Releasing three albums, serving as the opening act for both local and international artists, and being recognised as Spotify’s RADAR artist — these achievements all came as surprises to hongjoin.
The Boston-based Singaporean singer-songwriter’s journey began with a simple desire to commemorate his pre-National Service haircut by posting his very first cover on YouTube. Unbeknownst to him, this seemingly casual decision would set off a chain of events leading to the creation of his discography.
"One thing led to another, and a heartbreak led to me writing a song which I released as a coping mechanism,” hongjoin shared.
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Having crafted his discography from his bedroom, he remains a steadfast believer of the “DIY process”, which he now dubs as “Decide it Yourself” rather than “Do it Yourself”.
Tracing the tendrils of his journey, it is undeniable that hongjoin has evolved significantly since his debut, both as a musician and storyteller. His music progression is discernible, moving from the acoustic tones in his debut album Petrichor, to the eclectic mix of genres in F(OOL). Most recently, hongjoin released his third record KOMOREBI, which seamlessly blends his wistful vocals with sounds of electric guitars and dreamy synthesisers.
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This year, the ‘Old Habits’ singer will be returning to Singapore for two homecoming engagements. After opening for American indie act Ricky Montgomery at his concert in Singapore, hongjoin will be gearing up for his very own headlining show on 9 June.
In an interview with Hear65, hongjoin delved into the meaning behind KOMOREBI, spoke about his approach towards songmaking, and shared about his experiences of being a Singaporean musician based abroad.
Hi hongjoin! Can you tell us about your latest album, KOMOREBI? What was your inspiration for its title?
What a question to start this interview haha; I don’t think many people know this but I am part Japanese and this is my attempt at paying homage to my roots. In the 'Intro' track of this album, it’s a voice memo of my granddad that I wanted to engrave in my art forever. Komorebi is also my girlfriend’s favorite word and this album is dedicated to her. When she told me about the word I found it really interesting because I thought it painted our story pretty well; I’ve known her for a long time and she had told me about the word years and years before we were together, and also the fact that it did not have an English translation made me inspired to explain the feelings through melody and song.
“In the Intro track of this album, it’s a voice memo of my granddad that I wanted to engrave in my art forever. Komorebi is also my girlfriend’s favorite word and this album is dedicated to her.”
What sets KOMOREBI apart from your previous albums F(OOL) & Petrichor?
It’s been three years, and one project a year since I started this whole music thing. KOMOREBI is the third one and to me, my most cohesive collection of work so far. There are well-thought-out transitions between songs and intentional changes in soundscapes throughout the album. There are songs that are fun, and lighthearted, and also songs that are deeply introspective, and cinematic — but all very me at the core of it. But what sticks out most is probably that this is a happy album, and celebrates love rather than mourn about the loss of it. I hope people listen to the album from start to finish and leave with a little more hope about love and taking the leap of faith.
“I’ve been used to doing this whole music thing alone so getting support from the actual music industry was a new, eye opening experience for me.”
Last year, you were selected as one of Spotify’s RADAR artists for Singapore. How has this programme helped you as an up-and-coming musician?
It was such a cool experience being recognised as a RADAR artist. It felt like my efforts were being recognised and my music finally made it out of my bedroom. I’ve been used to doing this whole music thing alone so getting support from the actual music industry was a new, eye opening experience for me. It made me realise that I wasn’t alone, and there were people that believed in me and my music, and I will forever be grateful to all the people that supported me, especially my distribution label manager Jocelle who gave me a chance and signed me to my first distribution deal.
You’re a big believer of the “DIY process”. Tell us more about this. What is your approach towards songwriting and producing like?
Like I said, I was used to doing music alone, creating music, and posting random videos from my bedroom. But I read this line that changed my perspective of being an independent musician. Being DIY just means to decide it yourself; you never have to do it yourself. The more I work on my music career, the more I realise [that] I need help from the people around me. Over the past year, I made a conscious decision to gather people in my team and collaborate with more people working on my songs. It just feels so much more wholesome when you get to celebrate a release with a bunch of people who worked on it.
Songwriting and producing are where I feel most comfortable in my element. I always start off songs acoustically and bring them into Ableton Live or Logic Pro to build upon. I feel that a mark of a good song is when they sound well-developed even when stripped down. When I write, I always base it [on] real experiences, which is why when I get into a creative block I kinda just take a step back and live life for a moment. This whole album was written over the course of a year and they are an amalgamation of my feelings during this period, just like journaling!
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"Being DIY just means to decide it yourself, you never have to do it yourself. The more I work on my music career, the more I realise I need help from the people around me."
As a self-taught musician, what have you learned from pursuing music as part of your degree in Boston that has stood out to you? Has it had any impact on your song-making process?
I don't think you need to pursue a degree in music to be in the music industry or to pursue it! But I think the privilege of engaging in music both in and outside of school is that I’ve been able to surround myself in an environment that has shaped me as an individual and given me clarity on who I am as an artist, and how I want to go about doing music as a career.
I love being the worst musician in the room [because] I get to be with musicians [who] push me to create, learn and improve my musicality with every session. Musically I am always growing and I make it a point to keep releasing music even if I don’t think the songs are perfect, allowing me to free myself from perfectionism and fondly look back on older released tracks, laughing at how “bad” I was back then but smile about how I’ve improved since. Every track will always have a special place in my heart.
“I love being the worst musician in the room [because] I get to be with musicians [who] push me to create, learn and improve my musicality with every session."
On a more personal note, how has your experience been making music as a Singaporean artist based all the way in the US?
I love it to bits! I’m so lucky to have found my people in the States, and I’m always playing shows and meeting cool like-minded people that make me feel so welcome. The Asian community where I’m based is so strong, and I’m always inspired by all the work that’s being done to help Asians rise together. Representation is an important thing being an Asian, and I always proudly announce myself as Singaporean whenever I’m playing a show. I hope to make Singaporeans proud someday by playing big festivals or doing something special, to put Singaporean music on the global map!
“Representation is an important thing being an Asian, and I always proudly announce myself as Singaporean whenever I’m playing a show.”
You have come a long way from posting covers on YouTube to releasing your own albums and even opening shows for some of the biggest indie acts, such as Matt Maltese and now, Ricky Montgomery. Was this something that you had anticipated at the start of your journey? How satisfied are you with the way things have turned out for you?
I had no idea any of this was gonna happen. I made YouTube videos just for fun and my first post was because I wanted to commemorate my hair before I shaved it all off for National Service haha. But one thing led to another, and a heartbreak led to me writing a song which I released as a coping mechanism. (P.S she is my girlfriend now; and yes I am delusional) I have met so many wonderful friends just doing music, and gained a humble yet overwhelmingly supportive audience by putting my heart out on a plate with my music.
I think it’s easy to feel inadequate especially within the creative industry, but nobody knows what they are doing, I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m still going to work hard, do it right, and try my best. I feel incredibly blessed to be doing all these things, and I never take it for granted, especially the fans that make this all possible. I’m satisfied with the way things turned out and wouldn’t trade it for the world, but I'm always eager to do more and move on to the next big thing!
What is the experience of supporting a touring international act back in Singapore like for you? What do you look forward to the most about returning home to perform for the local crowd?
I’ve opened for really cool artists that I love both in Singapore and in the US. Ricky has got to be the biggest artist I’m going to share the bill with, we spoke online and he’s honestly so humble and inspiring. This is going to be my homecoming show and I hope I can represent us Singaporeans well. I look forward to partying on stage and then being a part of the jumping crowd during Ricky’s set!!!
You performed back in Singapore in celebration of your second album. Can we expect something similar for KOMOREBI?
Hell yeah. I just announced my headline show at Esplanade Annexe on the 9th of June. It’s gonna be so fun to see my home crowd and I can’t wait to yap on stage and maybe play some songs or something like that.
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Tickets for hongjoin’s ‘Everything in Between’ homecoming show are available here.
Stream KOMOREBI here:
