience with performing. At the time, I was still doing covers and my subscriber count was around 20,000. An event from Malaysia had invited me to sing for the event in Johor Bahru. It was quite a big event, and I think back then, I was not that famous, so most of the audience didn’t know me. Still, they warmly welcomed me and loudly cheered for me.
Actually, that was one of the things that motivated me to sing. That experience confirmed to me that, “Okay this is what I want. I want to be loved by people that love anime, so I want to be an anisong singer.” So, that was my first performance in Malaysia, which is not even in my own country!
Well, Malaysia’s next door to Thailand, right? That’s probably why.
MindaRyn: Yeah, that’s true.
So you just mentioned you’re an otaku. What anime did you kind of grow up watching? Were you also a manga reader as well?
MindaRyn: Oh, I do read manga. I have a big shelf of manga at home, and I grew up watching things like Digimon Adventure. It was the first anime that I fell in love with, but before that, I also watched [other shows] like Ikkyu-san, Hamtaro, and Doraemon. Those are childhood anime for me, but the anime that made me an otaku was Digimon Adventure.
Digimon Adventure, I think, is celebrating its 25th anniversary since it first debuted.
MindaRyn: Yes.
On that note, who are your musical influences? What did you grow up listening to? Did you just listen to anisongs or did you listen to pop-rock? Or a variety of genres?
MindaRyn: I started listening to anisongs at first, but I also listened to non-anisong artists too, though the artist really influenced me a lot back then was Yui. She does sing anisongs, but she doesn’t mainly do anisongs. You know Yui, [she did] “Again,” the opening for FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Yeah, she influenced me a lot [and] I play guitar because of her.
Are there any other anime that you’re watching right now that you recommend or manga that you’re reading?
MindaRyn: Right now I’m watching【OSHI NO KO】, and the one before that I watched and really liked is Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.
I really love Frieren. Earlier this year, I interviewed Jean-Ken Johnny from Man with a Mission — he likes Frieren too actually.
MindaRyn: Oh, I see! It’s an anime you’re going to love if you’re an adult, but if you’re a kid, maybe you will feel like it’s boring. But, when you grow up and pass a lot of things in life, you will find that Frieren gives us a lot of messages about life. That’s why I love that anime.
You don’t get it as a kid at first, but you appreciate it later in life.
MindaRyn: Yes, yes.
You mentioned that you are a Thai otaku. Earlier in January, I actually traveled to Bangkok for a month to meet some family and friends who live there, and one of the places I really wanted to go was the Animate store in Mahbunkhrong Center or MBK Center.
MindaRyn: Oh yeah! Animate Bangkok, yes.
Thailand has a very active anime and otaku scene. How would you describe the fandom there nowadays, and how do you think it’s kind of changed from when you were growing up?
MindaRyn: I think it changed a lot. Right now, people really love anime. Like you mentioned, Animate Bangkok was built in Thailand, but actually, back in my generation and during my childhood, it was kind of the opposite. Anime was kind of like the thing for a kid, and if you watched anime, people would think that you are not growing up. But, right now it’s changed, which I’m really, really happy about. It’s like if you don’t watch anime, you’re not cool. So I really appreciate that, and hopefully it’s going to get bigger and bigger.
What kind of anime would you recommend to someone entering their teenage years?
MindaRyn: Well, I would not recommend something new. I would recommend something old school because there are so many old anime in my generation that if you ask teenagers nowadays, they don’t know it anymore. Like Code Geass, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Hikaru No Go? Something like that. So, I think I would recommend those kinds of anime.
They’re always good classics and I feel like some of the younger generation are kind of going back to those series because stuff like TikTok makes them popular again.
MindaRyn: Yeah. Oh, and one of my favorites is Hunter x Hunter. It’s one of the top ones on my list.
The 2011 TV one, right? They made two series.
MindaRyn: Actually, I loved the one before the remake*, but both are great. It’s great because I feel like how we watch anime has changed a little [because] everything is so fast. You have to end everything in 13 episodes, or [at] maximum 25. Before that, anime series were so long and the [development] of the characters was still so beautiful. So, I just want the new generation of otaku to watch more old anime.
Yes, there aren’t many of those 56-episode anime anymore.
MindaRyn: Yeah, I know, right?
So your second album, Across Miles, is coming out on August 21st.
MindaRyn: Yes, only four days to go.
It includes a lot of new songs from many recent anime series. What should your fans look forward to with this upcoming release, and what message would you like to send them?
MindaRyn: The idea of the album, Across Miles, came from the thinking that I feel like I connected to a lot of people via the songs. Especially these [past] few years, I’ve been to many places, not only in Japan, but around the world singing. So I kind of feel like I crossed a lot of miles to connect with the people with my anisongs.
Eight of the tracks in this album are anime tie-ups, so I want to bring the people who [listened to my first album] to this second album. Otherwise, there are three original songs that I wrote just for Across Miles. Mostly, my songs are more positive and cheery, but these three songs in this album are darker [and] express more about my anxiety and fears. [They] dive more into that side of me that I haven’t really expressed to anyone before.
I hope that people will know me more through this album as well.
I can’t end this interview without asking one thing about the album, which I was kind of curious about. I think the song is called “Void,” but it’s a Thai cover song, right? Tell me more about that.
MindaRyn: I started my singing career by doing covers, right? So, we try to keep that gimmick. Every time I released a single, I always included one track as a cover track which is usually a famous anisong in English. But now that it’s my second album, we wanted to do something different. Instead of making a Japanese song into an English version, why not try to introduce Thai songs to Japanese people too?
So, I just chose a song that really connected with me and I’m introducing fans to it with a Japanese version in the album. It was originally called “Sing Kaung” by KLEAR**, but the song is called “Void” in Japanese. Please look forward to it!
Special thanks to Japan Festival Canada and Bandai Namco Music Live for the interview opportunity. Questions submitted by William Moo.
Across Miles was released on August 21, 2024, and is now available on several music streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. A regular and limited edition physical release of the album was also released.
* The first 62-episode Hunter x Hunter TV anime adaptation aired in Japan from 1999 to 2001.
** KLEAR is a four-piece Thai pop rock band that was first formed in 2008.
