Xu says he was influenced by one of his idols, Sting, who made documentaries to record his life with music.
"For some, music is entertainment, such as karaoke. But for some, they listen to music to seek sparkles in life. I belong to the latter.
"I've been documenting my life through music, good or bad. My songs present myself to the outside world. They reflect how I feel inside," he says.
Xu first visited Yunnan in 1998 and fell in love with the place. He says he finds inner peace and feels comfortable in the province. The place inspires him to write light and easy songs like The Moment and Orchid in Empty Valley.
"One of my friends told me that when he compared Two Days with my new songs, he couldn't believe I wrote it," he giggles.
Two Days was one of Xu's earliest songs, which was released in 1994. In the music video of the song, Xu covered his face with his waist-length hair and murmured: "I have only two days, one day for hope and the other day for hopelessness."
Xu was singing out the struggles he was experiencing then. He was torn between his ambition and his disappointment in life.
The song was written following his band's separation, which made Xu distressed and hopeless.
Armed with the song, he came to Beijing, and won a contract with indie label, Red Star. After releasing his debut album Elsewhere, Xu's lonely and painful lyrics, and moody voice helped him stand out from the crowd then.
He was hopeful of a break. But, the music market, which was dominated by Canto-pop and pretty faces then, categorized Xu as a minority taste.
He was so poor then that he had to sleep in parks. To survive, he performed on streets and wrote songs for other singers. He went into depression while producing his second album That Day.
"People often asked me, 'how did you write those songs, which sounded in despair?'" says Xu in neat short hair. He shares that his songs were a result of solitude, sleepless nights and even starvation. "I am a very sentimental and emotional person."
Perhaps thanks to his sensitive nature, he has managed to last this long in the cruel music industry.
His music career has now spanned nearly 30 years since he picked up guitar at 16. He has released five albums, obtained numerous rock music awards, and written some of the most memorable songs in China's music scene since the 1990s.
Ever since his award-winning album in 2003, Walking in Time, his fans noticed a change in his music. Replacing the desperate lyrics and impetuous rock beats are warmth, peace and contentment.
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