Li's turning points

Guitarist Li Yanliang (right) has had a long career playing alongside singer-songwriter Xu Wei.[Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

Xu's six albums chart the pair's musical development as well as their personal growth. Elsewhere was made when Beijing's rock scene was dominated by heavy metal. The two young ambitious musicians, who are the same age, had just arrived in Beijing and were penniless. They did not follow the trend of the day, instead branching out and making the album completely by themselves.

"We poured all our confusion, complaints and emotional suffering into the album. We would drink and chat all night in the studio, and we still do, even after all these years," Xu says.

They describe Xu's latest album At the Moment as a departure from the singer-songwriter's past albums. Both Li and Xu fell in love with traditional Chinese culture, such as tea culture, calligraphy and guqin (plucked seven-string Chinese zither). They have moved into a different stage of life.

"If each album we made represents how we tried to solve all the problems in our lives. Then this album, At the Moment, is the answer," says Li.

"We are no longer angry rockers with long hair. The album is full of gratitude and hope."

During the past 20 years, Li also found fame and fortune by working with other top singer-songwriters in China, including Fay Wong, Zheng Jun and San Bao. His name has been on the production lists of more than 150 albums.

"I've seen how good the industry was and how bad it is right now. But no matter what, people need music and we have fun with it," Li says.

Li and Xu will soon fly to Liverpool in the United Kingdom. The city is the hometown of their musical idols, The Beatles. The pair will play three nights at the famous Cavern Club, where The Beatles performed in their early years. They will also record a new song at Abbey Road Studios in London, where The Beatles did almost all of their recording in the 1960s.

Upon their return from the UK, they will hit the road again for the At the Moment tour, which runs until the end of the year.