The first time I watched Papi Shiitake perform, I left the venue perplexed, intrigued, and wanting more.
I stumbled upon tickets to his November album release show, but didn’t realize I’d struck gold until he took the stage. I notice the intimate setting of The Mercury Lounge encourages opening introductions from other artists that night. But Shiitake decides to say the following, which can only be likened to this part of “goosebumps” by Travis Scott: “Brrr, brrr, brrr! Come closer to the stage, don’t be shy!” A strange yet warm welcome to be a part of the moment. The crowd obeys as if under a spell, and I too take up his command. Soon after we are all gifted with a unique performance and an addicting set list. “His sound lies somewhere between Mac DeMarco and Pharrell: giant laid-back, intoxicating vibes that surprise and inspire” says label Trash Casual. But what I’ve come to learn is that his story is equally as surprising and inspiring than one would ever imagine.
“I’ve always been an outcast, my entire life,” says Shiitake, when discussing his time growing up in rural Virginia. As the only Asian student in his school system in a county of just 10,000, being different forced him to look inward more than others. It’s why he says his imagination is so deep and vivid, even as an adult. But until he was 15, Shiitake was shy and reserved. “I remember the day I made a decision in my head to stop…I was like ‘I gotta do something different’.” This choice, in conjunction with his newfound interest in pop punk, led him to create a band despite not knowing how to play any instruments. By the time he graduated high school Shiitake had founded a guitar club as well as the school’s first Battle of the Bands. “Through music I gained this new identity,” and with this change Shiitake was ready to explore music more fully while in DC pursuing college.
After convincing a friend to drop out of Berklee College of Music, Shiitake formed a band which played at DC-area local bars. Together they were able to earn about $600 a night, great money for college students. But everything was about to change. When the group’s bassist, Ryan Seiloff, decided to move to San Diego, Shiitake had only two choices – break up or move out West. He chose the latter, but his drummer chose to stay behind at the last minute, leaving Shiitake in a pair.
Calling their relocation a risk would be an understatement, considering they had no job, no secure living space, and scarce opportunities for rehearsals. This led Shiitake to spend much of his time busking in the street for money. What could be seen as a low point actually came to be one of his greatest experiences, as it heavily informs his performance style today. Receiving a tip from strangers requires immediate intrigue, a shock value. “My motto, and I always tell the band, is to err on the side of exaggeration.” But upon moving to Brooklyn a few years later Shiitake had found doing so to be difficult. He had tried his hand at forming multiple bands within the indie space, all which eventually dissipated. So he decided to quit. Or at least he tried to.
Over these next few months he settled down and got a comfortable nine to five job, even started a new relationship. But he soon realized quitting just wasn’t an option for him. Life without music was “some real dark shit.” Everything became washed with bitterness, he says, to the point where the only choice left was to get back on the saddle. That saddle turned out to be another failed band, a short lived SoundCloud rap solo project, and a publishing deal that fell through during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
But one thing Papi Shiitake has come to learn is that being able to embrace failure is his greatest asset, because it is one of the only constants in life. “Who else has been there by my side the entire time? Failure. He’s the one who’s never left me, he’s the one that never goes away. He’s always there for me!” Many of us are conditioned to think that we don’t have time to fail, but Shiitake believes it’s the only thing we really have time for. “It’s the greatest teacher of all; it’s not going to lie to you.” As a believer in Dao De Jing, Shiitake views the world through the lens of duality. What we aspire to, the greatest achievements, could have the worst outcomes, and vice versa. This dogma is evident through his last resort of busking, which became his greatest advantage on stage. It also proved to be true after his soured deal. In the aftermath of the publishing fallout, Shiitake’s manager AJ Tobey decided to create his own label – and sign him as one of his first artists. The move allowed Shiitake to invest time into making music he values. By the end of the year his first EP, titled, ‘Quarantine Dream’ was released.
Each song was written and produced by Shiitake and former bandmate Ryan Seiloff. Together they created the perfect tracks for summertime. Ethereal electric guitar paired with an inviting, upbeat bass allows any listener to take a step back, relax, and enjoy. Shiitake’s voice equally soothes the mind, and gels seamlessly with the accompaniment. When it came to mixing Shiitake relied on his “sonic brother” Brandon Bost, who he gave full creative control. “I want to see what you do,” he says, “not what I tell you to do.” He takes the same approach to his music videos, which range from traditional camera work to 3D animations of flying pirate ships. “The weirder it is, the cooler it is. I want to be like wow, who worked on this?”
In 2022 this same energy of creative freedom culminated in ‘Wabi-Sabi’, Shiitake’s debut album. The Japanese term wabi-sabi centers around the acceptance of imperfection. Just like our failures, Shiitake knows that our flaws are what make us awesome. Although it’s clear the album itself presents no flaws. His signature sound reverberates through the track list, creating a direct portal to your favorite beach. In other words, he is able to harness the power of song. “Music isn’t the notes themselves, it’s the breath in between notes…I always challenge people to take a breath.” With ‘Wabi-Sabi’, Shiitake certainly presents a breath of fresh air to the indie scene.
Following the release Shiitake will be going on tour this spring throughout the Northeast. With a new band supporting him, Shiitake believes he can take his artistic craft to the next level. Future albums are already in the works and he’s feeling great about the progress. The fear of failure no longer looms over, instead acting as a comforting friend who Shiitake knows will help him be the captain of his own journey. “I’ve crashed and burned a million bands; I can drive this bitch like nobody’s fucking business!”
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