On this episode of MSQ&A, Garrett and Kyle are joined by professional Final Fantasy XIV singer Amanda Achen. Amanda recently strated her first playthrough of FFXIV on her stream.
https://www.twitch.tv/therealcrystalmommy
The GG guys talk with Amanda about how she got her start singing on video game soundtracks, what it’s like to perform live for Distant Worlds and Fan Fest, her favorite songs, and what she thinks of A Realm Reborn after making it to Heavensward in the MSQ.
For more of Amanda visit her LinkTree at https://linktr.ee/amandaachen
00:00:00 – Introduction
00:02:57 – Setting the Stage
00:09:41 – Amanda’s Background
00:15:36 – How Amanda Met Soken
00:20:49 – Getting Into Voice Acting
00:24:41 – Directing in Music
00:28:33 – Hearing Yourself In-Game
00:36:31 – What It’s Like Working with Soken
00:53:57 – Favorite Final Fantasy XIV Music
01:10:02 – A Realm Reborn Story Spoilers
01:22:30 – ARR Patch Content & Amanda’s Future Streams
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Morning all o/
OH Y'ALL BEEN COOKING
Now that’s an intro well done grinding gear
what a introduction
I’m off to sleep but will watch this later today!
good morning all o/
I am so happy you did this. Whenever Amanda starts singing you know s*** is getting real. Also damn that intro was amazing
It's not just the lyrics but the singers passion behind that song that somehow sells a 10 year journey in a matter of minutes. I never honestly understood how some people could say that music can tell stories as well until you get deep into ffxiv and see that the songs themselves tell a deeper introspective of characters that the games writing doesn't dig into. Ysayles Oblivion tells of her life long struggle trying to fix and fail at being the bridge between dragon and elezen. Dragon Song War ost of Hydaelyns failure and keeping peace between the two races. And of Flow not only welcoming her death but of acknowledgement of the WoL deeds even when no words are spoken for those years. Lots of beautiful introspectives of characters all over the FFxiv music.
Good morning
Great job Garrett. Love your take. You and Kyle are amazing!!!!
Now I kinda want them to host keiko 😂
Not simply the clip of flow making me an emotional wreck. It's far too early for that.
Beautiful intro!
26:40 absolute legend
It's always so lovely to see Amanda in interviews and community podcasts. Ever since I first saw her on Marco's channel, she comes across as such a genuine, kind and goofy person. No wonder she's charmed the socks off the community!
I've been playing since ARR, and I've seen people come and go over the years, but I've always had such mad respect for the sheer influence of the vocalists in the pieces. That we get to watch Amanda discover and go through the story that means so much for us, is truly another gift on top of a bounty. <3
And of course, great work and kudos to the guys! I've watched you since that first mention of FFXIV when you were the Nexus, and I've loved witnessing your journey too. 🙂
I never knew Amanda became a streamer. So amazed you got this opportunity. To think, a few years ago, you didn't want anything to do with this game and here you are, now absorbed and loving every bit of the game to the fullest. As a 10 yr veteran of the game. Watching your videos makes me so happy to see your genuine love for this.
Early morning vid!!! ♥♥♥
These podcasts edits are amazing! Lots of work to go through an hour long discussion and make this kind of video. Cheers!
Fantastic video well worth watching again!
Haha… So there are at least two people playing FFXIV on Mac. xD Anyway, it's funny because I wouldn't have started the game if I didn't saw a lot of ads pointing out the fact that Final Fantasy 14 can be played on MacBooks. 🙂
omg, this video is such a gem T.T
These VO intros are amazing, great work. I spend many hours with titles like Daryl Talks Games and this feels pretty lush.
The way she describes how she practices and learns the lyrics reminds me of how I learn raids. o_o;
Garrett, you're on fire with the intros and edits as of late my guy. Keep it up! And Kyle you did so well with the questions in this interview. If Amanda is perusing these comments, you're awesome!
Holy Star Stricken Musical Bliss! Amanda Achen, the voice we all hear the moment we start the game, interviewed by the two Bros we all enjoy watching! These fatntastic players on my FFXIV friend's list, which I have been following almost 2 years now. Players who are STARS themselves and I adore all the hard work they put into producing the BEST entertainment while also enjoying and having fun in our favorite game. HOW AMAZING IS THAT?!?! Amanda, fellas, thank you for just being so delightful and awesome, and GG!!
I just love her singing so much. And she's a sweetheart too.
I wonder why Soken and his team changed singers, however. Apparently, ''Heavensward' was sung by Omega Bone and "Dragonsong" by Susan Calloway…
All the best going forward. Loving MSQ&A hope for many more episodes!
You did it setting that alarm during the stream last night worked
And now to see if you guys can get Jason Charles Miller and Susan Calloway to round out the vocalists collection.
This was fantastic talking getting to hear her non-gamer experiences. Y'all should get Jason Charles Miller on next!
I have tickets to see her in Seattle for Distant Worlds in July! I am very excited!!
Re: ARR Alphinaud
Yeah, Sam Reigel kinda…understood the assignment of "smarmy and insufferable" a little too well. Replayed that recently and said to many friends "I forgot how badly I wanted to strangle Alphi at this part of the game."
I just want to say once and for all before you guys sky rocket to insanely massive STARDOM (and you will) how amazing this journey has been, and how much I will watch on with joy as you both continue to astound and amaze with the wonderful vibes, cozy podcasts, fantastic entertaining gameplay, and out-of-this world talent-filled content productions in narrative artistic style!! How glad am I to have been there to see each and every step, and how glad am I to be able to say I watched the greatest FFXIV show as it happened! Thank you guys for just being based, and so creative – from the way you do break-downs of the story, to the way you break-down the Extremes in raids and trials – all of it has been a joy to watch. I couldn't be happier that success has found you both and wish that to only grow!
MEGA SUPER GG to all the fans alongside the rest of us who also support our GG BROS!! Thank you!
I don't even know the lyrics for most of the songs but none of that matters because she does such an amazing job evoking the emotions behind those lyrics in a way that mere words won't do.
Garrett now gets to have the fun knowledge of DRK story being dick joke agnostic, as well as his own personal DRK headcanon of PLUNGE tanking. Have fun Garrett!
Voice acting is quite a skill. Singing is quite a skill. Singing while doing it IN a character's voice is a amazing. 😆
I can not hear Flow without tearing up. Even after all this time has passed. T_T
This is very nicely edited! Id mistake this for one of the better netflix productions
that was a good watch thank you for doing that
also i will never forget the big dick knight jokes now, thanks Amanda
You know Garret, I know you've told the story of doing your passion for content creation dying as you felt that you were always chasing the ladder and making connections because they might help. I can't help but think all of that experience trying to make connections and working to meet the right people and being able to do interviews and have chats with them have trained you so well for this role! The way you get such a variety of guests to how you manuver the conversations with them, its so entertaining and enjoyable and your experience lends to amazingly captivating content!
1:25:00 Would love to hear Amanda perform some OG Playstation era game songs like the Lunar Silver Star Story songs ("Wind's Nocturne", "Wings") or Castlevania's "I am the wind".