When I was front row at Greentea Peng’s set at King’s Affair last year, I never imagined I would spend an evening getting to know her the following year. Historically, the Cambridge Union has been associated with politicians, tech gurus, and academics, but Social Events Officer Joshua Lim sought to attract a new audience. Admittedly, I chose Greentea Peng largely out of self-interest as a fan, though her popularity in Cambridge is undeniable. Last April, in the Union, we interviewed her about her life, spirituality, and motherhood.

“I was lucky to be surrounded by a myriad of sounds as a child”

The discussion began with her early memories of music: “I’ve been blessed to have my mum, who loved Finley Quaye and Lauryn Hill, my dad with The Jam, and my stepdad with Iron Maiden and The Clash. I was lucky to be surrounded by a myriad of sounds as a child.” In relation to performing, she said, “My dad loved musical theatre, so I was brought up singing Oliver Twist songs (…) he would take me to the park, stand me on tree stumps, and be like, ‘Sing!’”

Her relationship with making music began with a passion for writing. “I used to love writing stories (…) I never thought, ‘Oh yeah, I’m gonna be a singer,’ even though it was what I loved (…) it was something that was always kind of unattainable.”

She told me about her move to Mexico, a pivotal point in her life. “I found myself in a bit of a rut [in London] and created some pretty unhealthy habits and patterns mentally, physically, spiritually (…) Mexico gave me the space and time to kind of unravel without feeling like I was being judged.” Her trip offered her “a safe space” to start singing again, reigniting her passion for music. During her travels in Peru, she felt drawn to a box of ‘Green Tea Seng,’ carrying it with her for the rest of her trip. “I soon just came to kind of embody it and realised that it actually encapsulated me quite well, like the contrast [between] the ‘green tea’ and the ‘peng.’ And the slang, the urban, the spiritual.” Here, her artistic name was born.

“I’m a bit of an omnist; I believe in everything.”

When questioned on her spirituality by Joshua, she responded, “I kind of take things from everywhere. I’m a bit of an omnist; I believe in everything.” The sound frequencies of her music are deeply important to her. Her 2021 album MAN MADE is tuned to 432 Hz, allowing for “more cultivation of heart space.” This decision was guided by the fact that “it was Covid, our step-dad had just died. It was a very emotional time.” Her latest album, GREENZONE 108, however, is tuned to 440 Hz. She explained this to be the frequency related to “brain waves and activating [one’s] headspace.” For her, as long as she’s “activating the headspace with the right notions. It’s not such a negative thing.” She discussed how important the lyrics of songs we listen to are, as they impact us more than we know.

I was keen to ask her about being a mother in music and being heavily pregnant during her 2022 Glastonbury performance. She shared that her intention was never to make a statement by working as a pregnant woman. “Until I feel like I don’t have the energy, I’m gonna do what I love because surely that’s the best thing for this growing life in my stomach — for the mother to be vibrating at her highest.” She described her home birth, one that was “raw, no medicine, very tribal,” as helping her to be courageous and have bodily sovereignty. Linking this to her art, she said, “I’m a lot braver now when making music. I’m not trying to be pretty; I’m not trying to be palatable.” She noted that despite her “free and rebellious disposition,” there are parts of her that are quite conservative; childbirth forced her to let go completely, influencing all aspects of her life, especially writing music, becoming “wilder and braver in the process of making art.”

Greentea Peng’s experience as a woman in the music industry has been largely positive, which she attributes to self-awareness and clear vision. She laughingly noted that there are always “annoying people” who “think they can tell you about your art,” but they are crucially not always men. “I’m not saying that’s the experience of all women, but I can only speak on my experience.” For me, and I’m sure for many aspiring female creatives in the audience, that was incredibly comforting to hear. Greentea Peng argues that the mentality that we will always face resistance in our careers due to our gender is actually quite damaging — it can become self-fulfilling energy.

At the end of her talk, her key message was, “Be yourself and make sure the intention is coming from a pure place. Let it not be attached to materialism, gaining, and accumulating. Let it flow.” She does not want to be confined by labels — be it a genre of music, a religious persuasion, or prescribed experiences of womanhood. For Greentea Peng, her most genuine art and most authentic self comes when she sheds societal expectations. In her words, “art is sacred,” and that sentiment must stay at the core of whatever we do.