RUS x Merry Lamb Lamb
Hong Kong-born electronic and dance musician Merry Lamb Lamb reflects on her journey into music and the inspirations that shape her sound in this conversation with RUS. Her insights resonate with the spirit of RUS’s Pillow Talk collection, crafted to evoke intimacy and self-reflection through soft, understated details. With a passion for transforming everyday moments into art, Merry invites us into a world where creativity, memory, and emotion seamlessly intertwine.
Explore her story and the inspirations that continue to shape her unique vision.
Merry wears the MOLINO beret, TOIKI scarf, KOMOREBI sweater, CLE vest and CORTINA skirt.
Where’s home for you?
I used to have an identity crisis growing up with this question, from Hong Kong to Toronto, to Beijing, and now to my new home, London. I never feel like I belong anywhere because I'm constantly moving.
But now, home doesn't have to be a physical place. It is where my heart feels the calmest, I can slow down my pace, and I am continuously willing to fail, explore and discover myself with my loved one. My calming heart is where home is to me.
What led you to start making music?
I posted a lot of random sadcore cover songs when I was still in uni and about to graduate. I was hesitant about whether to pursue my career as a visual artist and animator. My partner Lung discovered me through his Facebook scrolls. He was managing a band that I loved at the time. He messaged me through Facebook one day, asking me if I was interested in pursuing a full-time music career.
What truly got me to start making music was my partner, Lung. He was the only one who encouraged and appreciated me to go against the odds. I knew very little about music production during that time, but he would enable me to produce and perform proudly on stage. I could do it because I love music and the perseverance of trusting myself. I felt the urge to go with my gut. That's where, later on, I tried to learn music making from scratch, YouTubeing it all the way, asking Lung to lend me his 303 drum machine, buying my first second-hand Roland synth, and being willing to spend hours and hours in front of my laptop to fail more, discover more about electronic music from time to time, and now become Merry Lamb Lamb.
Merry wears the TOIKI scarf, NUI cardigan, MIJIKAI mittens with the HOTARU top and MIZUKI skirt
RUS tote bag
What kind of sounds and textures are you most drawn to when creating?
I like treating my sounds and textures as part of my flowing diary. I spend hours sitting in a park near my home and using my iPhone to record the natural sound of the birds and squirrels surrounding me. Sometimes, I don't even care about what I'm recording and its quality, but what is most important to me is to capture the moment I felt moved by nature and use my eyes as a camera to remember it deeply.
Voice memos greatly help me during songwriting, especially since we live in such a rapid world. Sometimes, we need to remember how to appreciate small things in life. Sounds and textures, like the sound of wind blowing through leaves, gave me a sense of light to keep excavating and paying extra attention to the details of life.
Do you find it helpful to follow a creative routine, or do you let your emotional impulses guide you?
I used to let my emotions hit me and write songs according to them. But as I grew older, I felt like I couldn't just let my emotions hit me and go. Emotion can sometimes lie to you, especially when you're very into that moment. It might fly away after a few days, and you'll eventually forget how it feels and the purpose of writing that particular song.
Therefore, before creating a song or starting a project, I would ask myself: Why is this moment significant to you, and what have you learned from it? I would first try to find a theory, like Sherlock Holmes. If I could export a theory, I would pour the story out detail by detail and start from there.
Merry wears the MOLINO beret, TOIKI scarf, KOMOREBI sweater and CLE vest.
How would you describe RUS universe in three words?
RUS is honest, pure, and ethereal to me. It is something sincere that you want to chase in life, and it's an attitude towards life.
Merry’s portrait with her pieces for this collaboration.
Do you have any ritual that can transform your mood in an instant?
When upset, I pull up my Bible app on my phone and read a few lines from the book of Philippians. There's something so powerful about that book that I'll keep drawn to and feel a sense of strength when I need it. My favourite verse from that book is Philippians 4:13: "For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength."
Being a stranger in a foreign land can sometimes make you feel lonely and helpless, but when you know someone is always with you inside your heart, you'll know it's not that hard.
Name three artists or musicians that inspire you and why.
Grimes: I stumbled on her live performance clips on YouTube. She was performing her song, 'Oblivion.' Her ability truly blew me away: She controlled her drum machine, played her synth, danced, and took up the stage all by herself. She also made her music and directed all her music videos. That moment awakened me and made me want to become an independent and confident woman like her.
Lung: Lung, to me, he is always an artist in heart. No matter if it's making music with him or even his visual making after a song I've made. He knows how to present the Merry Lamb Lamb and what is best for the aura. He introduced me to artists like James Holden and Lindstrøm. He has opened a new horizon for my music knowledge and showed me that music is sometimes beyond lyrics and dialect. It is all about what the heart speaks to you.
Belle & Sebastian: Stuart Murdoch will always be my music hero, and I couldn’t thank him enough for saving me so many times during my teenage emo years while I would constantly shed a tear from his lyrics and his voice. Thank you for colouring my life with the chaos of trouble.
Can you name an object or a piece of clothing that holds a lot of emotional significance to you? What makes it special?
I wear my lucky charm necklace daily, which my good friend Elly made for me. It consists of a transparent crystal heart-shaped jade with wire binding on top paired with an adorable iron bead chain. I wear it daily because we have moved away from Hong Kong, and every time I wear it, I feel like I’m holding a piece of her. Although we might not be spending a lot of time together like we used to at the studio, the fact that she made this for me as a gift holds a special meaning to our friendship that I’ll remember forever for a very long time.
What’s your favourite season to get dressed?
Autumn in London and winter in Hong Kong. The layering season has always been my favourite season.
I have recently fallen in love with brown or any hue that resonates with brown a lot. Brown gave me a sense of calmness yet funkiness simultaneously, and it could look good with any colour; you can always experiment with it through different pairings. My recent favourite colour combo is brown and sky blue, and it gives me subtle yet fun feelings about these two pairings.
What’s on your horizon?
I have been working hard on my new album with Lung in my cave lately. This album is a turning point because I have fallen in love with cycling since moving to London.
I first thought cycling would be some other sport I would love, but it turned out to be a more profound principle of life than I thought. I can resonate with myself cycling up a hill, where sometimes it takes a lot of effort to arrive at your destination. Still, the most crucial part is not the destination but, most importantly, the process and my perseverance towards it.
There's so much that I really wanted to talk about through cycling. I wanted every different moment of my cycling adventure to have a soundtrack. I wanted it to be nonstop, almost like a DJ-mix-like journey with me through cycling. And I can't wait to show you how it will turn out.
