“I am just speaking for myself with this – but I think a lot about how we are confined to our place on Earth by our citizenship and how that’s determined the day we are born. Your country, its culture and its government can determine how you live out your entire life.” – Front girl Claire Goh, on the name of her Boston-based indie rock band, Paper Citizen.
Postcards In Transit consists of four songs that we deem absolutely road trip worthy. This is all subjective, but for the number of instruments and voices involved, the dynamics are perfect, with just enough of everything. Each song brings with it a different scenery.
The tracks reached us by violinist-vocalist Claire herself, who very kindly and gladly let Popwire pick her brain.
Her musical journey started when she was barely 18; from waiting tables in a bar to eventually gigging there as half of popular acoustic duo, Zsa+Claire (est. 2006). They went on to busk and play at multiple venues and at the F1 Grand Prix most recently.
She went to Berklee in 2013 to study music and has now written, tracked and produced her first EP with Paper Citizen.
Claire has a humility about her that has no doubt served as a source of exploratory drive. 
“The technology majors like myself were nerds who spent sleepless days and nights in the recording studios nourished by dunkin’ donuts and coffee. Learning about music production and engineering truly changed the way I think about and understand music. The technology that we presently use to record our music is fascinating! I try to reflect that in the music that I produce – on how far we have come as a race and how are able to capture, reproduce, create and manipulate sound.”
In addition to her endeavours with Paper Citizen, she is presently interning at two recording studios in the Boston area, performs in a Hip-hop/Pop band called Mad Yonder, and is a violin, guitar and piano instructor.
Paper Citizen is a one year-old anomaly, simply because of its moving parts, where they originated and what each can bring to the table. Bill is from Ohio, Franqie is 2nd generation Italian American, Filipe was originally from Brazil, Abram is Indonesian and Claire is Singaporean.
“I think more than ever, our world is so well connected – travelling is not only very accessible, it’s somewhat affordable and time efficient. The internet has us connected at the touch of a screen. Everyone has a voice to reach out and connect. Our minds are no longer confined and programmed by our direct social circle. It’s a phenomenon how we can learn, study or adopt knowledge, skills and ideals as we please. Our minds are changing and shaping every day but our bodies are still tied by race, nationality and laws that haven’t been able to keep up with the change.”
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Stream and purchase the Postcards In Transit EP on Bandcamp.
Produced, Engineered & Mixed by Claire Goh & Bill Dunphy
Additional Engineering by Ally Gecewicz & Sutter Hellwarth
Mastered by Adam Boose at Cauliflower Audio, Cleveland, OH
Recorded at The Record Company
Claire Goh: Vocals, Violin, Guitar
Bill Dunphy: Vocals, Guitar, Keys on “Right By You”
Francesca Impastato: Drums, Percussion
Katie Henkel: Keys, Background Vocals
Sean Collins: Bass
All songs arranged by Paper Citizen: