Levi Patel’s rise has been unexpected but exciting.
The Auckland singer-songwriter’s breakthrough came with a video he posted on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok. In it, he shared memories from a visit to a small city in southwest China, spoke a bit of Mandarin, and played his song “Gravity”.
By morning, the video had gone viral, and Patel was receiving attention from Chinese fans and media.
It came as a bit of a shock to Patel, who had been consistently making music for over a decade. Before his unexpected Chinese success, he’d released two EPs, two albums, and worked with artists like Jeremy Redmore, Alayna, and Rhian Sheehan.
He slowly expanded beyond instrumental music and start writing songs and singing, and his latest album, Sailing on the Light of a Passing Star, dropped last month.
We caught up with Levi to discuss his new album, how his travels have shaped his music, and connecting with a new audience.
Levi Patel’s Sailing on the Light of a Passing Star is out now.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: Briefly take us back to the beginning – what made you start learning Mandarin and visit China? How did your travels influence your music?
Levi Patel: I originally started studying Mandarin to prepare for a trip to the hometown of my girlfriend at the time, which is a small city in southwest China where English is a rare sight. Once I started, I realised how well the language clicked with my brain, how beautiful it was, and I also started to glimpse the massive world it could unlock. I’ve been studying intensely ever since.
From what I’d seen about China, I was expecting it to be exciting but hectic. Instead, I discovered a truly stunning city, wrapped by a wide river, dramatically steep karst mountains, and lush green forests – truly surreal landscapes. It also reminded me of small town NZ in how strangers would talk to each other like old friends, and although they undoubtedly work hard, they also know how to slow down and appreciate what they have.
During my month there, I spent a lot of time in the mountains and along the riverside, talking (very slowly) to locals, and taking in the atmosphere. And in my last week I finally managed to track down some musicians, and even debuted early versions of a few of my new songs there.
Influence is hard to pinpoint, but overall I feel like it opened the world up to me more than any other experience I’ve had, and the beauty has surely inspired my music too.
How did it feel when you woke up to see your video on Douyin had gone viral?
I was honestly stunned. It was hugely exciting of course, and as I gradually translated their comments I became more and more emotional, and immensely grateful.
I’d spent hours every day studying Mandarin, and dedicated years of my life to creating these songs, with very little feedback along the way. So to see people not only enjoying it, but deeply connecting with my music, and engaging with my stories, meant so much to me. And the most inspiring part of all, people were sharing their own stories in response.
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You’ve been interviewed on Chinese radio and featured on news stations. What’s it been like navigating the language and cultural differences in China?
It’s been chaos in the fullest sense haha. I feel like I’ve been mentally immersed in China ever since that video, with interviews and other opportunities coming in constantly, all while trying to figure out how everything works and grappling with the language.
They have a common phrase that translates to “China speed”, which seems to mean that when they have an idea, they make it happen immediately. A long way from the measured pace I’m used to!
My first radio interview was particularly nerve-racking. Trying to answer questions about my music that I was only 70% sure I understood was certainly a challenge, but they were extremely friendly and patient.
People have been really understanding in general actually, and generous with helping me navigate everything, including things I wasn’t even aware I should be thinking about. It’s evolving quickly, and the differences are vast, but I’m getting there, and I feel so lucky for the experience.
You’ve mentioned your long-term goal of helping more New Zealand artists break into Chinese music culture. What do you think it will take to help more NZ artists break into the Chinese music scene?
I’ve seen how enthusiastic and supportive a Chinese audience can be for NZ artists, so if we actively share more with them I’m sure they would embrace us even further. I would love to develop more of a two-way exchange as well.
It’s going to take time to understand their music scene, but I’m planning to spend more time there this year to learn more, and hopefully collaborate with experts from New Zealand’s Chinese music community as well.
A good first step is to set up profiles on their music streaming and social media platforms, which I’m happy to help any artists with if they’re interested.
What differences have you noticed between the New Zealand and Chinese music scenes?
I’m only gradually learning about the Chinese music scene myself, but recently I’ve met more musicians who I hope can introduce me more thoroughly.
From what I’ve seen so far, there seems to be a stronger emphasis on lyrics across all genres, and I’ve read that it’s only in recent years that they’ve had this many independent musicians coming up, which I imagine has a big impact on how styles develop. Also, with their deep history and diverse cultures, many Chinese musicians also seem to draw from these traditions. Not to mention the obvious difference in population.
I’m constantly learning, and as with all things there, I’m sure it’s evolving quickly too. And of course, it gets more complex when you look across the entire Mandarin-speaking music world.
What can we expect from your new album, Sailing on the Light of a Passing Star?
Musically, the album is centred around intimate, emotional songwriting, combined with my delicate instrumental production style, including a stunning 8-piece live string section, soft guitars and pianos, and the ethereal textures I always find myself returning to. Emotionally, I’ve poured everything I had into this over the last few years, and I hope you can feel that in the music too.
My friend Jeremy Redmore described it as “as an intimate, ethereal travelogue through the journey from heartbreak to hope” and I feel like that captures it well.
How has the reception been so far to your new album, especially from your audience in China? Has anything surprised you about their reaction?
After over a decade of creating instrumental music, and only working on songs with others artists, I had no idea how these would be received, especially with me singing for the first time. But I’ve been overwhelmed by the response, and with how deeply people have been connecting with them.
To generalise, my audience in China immediately commented on the clean, ethereal sound of the music and my voice. They were also begging for a translation of the lyrics, which my friends quickly helped me with. After the translations were up, long comment threads emerged with people discussing the meaning, sharing their own personal experiences, and even writing poetic stories inspired by the songs. Aside from the scale of it all, I was surprised at how willing they’ve been to open up and share their own emotions, it’s really beautiful.
Overall they’ve been unbelievably encouraging, offering whatever help they can to support me, it’s incredible.
After your April performance, what’s next for you? Any new projects coming up?
I think I’ll focus on sharing the album, and also chasing the opportunities in China and seeing where that takes me.
And after spending so much time working on my own project, with help from incredible friends at key stages of course, I’m also really looking forward to working more with other artists and filmmakers again. Whether that’s writing, production, arrangement, or whatever else, it will be nice to have some company!
So I don’t know exactly, but I’m excited to see what comes, and I’m sure it will be inspiring.
