Straight Honey

I wanted to highlight some really sick Asian music artists I've been listening to lately as community has been growing and representation has been such a huge thing for me this past couple years. Hope you dig it! Susan K.

Where are you from?
Susan Kounlavongsa: Born and raised in Whittier, California , suburban town about 30 minutes from LA. My parents came here from Laos in the 80s and I'm first generation born and raised in America.

What drew you to music / draws you to music ?
My brothers & cousins were a huge influence on me when it came to music. From cruising around Whittier to watching my brothers learn how to break dance on cardboard in front of our house, music was always around. It's always been the answer to all my troubles. I listen to it to cheer me up, to motivate me to move, to help me feel anything during times that seem numb. It's also a form of communication for me. You'd know how I was feeling without me saying anything based on what I was listening to. I'm drawn to the power it has to bring people together through similar interests and the impact it has in changing someone's life during the most dark times and happy ones too. 

Favorite genres currently ?
Lately I've been listening to a lot of K-Pop, korean ballads, I'm always digging for music from Asia ranging from shoegaze, indie rock, club edits, r&b and more. 

What are some of your Hobbies ?
During lockdown I got really into playing ping pong & mahjong. With all the free time we had, I found myself playing sports and board games to pass time. You can catch me every Tuesday in Little Tokyo playing table tennis at LTTT (Little Tokyo Table Tennis) amongst an amazing community where we simply just play and make friends. Then there's mahjong. I spent a lot of time playing this game late at night with friends and eventually more people expressed their interest in learning. Eventually I joined forces with 3 of my friends (Angie, Abby & Zoe) and we decided it would be fun to throw a party where we can incorporate music and mahjong together. From there, Mahjong Mistress was born.  I also caught the bug for rock climbing now too.

What does cooking mean to you & any favorite meals ?
Cooking has been a really important outlet for me to share my culture with friends & family and anyone who's never had Lao food before. There were so many people I've met that had never had it before or even heard of it. I think I've done my duty to share Lao food awareness and now I see more people enjoying it and wanting more! Aside from my love for Lao food, one of my favorite foods is Vietnamese food. I love that most of the meals you eat are always accompanied by fresh herbs and vegetables and the main star ingredient that I cannot live without is fish sauce. You wouldn't have all these amazing asian meals without it! I have a side food project where I do occasional pop-ups under the name Lazy Susan @lazysusanla where I cook South East Asian comfort food. One of my favorite dishes I'm making right now is called Banh Khot, which is a Vietnamese savory crepe cake that you eat as a lettuce wrap with fresh herbs and sauce. 

Where do see yourself going with music & art ?
I'm currently the studio manager for NTS Radio and have a monthly resident show called Straight Honey. I sincerely love building community and sharing music. I hope I can continue to curate some special experiences through radio and events so stay tuned to see what's in store for NTS and beyond!