There are a lot of misconceptions about the life of a musician. The old rock star image of bright lights, fast living and traveling with an entourage is almost patently false. Most musicians have day jobs –- and not just to pay the bills. Jobs provide new challenges, personal fulfillment and, yes, some rent or gas money. And usually when somebody is writing a new record or scheduling a tour, they have to balance that with their job.
How an artist spends their time by day will influence the creative process at night. In Don’t Quit Your Day Job, Scene Point Blank looks at how musicians split their time, and how their careers influence their music –- or, sometimes –- how their music provides escape.
In this edition, we chat with Jung Sing of Silent to discuss bar ownership during a pandemic, and how he balances that with making music.
Check out Silent’s Modern Hate, out now on Three One G.
Scene Point Blank: You own an Asian fusion bar, connected to a restaurant. Do you own the restaurant too? How long have you owned it and, if you only own the bar portion, how did the partnership come to be?
Jung Sing: I don’t own the bar by myself. We have a partnership 4 people, which include my direct partner Johanan Lam and the two owners of the restaurant. We have the same percentage of incomes on the bar area; the restaurant area is not part of my business.
I opened the bar four years ago.
Scene Point Blank: What was your background leading up to ownership? Was it service industry, business, or entrepreneurship?
Jung Sing: I used to own another bar by myself -- it was open for 6 years. First, I stared in the bar business as a DJ and then I learned a little bit about how administrate the bar business , so I had some money saved. I was so lucky that bar was a success for 5 years. The people got bored about the bar so they stopped going there, so I had to close it and start over again.
Scene Point Blank: Did you work through the pandemic and shutdowns, shifting gears to takeout etc?
Jung Sing: During the pandemic we had to closed the bar and it was really hard to me because I didn’t have any income. So we totally closed the bar. To survive, me and my girlfriend started a new project of vegan food as a ghost kitchen called "VEGAN DUDES" -- that was vegan junk food: burgers, fries, sandwiches, etc. It was really cool because people really loved the food; that helped me to keep me alive until reopening. Now, the bar is open and I have the idea to make VEGAN DUDES an actual vegan spot (restaurant).
Scene Point Blank: What got you interested in this kind of work?
Jung Sing: Well , actually was an accident. I never had interest in the bar area. I started working in bars as bartender, DJ, bar back,
and then, just like that, I realized I was owning a bar -- weird !! haha!
Scene Point Blank: Have you been in bands as your career has progressed? (i.e. Were you a bartender or a musician first and has one affected the other’s growth?)
Jung Sing: First, I was a musician, so that's why I decided work in bars because it was easier for me to go on tour an travel with no problem and get back and still having my job. I never had a problem being a musician and working at a bar. I think those areas work amazing together and I am still doing both at the same time.
Scene Point Blank: What’s the biggest challenge in balancing your career with your music?
Jung Sing: I think the challenge balancing the two of jobs musician / bar owner is to try to be consistent and productive in both areas. Having the same attention in music and the bar, so both can still alive and active. I mean, you have to dedicate effort in two sides.
Scene Point Blank: How does your job influence your music schedule (Examples: writing or touring)?
Jung Sing: As owner, it is easy for me to be available to be on tour, because i can talk with my partners and work on a schedule that helps me to be available to travel and all that – also, my direct partner in the bar is a musician so he tours too.
So we work on our tour dates to see who is going to stay at the bar and who is touring.
Jung Sing at work
Scene Point Blank: Do you ever find yourself writing songs directly related to your work? Any examples that fans would know, even if they didn't know the origins?
Jung Sing: No, I don't like to mix my job with my music. I don't think they fit it all.
Scene Point Blank: Have your experiences from making music or touring influenced your career in any surprising ways? (For example, were you shy but now you’re more social, or perhaps you are now more of a "night person"?)
Jung Sing: I'm totally a night person. I've been doing bar shifts for almost 11 years so I worked at night. Also, in music, most of the shows are at night , so it is the same vibe. Touring and music -- I don't think changed me at all. I always was a social person, so maybe that's why I fit perfectly in the bar area.
Scene Point Blank: As an owner, I imagine your employees are aware of your music?
Jung Sing: Yes! They know my music but most of them don't like it.
I mean, [it] is totally fine, because as I said , I don't like to mix music and bar. They are two different areas to me.
Scene Point Blank: Were they aware at the start, like at the job interview or hiring stage?
Jung Sing: Yes, they were aware all the time.
Scene Point Blank: Do you think it affects what type of employees are interested in working with you? Like maybe you get more artists on staff than the bar down the street?
Jung Sing: Well, I don't think that. A lot of different people work at the bar: people who don't really care about music and some are familiar with it, but they’re not artists, so I can say we have a regular employees more than artsy ones.
Scene Point Blank: Prior to this job, did any employers view being a musician as a distraction or a negative?
Jung Sing: Nope, I never had a problem to be a musician and being an employee. In all my old jobs they were very supportive with me. I guess I was so lucky all this time.
Scene Point Blank: What advice would you give to others who might be interested in running their own bar but don't know where to start?
Jung Sing: You have to have a really concrete idea of what kind of bar you want: a solid concept and be prepared to spend a lot of time there, never drink your own alcohol, never give free stuff to all your friends and save money as you can, because you never know when the bar is slowing down and for how long.
Besides that, I think is a pretty fun job to have. You [meet] a lot of new people and if you are running it well you can get a really good income.
Scene Point Blank: How has running your own bar affected how you interact with staff at venues when you're on tour or attending a local show where you aren't playing?
Jung Sing: Having a bar made me be more polite and respectful with the staff at the venues, because i know how hard they work and how hard it is. I don't drink too much, but I know sometimes people in bands at venues get wasted and they are a pain in the ass for the staff. I never do that. I always try to do everything in order at the venues I play and respect the people who work there and help us to have a great show and cool experience in the establishment.
