Sreym Hctim

Photo by, Sheher Preisler

Meet Sreym Hctim

Let’s shake things up a little bit. We need more musicians like Mitch Myers. They keep the world from being a dull and monotonous place. Percussive and inventive are two words that come to mind when describing their latest release “Turn Tail”. Give it a listen and get inside the mind of this terrific artist in our latest interview.

Two Truths and a Lie (answer key at bottom)

• I installed a bidet on my home toilet but have never used it.

• I don’t use words that start with the letter W while i’m out and about.

• I identify as right handed.

Would You Rather

be the greatest juggler in the world or the greatest hypnotist? What would you do with your new-found powers?

I don’t need to be the greatest but would love to be better at juggling making art and making myself a healthy human being.

Some questions with Sreym Hctim

After playing in the bands Hear Hums and Peace Arrow, what made you want to start your own project?

When Hear Hums was starting to dissolve as a band, I started Peace Arrow. Other than a few tours with Bois where we’d play each other’s songs as one band, that was always a solo project. I had a pretty rough time my first few years in Brooklyn, and by the time I was finally making music again I didn’t feel like I was Peace Arrow anymore.

What are your three favorite places in Brooklyn?

Isolating during this pandemic has really made me appreciate and make my apartment into my favorite place in Brooklyn. Runner-ups that both tie for second are my rooftop and the desolate street a couple blocks away where I go practice singing and fuck around dancing without fear of humiliation.

What does your family think of your music?

My parents have always been very supportive of my musical endeavors. Having said that, my mom likes “the one with the good beat” but thinks I should focus more on film scoring. My dad memorializes the middle school shred days and wonders where all my guitar solos went.

Where would be your dream venue to play?

I would have loved to play The Glove. I honestly don’t have much of a bucket list for this, but I guess I’d be pretty hyped to play Music Hall of Williamsburg or National Sawdust.

If you could record an album with only one of your instruments, what would it be and why?

If I could record a good album, I would choose harp because that’s always been my favorite instrument. The one I have is sort of a miniature one, only eight strings. I do have a little freeway with the tension to tune them to different scales, and I can totally get away with recording like that, but I couldn’t compose songs like with a full sized harp. I’m sure Joanna Newsom could crush it on this little thing, but not me. To that end, How To Break A Circle from the EP was started on this little harp. I was hoping for it to be just vocals and harp but it wasn’t quite sounding the way I was feeling, and I ended up adding more elements to the arrangement.

What is the most useful thing you own?

My brain, which doubles as the most awful thing I'm on the hook for too.

What is the most memorable thing to happen to you on the NYC subway system?

On two separate occasions I lump together as one dumb ass blur, I fell asleep on the train and woke up with my cell phone stolen. Wish l had learned my lesson the first time. Honorable mention goes to an early morning C train commute where we got stuck between stops underground for over an hour... people got mad claustrophobic, yelling and panicking. That one wasn’t my fault, so it’s generously less memorable.

Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)

Recently the founder of AdHoc, Ric Leichtung, announced a new non-profit organization, NYC Nightlife United. They are taking donations to redirect as grants small businesses and artists affected by COVID-19 can apply for. There’s a lot of uncertainty right now in the music world, and I think anyone looking for ways to help should consider donating to NYC Nightlife United so we have venues and shows to go back to one day.

Two Truths and A Lie Answer Key:

Truth: I installed a bidet on my home toilet but have never used it.

Lie: I don’t use words that start with the letter W while i’m out and about.

Truth: I identify as right handed.