Meet Allen Pan, Abby Tam, Alex Wong, Xyrus Tamba, Kip Gates, & Kyle Pena of A3X

Today we’d like to introduce you to A3X. They and their team shared their story with us below:

A3X is an Asian-American music collective created in 2022. Founded by Abby Tam, Alex Wong, and Allen Pan, the trio has utilized their musicianship to debut their performances at University events. Staying true to music-making and building long-standing friendships with one another have allowed them to work as a well-oiled team. Working alongside Arizona State University student organizations, A3X shared the stage with many respected figures in the industry such as Hojean, Jae Luna, and Lukey, all within a few months of their genesis.

After multiple appearances at local events, A3X was granted the honor to perform the National Anthem and a pregame showcase for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs at Chase Field in Phoenix. Opening for Tiffany Day and Thuy in April 2023, A3X is shifting to a higher standard of sound and performance with the addition of new members Xyrus Tamba, Kip Gates, and Kyle Pena. Moving forward, A3X aspires to develop its unique archetype of Asian-American musicians in the Valley by refining its style and instrumentation, collaborating with talent in the Valley, and developing exciting new creative projects.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
“A3X to me has always been “love at long last”. Growing up under two musician parents, the violin has always been an opponent, a chore, and a necessary evil to satisfy them. Away from the labor of practicing in solitude, joining orchestras with friends at a young age has always made the fondest memories. Learning independence in recent years has given me ample amount of space to grow as an individual; my intent to continue pursuing music was all the more meaningful. Alex, Abby, and I reunited in college, and the glue that pieced us together was the shared love of music. A difficult reality that we face is that we are a college music collective.

This means that after we graduate from our college days together, everything is up in the air. I know that an end to the current “us” is inevitable and rapidly approaching. However, how we choose to grow apart creatively as individuals is something I’m really curious and intrigued to see. Trying to envision us 10 years together down the road is crazy, I don’t want to put any concrete expectations for myself or the others.

The nature of our friendships makes me strongly believe we will reunite musically after college, regardless of where life will take us. I definitely will be coming after the team to be part of my creative projects and any performances around the corner. I truly want the world for them as well, gatekeeping anything that may potentially spur their growth is not an option for my family. After our first performance together, I knew we were meant to be; to exist and experience that feeling together, at least for the moment.” – Allen Pan

“To me, the biggest challenge has always been grasping onto things. I would have something in my hands and often let it go, but A3X was different. I didn’t want to let this fade out into a one-time thing, so effort, communication, and experience culminated into who we are today. As we all get busy with our lives, school, and other distractions of life and adulthood, it’s essential to make time and space for what we truly think is valuable, which to me are these relationships I build with Abby and Allen, and also the music we create together.” – Alex Wong

“I believe crafting and organizing music in a group setting is a difficult yet ultimately rewarding form of art. For one, each member of our group has a different set of ears along with a different set of expectations for the music we produce. This implies that we often begin practice with our visions in mind. However, when we come together as a group, we open our ears and minds to variety, exploring newer sounds that may pique our interest.

Our original ideas are subject to change and that’s a mutual understanding between me, Allen, and Alex. All these thoughts and understandings come together to form the music we eventually present and perform on stage. And ultimately, I believe the sounds we develop through discussion are much more impactful and meaningful to our audiences.” – Abby Tam

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
“From the start, A3X has been a performance band, performing at cultural festivals and events. We play music ranging over many genres, but mainly focusing on pop, R&B, and pop rock. We cover songs that we enjoy and feel are a good fit for the event but also are in the process of writing originals. I play the guitar and keys, Abby is on vocals and keys, and Allen plays the violin.

We have also had guest appearances from Kip on drums and cajon, and Xyrus on vocals, keyboard, and ukulele. For me, the event I’m most proud of is the ASU AAPASC Culture Night event. AAPASC, the Asian Coalition at ASU, hosted Culture Night in which all the Asian/Asian Pacific American clubs and organizations came together to share cultural experiences as we put on a show. As we played more shows, we started to do longer sets, going for 8-9 songs and I’m proud that we’re able to put together so many songs in the time we had to prepare.”- Alex Wong

“There are just too many highlights to pick from over these two years. Performing in Chase Field for the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Chicago Cubs game was the biggest monumental part of our journey so far. Stepping into that huge field and sharing our sound with people outside of our immediate community and all the athletes was something that we hold onto as a precious experience for us. I’m also super sentimental when it comes to talking about our very first performance, which was the live debut of “Lately”. The crowd’s energy that fueled the exhilaration that we had getting on stage was something unreplicable.

And of course, the Culture Night performances are insane; there were so many people gathered that night to celebrate our AAPI community here in Phoenix, and we also get to work with talented photographers and spend time with the headliners. As for my favorite memory, having a simple breakfast with everyone together after rehearsal at Alex’s family lake house was such a sweet moment for us. I am most proud of our ability to draw inspiration from our unique tastes and being able to bring that to the table and share new sounds and ideas.

We have been intuitive when it comes to adapting to new genres and styles of playing; for example, we took “The Weekend’ by 88Rising artist BIBI and delivered it in a very different bossa nova style. Our instrumentation has undergone drastic changes recently, with the addition of Xyrus and Kip, who both play a variety of instruments. I have also shifted from traditional instruments to playing the electric violin, which brings a new color to our original palette.” -Allen Pan

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
“I think when pursuing creative mediums as a group, communication, and openness are important. Since the three of us are all putting in time and effort to create music together, we all have to make compromises when preparing for a show.

Though compromise sounds like a strong word, I’m glad I’m able to speak my mind around Abby and Allen because they give constructive criticism and are talented, so I trust the decisions they make and the words they have to say. I also think the love for music and each other goes a long way. Having people that I can trust with issues outside of music makes a big difference in getting through life, and it’s also really fun being with them as well. I always look forward to our practices, getting food, playing volleyball, and just seeing the two of them, as they leave a big impact on my life and who I am as a person today.” – Alex Wong

“I believe one of our greatest qualities as individuals is our willingness to be spontaneous. Oftentimes, performances do not go the way we expect, especially when we perform outdoors. Instruments are subject to untuning with windy weather, and as a vocalist, my mouth can suddenly dry up, causing me to choke between words. However, these slight changes in our environment do not phase us as performers. We have learned to move forward as best as we can, making careful and necessary adjustments. Furthermore, sound systems tend to affect our sound projection, but we constantly listen to each other, so we know we are staying together. This sort of spontaneity is what genuinely keeps us flowing together amidst trouble.” – Abby Tam

“I believe crafting and organizing music in a group setting is a difficult yet ultimately rewarding form of art. For one, each member of our group has a different set of ears along with a different set of expectations for the music we produce. This implies that we often begin practice with our visions in mind. However, when we come together as a group, we open our ears and minds to variety, exploring newer sounds that may pique our interest. Our original ideas are subject to change and that’s a mutual understanding between me, Allen, and Alex. All these thoughts and understandings come together to form the music we eventually present and perform on stage. And ultimately, I believe the sounds we develop through discussion are much more impactful and meaningful to our audiences.” -Abby

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a3xofficial/

Image Credits
Miggy Farjado and Steven Bui