ON a regular work day, amid the hustle and bustle of KL, tired salarymen in a cosy speakeasy jazz bar were serenaded by a voice fated to echo through generations. Timur Flores, a Malaysian-Swiss singer-songwriter, has been steadily making her name in the music industry and is not slowing down anytime soon. Between fresh releases and writing new music, Timur sat down with theSun for a little chat about songwriting, music production and life. Has music always been a part of your life? It was always a big part of my life. We always had music playing in the house and my dad loved music. Every summer, he would throw a party for the people he worked with — he was in the watch industry. He would (always) have a band playing. My parents also encouraged me and my siblings to play an instrument. So, there was always music in our lives and I was always singing at the same time too. Me and my siblings made a little band and we would sing at our parents’ parties. However, I did not truly consider music as a career until later on in life. It was just something fun that I enjoyed doing, but I did not consider it a viable career path until I got to university. At the time, it made sense to pursue engineering because I was naturally good at science and mathematics. But, in university, I realised I was not passionate about those subjects. Even when I started working as an engineer, my heart was never in it. But, one thing I was consistently good at doing was singing. So, when I came back to Malaysia, I worked in the bank for a little bit before I decided to try and do what I wanted to do. Who were your musical mentors or idols? Shakira. She’s amazing — when I was a kid, I wanted to be like her. We used to spend our summers in Switzerland because that is where my dad is from. In Switzerland, television shows were in French and I do not speak the language. So, our channel options were limited. After 7pm, the channel we enjoyed watching was MTV. My brother, sister and I watched music videos most of the time. It did not play many different songs, so I watched Shakira’s Whenever, Whenever, Whenever a lot. She was the first artiste that I went “Oh my god! I love your music”. I had her CDs — she got me into listening to albums as well. She also has a song called Timor. I have never heard my name in a song before! I know she was referencing East Timor, but my name is in a song and this is my jam. I have always loved her work. It is fantastic that she sings and dances. But then, as I mentioned earlier, my dad was the one who got me into music and listening to different genres as well. You come from a beautiful mix of cultures (Western and Southeast Asia), how does that give you an edge when producing music? I wish I was more exposed to certain parts of my own culture but I grew up in KL. So, I do not know the Sarawakian culture as well as I should, because it is where my mum grew up. My parents put me in a Taiwanese school. So, my classes were all in Mandarin for the first few years of my life. Although, I did not grow up listening to as much Chinese music in general as it was not the kind of music my mum was into, but it is something I have chosen to explore as I got older. It was my dad who helped me broaden my listening tastes. Listening to different genres inspires me. You can draw so much inspiration from various cultures and it is wonderful! So, having a multicultural background just means you are more open to learning about different things. You were in finance and you did a master’s degree in engineering, how has the non-musical experience helped your approach in an industry that is often unpredictable? Everyone just sees music for its creative side but at the end of the day, you are still selling a product. There are still other aspects to it and in the end, it is a business you have run. So, having a background in engineering and finance helped me understand that side of it as well as the industry. Key skills such as problem-solving that I got from working in different industries have helped me prepare to deal with the challenges of the music industry. How important is it for you to always experiment with your sound? It is interesting to draw from different genres. I may have done it more than once, but there are always the base themes, which I am trying to do. I do not know if it comes across, but that is the direction I am going for. Even if I play with different genres, there is still the artiste you can recognise through the them. But, I think it is important to try new genres and develop as an artiste so the music continues to evolve. So, I think it is nice to experiment. When songwriting, do you focus on storytelling or personal experience? For me, it is a bit of both (storytelling and personal experience). I gravitate towards the personal experience side because for me, writing lyrics is a difficult endeavour. I am not naturally good with words. So, writing about personal experiences is a bit easier because it is something you can draw from. Between My Sheets is about my cats. I adore my cats and I just wanted to express that. So, it is easier, especially for someone who struggles with writing lyrics, to relate to my own experiences than it is to create a whole story and world, which I wish I could do. I wish that was my skillset, but unfortunately, it is not. So, I tend to go the personal experience route. There is a charm when you write from personal experience, people can relate to it immediately compared with storytelling. It takes time for them to process the meaning behind the songs. The two approaches have different appeals. Also read: Cat-inspired love balladMusic and art are very formulaic. How do you preserve your authenticity when writing music?Almost everything is in 4/4. So, I always try to keep it a little bit interesting by making the chords a bit different and not just the same four chords on repeat. I say that but Between My Sheets is almost four chords. Although, the bridge does not have the same chords — it is not too far off though. Just like that — adding key changes towards the end to add excitement that might not have been there. But, keeping authenticity in a song is about being willing to expose your feelings, so people can see who you are through the song. The song does not feel generic when you are willing to expose yourself and it is what keeps people wanting more. How do you keep writing or making music in the case of a creative block?I would take a break and work on a different song or just take the time to do something else completely different. Even having a day off can help. Having that space to process helps me personally. What is your ideal music and songwriting routine? It depends on the song. Sometimes, I start with a melodic idea. Sometimes, I will start with the chords. I prefer, most of the time, to have a melody compared with a blank canvas. It is easier for me to work around it. That is where I normally begin, with the melody and sometimes, key phrases or words. There are specific words that I keep gravitating towards when singing the melodies. What other themes or genres would you like to explore moving forward?There is so much to explore. I am currently working on a song, which is a bit more disco-trance. There are still so many to try. Jazz is fantastic — I love how interesting the chords are in jazz. So, having a jazz-inspired piece would also be something I can do in the future. Can we expect an EP, a full-length album or more collaborations in 2025?Perhaps, something such as Dance Through My Heart (a collaboration with K-pop choreographer Back Koo Young). Some collaborations this year, but more likely with local artistes for now.Hopefully, few more singles in the year to come and eventually, an EP towards the end of the year or in the year after — that is still in the works, but nothing is set in stone yet. However, I will be having a new single coming out sometime later. What is one song that you would suggest to someone discovering Timur Flores? Can I be cheeky and give you two songs instead? Between My Sheets is very quintessentially Timur. It is the most Timur song, especially the video, which is cute. But the one that is an undiscovered gem is Love You Now, it is such a beautiful song that anyone can relate to. It is very easy to listen to. It is the one people may have missed because it is an older song. I do not think it gives as much Timur as Between My Sheets does necessarily, but the song is just very beautiful. You have done songs in many languages. Any other languages you would like to release a song in — perhaps, in German?I am blaming my dad for this. He told me when I was younger to learn Mandarin as it is more useful. He told me to not bother with German because it is not a useful language. So, I do not speak good German. I am not at that stage where I would be comfortable putting my song in that language entirely, but I do enjoy covering songs in many other languages, especially French. I have a decent grasp of the pronunciation, compared with German. I have done several covers on my Instagram. I cover songs in Spanish too! So, I do like to play around with different languages. But, if I do release a song in a different language, I want to sing it properly. I already have released some in English, Malay and Mandarin. I just do not think I am ready to release any songs in other languages yet. What are some words of encouragement would you like to impart to anyone who wants to pursue this path? I am very grateful for all the support I have had throughout the years and it is a tough career. Sometimes, you have to just keep pushing and keep trying because eventually, you can make it through and someone will see you. A message for your fans?Thank you for all the support you have given me so far and hopefully, we can continue together for many, many years to come.