Returning back to his birthplace to open for Ricky Montgomery is hongjoin, the Boston-based Singaporean one-man show who culminates the influences of his many roots in a rueful, heartfelt kind of storytelling.
Those who have lived overseas know that “home” is not a single physical place. It is transient, changes with the seasons, and can even take human form. For hongjoin, “home” is split across Singapore and Boston, but that has not stopped him from loving both lands wholeheartedly, drawing from this experience to write and produce music that reflects his doubly warm embrace of the world and people around him.
In fact, it is record, produce and mix from start to finish for this pandemic-born artist. Hongjoin already has three musical projects under his belt, the latest album “KOMOREBI” having only come out last month. Not one to shun from genre-crossing, his music dips its toes in the realms of folk, indie-pop, alt-rock, and even R&B; his songs are cinematic, gripping and gently invite introspection with its cleverly written lyrics. Everything comes from and goes back to a place of love for his work, and his latest collection of tracks show only how much more he has grown as an artist since he posted his first cover on Youtube to commemorate his pre-National Service haircut — what got the ball rolling for his music career so far.
Just ahead of his appearance as opening act for British indie artist Ricky Montgomery’s Singapore concert, Men’s Folio sits down with the 22-year-old Spotify Radar artist (in 2023) to chat about music so far, some behind-the-scene stories from making his latest album, and what’s next on his horizon.
Komorebi…that’s a word I’ve definitely written down somewhere because of its beautiful meaning. Is that how you envisioned this album to be like? Small little happinesses that resist definition?
Small little happinesses is such a wholesome way to put it. (Laughs) I definitely envisioned this album to be one that celebrated love, and I wanted to make a compilation of songs that contained a song for everyone; upbeat, mellow, groovy, emotional, you name it! A song for whichever mood you were feeling at any point in time.
Amongst the many non-translatable Japanese words out there, what is another that you think would be fun to expound on in another album or song? (e.g. ikigai, ichigo ichie, yugen, wabi sabi)
I was halfway into writing another song titled ikigai that I was going to put out, but after thinking about it I decided to make Komorebi the only Japanese titled song in the album! Komorebi is a special one because it’s my girlfriend’s favourite word and I wanted to reconnect with my Japanese roots as well. The intro contains a voice memo of my grand-dad speaking to me in Japanese which then leads into Komorebi, so I think it all came together pretty well to tell a story!
How then is Komorebi different from your previous releases?
I think listeners who have been following me from my previous works would realize that this is a love album rather than one about heartbreak. I write about my own experiences in a relationship, and it is very much dedicated to my long distance girlfriend. I think being from two different worlds, both Asia and America, I feel constantly torn between them but from that disparity I have a newfound love and appreciation for both cultures, and I like to think it reflects in my musicality! More obvious in songs like Komorebi and Anomaly, I incorporate the blend of the two worlds sonically, including Asian influences in a western style of music production. This is my most complete compilation of music I have ever put out and I hope my listeners will come to love it. I want this record to be one that lives on for a long long time.
What was the first song that you worked on this album, and how did that come about?
The first song I worked on was Anomaly and it was also the last one that was finished. I wrote the main bulk of the song very quickly as it was inspired by very emotional moments in my life. With a lot of the songs I write, I wake up the next day and trash it. But this one felt different. I woke up and still loved it because of how deceivingly simple the song was. It had two chords, but the melodies were constantly making my brain tingle and I knew this was a special one. I continued writing it with my friends Izzat and Dylan who are a huge part of my musical journey, and I loved how it turned out. It stayed stagnant for many months before I brought it to my friend Peeve who goes to Berklee, and we worked on the strings and synths – which I think gave this song the unique blend of Asian and Western sounds. I’m so glad with the way the song turned out and I think it fits the role of outro track perfectly!
What song would you say you are most proud of lyrically? “I will always love you by design” is such a beautiful line.
Woohoo thank you I am so honoured! You called it, I am super proud of the song ‘Love By Design’ which is why it is such a stripped down song with only guitar and strings (and of course a little ear candy). This track serves as the only acoustic song in the whole album, and it’s written as a conversation. I wanted the song to feel like an intimate heart to heart with a person whose love for you transcends distance. I want the listener to feel as though they were part of that conversation with me, getting vulnerable with lines like asking “when [they] will realize a home is made for two” and hoping they “hear [the] song and pretend it’s poetry”.
Then what song from this album would you say you are most proud of production wise? I think that’s amazing that you picked all of this up on your own during the pandemic. (Take this chance to geek out on any part of the song production process)
Production wise I would say ‘Yesterday’! This one was a hard one to nail and went through countless versions. My roommate Doug, who co-produces for me as well (crazy producer and DJ by the way!) sat down with me watching me experiment with different sounds, different swings, and different instruments for hours and hours late into the night. I really wanted to create a groovy feel good track that felt like throwback R&B but also incorporate modern day sounds and production techniques. I could geek out on the production process for every song, but if I open this project file, you’ll see stacks on stacks of layers each playing a different role. It’s so spacey and meant to make you feel like you are swimming in outer space! There are so many random fun sounds from voice memos, and recordings from random clips that I chopped up and just threw in the track for no particular reason. Just – why not? It’s just like doodling, sometimes messy is fun! What I love about producing my own music is that I get to breakdown every single element of my own song and explain my thought processes behind them. Perhaps I’ll do up a production breakdown video on YouTube sometime soon like I did with “dear abbey”!
You also are coming back to Singapore to open for Ricky Montgomery. How did it happen?
The event organisers actually reached out really early and they initially reached out on Instagram so hey, gotta always check your social media otherwise you’re gonna miss out on the DM and the show of your life!
Your favourite Ricky Montgomery track?
“This December” and “Here Comes The Moon” from his newest album!
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Other than the performance, what else are you looking forward to seeing/doing/eating when you are back here?
Seeing my family, my friends, and lots and lots of KOI (KOI specifically)…I’m a bubble tea addict how surprising…#tapioca
What is the best and worst thing about having homes in both Boston and Singapore? And how do you think that contributes to the colour of hongjoin music?
I feel extremely lucky to have two homes, and feel so accepted in both! While reverse culture shock always hits hard whenever I travel between both countries, I’m glad I have friends and family on both sides of the world that quickly help me settle down!! My favorite part about this is that I get to experience so much more than I imagined, and meet people from extremely different backgrounds and upbringings. One thing’s for sure though, everyone’s still figuring it out and has similar struggles as I do. I always feel heard and seen no matter where I am and I feel so lucky to be able to feel that!
Mother’s Day just passed not too long ago, and I noticed a very cute post on your Instagram feed with you and your mom. What about your mother being yours are you most proud of?
My mom is my number one supporter! She is the reason I am who I am today, and I’m so glad that she’s so involved in my life. I always remind myself it’s also her first time living life, and her being patient with me while I figure life out, is something I am forever going to be grateful for.
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Last but not least, what is next up on hongjoin’s horizon?
Well, just like everyone else, I’m still finding my footing and navigating through life, but I hope to be able to keep making music for myself, and for the people that listen to what I put out! Playing shows is where I feel most comfortable and I hope to be able to go on a tour in the US soon!! But before I leave home, I will be playing a headline show on the 9th of June at Esplanade Annexe and I hope to see you there!
Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our May 2024 issue.