Once tagged one of the cutest rock guitarists in China by Rolling Stone magazine, these days Xia Yan spends most of his time writing songs. He doesn't hanker after fancy clothes and hairstyles and spends his money collecting classic guitars instead. The 29-year-old guitarist and songwriter shared his dreams for the future in an exclusive interview with China.org.cn on February 25, 2010.

Xia's love affair with rock and roll began in 1999 when he was 18 years old. He randomly bought an album by US band Metallica and was immediately captivated. He devoted himself to playing guitar. "I was angry then. Everything – school, teachers, parents, pissed me off. No one was listening to what the youth was saying. I thought music was a way of attracting attention and winning respect. Many other young people were doing the same thing. We wanted to break down barriers and change people's mindsets," He recalls.

Xia taught himself guitar by reading chord books, watching other guitarists and copying other bands. But from the start he wrote his own songs and lyrics. When he was named "rock guitarist for the new generation" in 2000 he was a pure metallic rocker, kitted out in the standard uniform of long hair and furs. His music was violent and full of anger. But that phase didn't last long.

He found he could not make ends meet. And he became estranged from the people he cared about. He was forced to change his attitude to life and music. "At beginning I could not listen to any other music but rock. I was a purist, but narrow-minded. Now I care more about the spirit of the music. My idea of rock has changed. As long as a song is not created just to make money and reflects something deep and true in people's hearts, I call it rock," He says.

The turning point came in 2005. One of China's superstar rockers, Zheng Jun, asked Xia to join his band after listening to him play in a bar. Xia played several big concerts over the next two years. His technique improved rapidly and he was greatly influenced by Zheng's philosophy of life and music. In 2006 he set up his own studio and began to write songs for other artists. In 2009 he traveled to Taiwan to produce an album called "Yan Xia" for Meng Tingwei – one of the island's most famous pop singers (click to watch the video). He discovered new ideas and a fresh approach to culture. "It was an eye-opening experience," he says.

He has not confined himself to music. In 2007 Xia appeared in underground film One Way Street with Golden Horse winning actress Qin Hailu. The same year he published a novel Unrealized Simplicity – about a rock musician's life.

"I call the work I write to make money 'products' and the work I write from the bottom of my heart 'art'. I don't think they contradict each other. The former buys me the time to work on the latter," Xia says. Most of his "art" works are sad. He thinks young people can't articulate their sadness. Rock music helps them express it.

Xia Yan is adjusting the voice box. [China.org.cn]

Talking about the future of China's rock scene, Xia shows a mixture of concern and confidence. "The mass audience doesn't appreciate art. It is manipulated by the media. People are crazy about the 'stars' publicized in the mass media." He thinks China's rock music reached a peak in 1994, when Zhang Chu, Dou Wei, He Yong and the Tang Dynasty played a sell-out concert Hong Kong. But since their agency, Taiwan company Magic Stone, withdrew from the mainland in 1996, rock has been in the doldrums.

Xia illustrates the difficult situation facing rock musicians trying to make it. "If singers want to be popular, they have to be involved in a scandal. No one pays attention to their work. When a singer's private life is in the spotlight, an agency will find a song for them. It doesn't matter whether the song is good or not. The point is the scandal. It's difficult for pop singers to succeed, let alone rock musicians." He says. "This phenomenon is a consequence of the way the modern economy works. Everyone is after quick money. Nobody is prepared to foster a world class rock band for three to five years."

But Xia will never give up. "Rock is part of my life and I can't leave it. There are terrific bands around like Wooden Horse and Escape Plan. They are good enough to play the U.S. We are going through a rough patch but things will get better. I think of myself as one of the rocks on the road to a bright future," he says.

Xia Yan plans to release his first album and a new book this year.

 (Xia Yan's guitar solo "The Sky" )

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