Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: I’m QRIAN from South Korea, a singer-songwriter and self-producer. I was a kid who always wrote and expressed my mind in words or through creative means, and I was a music lover like many other folks. I also sang with such a natural husky tone, which was a lot more pronounced back then and quite rare for someone of my age. When all those things I loved to do were combined, my current musical direction might have been shaped.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “QRIAN”?
A: I am about to keep releasing albums, not just having them stuck in my laptop or hard drive but to be engaged with and enjoyed by a larger audience than ever before. QRIAN connotes my identity as a Korean and my own language. I hope anyone can identify themselves as who they are and communicate with the world in their own languages, based on the love for themselves and each other. I guess love sometimes embraces sadness, anger and even flaws. QRIAN aims to deliver the message that it’s okay to have various emotions as long as you love yourself, embracing those moments of struggle.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: I love Amy Winehouse, James Blake and Tyler the Creator, and these days I find myself listening to more Arca and Jorja Smiths. It’s kinda hard to pick the most inspiring artist, but I am usually inspired by noises in daily life, objects which contain some meaning for me, and vibes and scenes in the wee hours. For example, I created the drum sound in my track ‘Frontier in Love’ with sampling of my ex’s snoring sound. The rhythm of the track ‘Rod of Love’ is derived from a traditional Korean rhythm usually played with a janggu, which I also mentioned in the lyrics. The theme itself and its narrative link might be the most inspiring elements for me.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “BOSS.”?
A: Three years ago, I met a boss whose company I was considering working for but ultimately decided not to, due to his constant changes in what he said and I felt confused and complicated. I wrote some words that eventually turned into a song. The reason it took three years may be attributed to the fact that I work a full-time job, which leaves limited time to dedicate to music. Moreover, the narrative of this song has evolved in response to various situations, particularly when dealing with higher authority. The song begins with just three bass notes minimally and repeatedly but they blend with maximum complex synths reversely at the end, which also illustrates the theme and the direction of storyline.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: noise
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “BOSS”?
A: I worked at a rented studio room but still received complaints about the volume, likely due to the bass sound. I wrote, produced and mixed this track entirely on my own, except for mastering, which was done by Stuart Hwakes. As the only decision-maker, I had to communicate with myself to determine what I truly wanted in detail, and it sometimes led to moments of hesitation. However, my mates and fellow musicians supported my vision and I could work hard to deliver what I envisioned.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: Each of my tracks is like a diary of my daily life and scenes, with its own meaning, theme, narrative and emotion with the allowance of it. I am going to keep writing and producing music, and performing globally, so that audiences can read these diaries and feel comforted, empathised and emphasized.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: Amy Winehouse
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: There are many ways to do music: commercial ways, independent routes, or some combination of both. You may achieve different values depending on the path you choose, so you need to know what exactly you’re keen on in music and which mode you would feel happiest in. Then manifest your own creativity in music!
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: It actually helped me in the stage of my teenager, ‘Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results’, by Albert Einstein.
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