18 Questions With introduces 1883 readers to the brightest young artists, actors, creatives and beyond. From childhood memories and guilty pleasures to their latest ventures and upcoming projects, our goal is to bring you closer to the people who inspire and entertain us.
Chanpan’s rise has been anything but conventional. Formed in the streets of Chinatown, New York City, the trio of Grace Dumdaw and twin brothers Lance and Matthew Tran first began busking together to fund the recording of their debut EP. What started as a DIY necessity quickly evolved into something much larger, with the band’s genre-blurring sound and magnetic energy capturing attention across both music and fashion circles.
Since then, Chanpan’s momentum has only continued to grow. Following a tour with Japanese experimental artist Haru Nemuri in 2024, the group spent 2025 building a devoted following through the release of their debut EP endlessly, sold-out headline shows in New York and Los Angeles, viral online moments, and co-signs from major names within the K-Pop world. Another tour alongside Post Animal further cemented their reputation as one of indie music’s most exciting emerging acts.
Now entering a new chapter with forthcoming EP autogratis, Chanpan are expanding their reach even further with new music, international performances, and their first run of festival appearances. At the centre of it all remains the same restless creativity and DIY spirit that first brought them together on the streets of Chinatown.
The band sit down with 1883 Magazine to answer 18 questions on their forthcoming new EP autogratis, what it was like to play at Brighton’s The Great Escape Festival, and their dream dinner party guest list.
What’s one exciting thing that happened to you this week?
G: I went to my college reunion and had a great time.
M: I watched the Backrooms movie and got really scared.
L: I got new fertilizer for my houseplants!
What was the last thing you read?
G: Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order by Ray Dalio.
M: journey to the west.
L: The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami.
Favourite memory growing up?
G: Driving around doing nothing with my friends in my hometown.
M: Running around in our backyard with our 3 beagles and eating watermelon with the seeds in it.
L: Playing elaborate pranks, TPing houses, and causing a lot of trouble with my friends.
Where was the last place you travelled to?
G: Swarthmore, PA.
M: Our European stint for playing shows!
L: London! Wanker!
What was the last thing that made you laugh?
G: My best friend Ivie telling me a secret.
M: Opening my phone to a notification from any of my friends.
L: I look into the mirror every morning and I see the greatest joke of all.
What’s your nighttime ritual?
G: Dim lights, long shower, full body lotion & oil, nighttime skincare routine, put a boring history video on YouTube, silk eye mask.
M: Retainer, earplugs, no lights, room cold.
L: Chug a gallon of milk, one carton of orange juice, then jump 100 times up and down really fast, and then try to give myself a panic attack, and then eat 2 and a half olives, and then try to give my neighbor a panic attack, and then sleep.
Who would be on your dream dinner party guest list?
G: PinkPantheress, Ayo Edebiri, Boots Riley, Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga, Angelina Jolie.
M: I’d invite young Michael Jackson from the Jackson 5, Off the Wall era Michael Jackson, and end-of-career Michael Jackson to watch them interact.
L: Mao Zedong, Vladimir Lenin, Ho Chi Minh, and Elon Musk in a straight jacket and ball gag unable to speak.
Favourite quote from a film or TV show?
G: Willem Dafoe delivering Neptune’s curse in The Lighthouse (2019).
M: Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite saying, “I bet I could throw a football over them mountains.”
L: Princess Leia: I love you. Han Solo: I know.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
G: Scars by Papa Roach.
M: I don’t really do karaoke…
L: Aphex Twin – Flim.
Favourite item in your closet?
G: Currently my suede football shoes from No Faith Studios.
M: My Kirkland signature tube socks because they never fail me.
L: A teal Ralph Lauren polo with a Chinese dragon on it my mom bought for me in high school.
What is the major throughline on your forthcoming new EP, autogratis?
G: Having intimacy issues LOL.
M: Having fun and rocking out!
L: Experimentation and play.
What were your favourite moments from recording the project?
G: A few of the songs were all made in one day which always feels special.
M: Probably just all the fun we had with all our friends and collaborators, the producers who made it happen. Pom, Tay, Wes, Frankie, Louie, Migui, Bird Language, Jack MG – there was a certain energy in each room that is now a part of those songs!
L: Going out on a limb and using my voice! The visceral excitement from our team hearing our demos after we leave the studios.
Tell us all about your time at The Great Escape – what did you think of the festival, performing there, and Brighton itself!
G: It was definitely very new to me and not gonna lie, some of the most brutal shows to perform onstage for reasons that were out of our control. Brighton is lovely though, we had dinner at The Winkle and had the best mussels we’ve ever had.
M: Brighton was so beautiful. We ate at a seashore shop that was all fresh caught seafood off the coast, with the fattest mussels we’ve ever had. The great escape was cool and we were really grateful to be invited out for a couple showcases including the NME one – a lot of the staff was so kind great to work with. It was a process for sure getting used to the tight turnarounds as part of a big lineup with small sound checks.
L: I love seagulls.
With autogratis releasing on June 25, how will you celebrate on the day?
G: Probably turning my do not disturb on!
M: We will be doing something interesting. Stay tuned to find out!
L: One Thousand recitations of the Chanpan Sutra.
What’s the meaning of life?
G: To live in unity with the other life around you, to care for them, and bear witness to the great mysterious organization of the universe in this one blip of a Goldilocks moment.
M: Good food, getting to sleep and relax and play and do fulfilling things, and right now, making sure everyone else in the world gets to do those things too.
L: Choosing human cooperation over coercion and exploitation. Doing everything in your power to make this world a better one for all.
What’s on your rider for a show?
G: Coconut water and vegetables.
M: Actually just healthy stuff because that is hard to get on the road
L: Pocari sweat! The optimal performance beverage.
What’s the secret to being good bandmates?
G: Being good friends.
M: Communication!
L: Good hygiene—you get kicked out if you smell bad.
Finally, what is one thing you would like to manifest for the band and why?
G: A legendary LP1 so we can retire early!
M: Getting to see every country and culture in the world.
L: Everlasting happiness.
autogratis releases on June 25.
Photography Garry Jones
Thanks Good Machine
