Today we’d like to introduce you to Lester Wong.
Hi Lester, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Since I was young, I’ve always been a creative person. I started writing songs when I was 14, and I fell in love with it. I was really anxious and depressed as a teenager, and songwriting helped me get through it. After high school, I decided I wanted to learn how to make music professionally, so I went to university to study audio engineering. After graduating, I was offered a job as an audio engineer at one of the top audio post-production studios in Malaysia. Even though it wasn’t exactly music, I decided to take it as it seemed like a great opportunity to gain experience. I began to work on audio post-production for film, TV, and advertising, doing everything from recording to editing, mixing, sound effects editing, Foley, ADR, etc.
In a few short years, I had worked on advertising for brands like Nissan, McDonald’s, and Waze, and TV series that ended up on Netflix, Disney, and Amazon Prime Video. I was working with celebrities, going to movie premieres, and attending award ceremonies. On paper, it looked like I was living the dream. But in actuality, I was anxious, depressed, burnt out, and feeling very unfulfilled. I knew I couldn’t go on like that. I made the difficult decision to quit without a backup plan and started freelancing while exploring what made me excited. I started composing for advertising and producing for my artist friends, but I realized that the thing I loved doing the most was crafting a song. Songwriting was my first love, and I’d gone astray. By this time, I was in my late 20s, and I knew that if I didn’t give it a real try, I would always regret it. I applied to a few schools in the U.S. and got into Berklee College of Music.
However, the pandemic happened and it delayed my plans. Stuck at home and with not much to do, I decided to take things into my own hands and release my own music as an artist. I wanted to change the perception people had of me and show them I was a songwriter, producer, and artist – not just an audio engineer. I didn’t expect much when I released my EP at the top of 2021, but to my surprise, my songs were featured on Spotify playlists, gained radio airplay, and even charted on Shazam. A year later, after I had moved to Boston to attend Berklee, I got nominated for an AIM Award, which is the Malaysian equivalent of the Grammys. I truly could not have predicted any of that. Meanwhile, at Berklee, I was honing my craft, but more importantly, I met other like-minded songwriters, producers, and artists, as well as made real connections within the music industry. Through these relationships, I was even invited to a writing camp for Atlantic Records. Now, I’m a full-time songwriter-producer, working with a bunch of artists on exciting projects. I know there’s still a long road ahead, but I know this is what I’m meant to be doing and I’m really excited for what’s to come.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I spent many years trying to figure out what I truly loved to do, and that meant many years of working on projects I didn’t like working on, going to work every day feeling empty and unfulfilled. Then when I finally decided to pursue what I wanted to do, it meant leaving everything I knew, my family, friends, culture, and moving across the world to a country I had never been to, all alone and not knowing a single person. It was a terrifying thing to do, but what was more terrifying was living a life of what-ifs. However, I think the biggest hurdle I had to overcome was believing in myself enough to give it a try. I think it took me so long to pursue my passion because deep down I didn’t believe I could make it, I didn’t love myself enough to do what I wanted. This past few years pursuing my dream has taught me that I am worth it, I deserve it, and I’m the only person standing in my own way.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m primarily a songwriter and producer. I work with artists to execute their vision on their songs and projects. I also write songs to pitch to labels and artists. Because of my versatility, I play many roles in sessions, often filling the gaps that need filling, be it songwriting, producing, engineering, or even singing. As a songwriter, I’m known for my ear for hooky melodies and clear, clever lyrical concepts. As a producer, I am known for my commercial intuition, tasteful multi-genre production, and incorporation of sound design. My rare combination of songwriting, production, and engineering skills have made me an in-demand collaborator by artists across many genres. However, I pride myself most on being a kind and fun person to work with.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
– Be patient. Nothing happens overnight. You will feel like you wanna run, but you need to learn to jog in place and build up the stamina first so that when the gun goes off, you’re ready to run at full speed. Put in your 10,000 hours. Success is when opportunity meets preparation.
– At the same time, don’t wait for it to be handed to you. Take your life into your own hands, and do whatever is in your control to make it happen.
– Surround yourself with people as good as or better than you. Collaboration is key. You get better by working with others. It might take a while to find your people, but when you do, it will be worth it.
– To quote my fellow songwriter-producer Jake Torrey, try to be at least two of these three things every time you show up:
1. On time
2. Talented/good at what you do
3. A good hang
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astorwalk
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/astorwalk
