A genuine (Wardle) family affair as TIAN QIYI unveil extraordinary ‘Watch The Sunrise’

FEATURING brothers John Tian Qi Wardle and Charlie Tian Yi Wardle – alongside their father, legendary bassist Jah Wobble – TIAN QIYI unveil new single ‘Watch the Sunrise,’ taken from next month’s ten-track sophomore album, Songs For Workers,’ (Pagoda Records) a long player rich in influences from traditional Chinese, Mongolian, and Irish music. 

The band’s sound reflects their deep family heritage, blending Jah’s pioneering work in post-punk and dub, with the Chinese cultural influences of their mother, Zilan Liao.

“‘Watch the Sunrise’ draws from the folk traditions we grew up learning from our grandad,” said John Tian Qi Wardle. “It’s a melody-driven track, grounded by a steady beat throughout. Charlie gets to show off his string skills, layering four different bowed instruments from China and Mongolia, adding a rich, textured sound that pays homage to our East Asian roots.”

“With ‘Sunrise,’ we wanted to explore a more structured songwriting approach different to the rest of the album, a song with defined verses and a chorus, without leaning too far into a commercial sound,” added Charlie Tian Yi Wardle.

“The idea for the main melody came after I’d been listening to a lot of traditional music from Xinjiang. I was drawn to how expressive and rhythmically rich it was, and how it carried this feeling of movement and openness. When I brought the melody to John back in England, he started playing the rhythm that now drives the track.

“Lyrically, I wanted to explore spiritual, mainly Buddhist ideas. In ‘watching the sunrise,’ with night turning to day, and dark to light, we understand there is an interdependence necessary in order for either word to hold any conceptual meaning. Similarly, I wanted to explore the interdependence between life and death, rationality and faith, and the role of the ego, perception and the idea of a self/non self within this.”

The duo’s name carries deep personal significance, combining elements of the brothers’ middle names: ‘Tian,’ shared by both siblings, paired with ‘Qi’ (together) and ‘Yi’ (one).

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