For those who haven’t heard of you before could you tell us a bit about yourself, and your story?
I am a singer-songwriter based in Upstate NY, about 250 miles from New York City. I was adopted from South Korea as an infant and grew up in a very small, tight-knit town. It had its pros and cons, but it was a nice place. I began writing songs around the age of 12, and I haven’t really stopped since. I started posting covers on YouTube in my mid-teens and played a lot of open mics and local singing competitions.
Who inspired you to get on stage and perform?
My first exposure to performing was American Idol. I still remember watching Kelly Clarkson win and saying, “Oh wow, that is what I want to do.” From there, I was inspired by a myriad of people. Going back to American Idol, I loved many contestants throughout the years, like Adam Lambert and David Cook. I loved how they would flip a song on its head and make it feel completely new. Lady Gaga’s confidence. Demi Lovato’s vulnerability. Brandi Carlile’s storytelling. Ed Sheeran’s melodic simplicity and commandeering of a stage and crowd with an acoustic guitar and a loop pedal. I could go on and on.
What artists and albums have stuck with you and inspired your sound?
My parents raised me on Billy Joel, The Eagles, The Beach Boys, etc. When my older brother started listening to local radio stations, I was introduced to more current-to-the-time music, like Britney Spears, Blink 182, etc. Into my teens to now, I have found inspiration in Evanescence, Marianas Trench, and Alanis Morrissette, to name a few. One of my main focus points is to not stay monotonous. I love pulling inspiration from many places, and hopefully, that comes out in my music.
Where do you write your music, are you someone always coming up with song ideas?
I almost always write at home, but if something comes to me when I am out and about, I will usually write it down really quickly in a Note on my phone, or record a quick audio clip of a melody. I almost always write lyrics first, and music after.
I wouldn’t say I am always coming up with song ideas, but typically, if something comes up and it resonates, my process is very fast. My primary instrument is the acoustic guitar, so I can grab that and get it down on paper before I lose it. Most of my completed songs, both released and unreleased, have come to fruition within an hour or two, but I do have some outlier lyrical or melodic snippets that I revisit years later and complete.
Please tell us about the writing/recording of the ReverbNation Competition winning track “Countryside”.
“Countryside” was one of those REALLY fast songs. The idea came to me, and the lyrics just kind of fell into place. I pulled from a time in my life when I was really desperate to get out of the small town I was in and start over. Don’t we all want that at some point? Although the lyrics are very personal, I knew it was a widely felt sentiment, and I’m so happy to hear from people who relate.
It was originally written on an acoustic guitar. If you’ve seen my previous work, I have mainly stayed in that space, as I was a bit afraid to step out into the indie-pop genre. This song was truly a home studio situation in the recording process. This was my first time really building a song from the bottom up, at a production level. All of the instrumentation in the song is free GarageBand plugins/virtual instruments. The idea for the round/layered harmonies in the intro came to me as I was recording. I love the idea of a bit of organized chaos before the “swoop” and beat drop. After I finished the bones of the song at home, Chandler Porter at Drift Audio Works cleaned it up.
What has been your favourite experience as a musician?
My favourite thing about being a musician is when somebody from the audience truly connects with what I’m singing or saying. Whether you’re singing your own lyrics or a cover, if you make eye contact with that one person in the crowd who is feeling your joy or your pain, that is what it is all about to me. Music truly has no barriers.
Do you plan to release any music possibly an EP or album?
I absolutely do. I loved this little sad girl pop moment I tapped into with “Countryside”, and it’s something I’d like to continue to explore. I also have a backlog of enough songs for multiple albums. I have concepts of what I’d like to do, I just need to do them; age-old struggle, am I right?
What is the most memorable place you have performed?
Through my years of singing, I have been on many different stages, ranging from dive bars to regional music festivals to the American Idol Experience stage that used to be at Disney World! One gig that always stands out to me was at a place called The 9th Ward, a small basement bar in Buffalo, NY. It was one of the first times I played a full set of primarily original music with a receptive, wonderful audience. It was an intimate setting, and I truly felt appreciated and listened to.
Here at Artistic Echoes, we are always on the lookout for new artists do you have any to recommend?
I often listen to constant replays of the music I grew up with, or found throughout life. The nostalgia loop is REAL. I had to do a bit of digging in my Spotify Liked playlist, and they aren’t NEW artists, but I highly recommend them:
Peter Hunt & the Great Outdoors: These guys are electric. The first song I heard by them was “June Carter”. They blend folk/rock/punk SO seamlessly and have an incredible three-piece horn section. I love what they do so much.
The Hisunz: The first song I heard from this Alt/Indie Pop group was “Up High”. With excellent, punchy instrumentation and ethereal vocals, this group is so fun to listen to on long drives, or for a morale booster on long work days.
Foolproof: Grunge-Rock goodness. I first heard of this band through the Mikey and his Uke Quarantine Cover series on Instagram when Paige Kopp (lead singer) was featured on a cover of Rancid’s “As Wicked”. I immediately thought, God, her voice is DOPE. This band’s vibe is immaculate; heavy, energetic, and raw.
What plans do you have for the rest of the year?
I am hoping to record some more music! I have a couple of gigs at breweries and street festivals lined up, as well. Music is not my main job, so I just plan to keep having fun and creating whenever I can.
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