Photo provided by hongjoin’s team, shot by NYTE.WORKS
Komorebi (木漏れ日), “sunlight leaking through trees,” is a beautiful Japanese word without a direct English translation. Singer-songwriter hongjoin encapsulates the dreamy optimism in his album “KOMOREBI,” released in May 2024. Throughout the album, hongjoin expertly combines Eastern and Western soundscapes, creating musical harmony and personal peace as a Taiwanese-Japanese artist born in Singapore and now living in Boston. With the release of his sophomore album under his belt, hongjoin joins Rice & Spice to talk about the making of “KOMOREBI” and recent shows in Southeast Asia.
Was there a defining moment that solidified this project’s theme?
This project took a year to make, and I wouldn’t say there was a singular defining moment, but rather multiple revelations during the creation process of the album that made me realize that this album was special in the sense this was a project larger than myself that came with a bigger message that I think I want whoever is listening to resonate with. With my previous EPs, I wrote a lot about reminiscing [about] the past and getting over hardship as a growing teen, but this album is more so about giving love a chance and taking that leap of faith.
If I had to choose one, though, it’d be when I was writing the song “Komorebi,” which turned out to be the title of the album. It was the missing piece to my puzzle and tied all the songs into an album because this album is very much about hope, and I felt like the word encapsulated what these songs in this era meant to me. No matter how dense the forest gets, the sun rays will always leak through and bring you back in the direction you were meant to be in!
In your opinion, what is the most underrated track on “KOMOREBI”? What does that track mean to you?
It changes from time to time, but I definitely think “Anomaly” deserves more attention. It was the first song that was born out of the album, and the last song that was left to finish before the album was ready. The album was my attempt at finding a balance between my musical influences from Asia and the Western world [...], and “Anomaly” was my attempt at creating something unique to myself but familiar to the ear. The lyrics on “Anomaly” are my favorite, and I spent a lot of time refining the words and the intricate details in the production. As a 22-year-old kid who is still very much trying to find my footing in this world, I wrote “Anomaly” about a person [in] who I could find refuge in when the world is caving in, and with the world being so messy, I want to value love as the one thing that binds people together. To me, this song is about fighting for a love you don’t know you need yet, against all odds.
“KOMOREBI” album cover art provided by hongjoin’s team, shot by NYTE.WORKS
Were there any notable differences in the process of creating this album compared to your past ones that allowed you to create a more cohesive work? What lessons did you learn from creating “KOMOREBI” that you hope to apply/change when working on your next project?
If you told me a few years ago that I’d be writing a love album, I’d say you were crazy. I never imagined that I’d be lucky enough to feel so strongly about love and relationships to create a full album about it [...] I thought I’d be doomed for the rest of my life to only write about heartbreak and nostalgia since I can only write well when I have a personal encounter that makes me feel deeply, but here we are now, hahaha. Because this feeling is so special to me, I knew I had to pour my heart and soul into creating art as honest as possible so I can look back one day and feel deeply about these experiences I had. So yes, I did make it for myself, but writing songs like “My Dream,” “Enough For Me,” and “Komorebi” made me realize I was also writing in an attempt to create an experience for whoever was tuning in, to embrace love and allow for those emotions to seep into your everyday lives just like it did for me. Hopefully, we continue getting more positive songs that exude good vibes, and I can potentially extend the album with more songs that have the same message?!?!!? (I’ve never officially said this before… but only for R&S)
You recently opened for Ricky Montgomery in Singapore and had your own sold-out headlining show in SG as well! How did it feel playing in your hometown? Was the experience what you had anticipated?
It’s always a heartwarming experience coming back to play a show in my hometown. Nothing beats the feeling of a home crowd, and these are my OG fans! Always gotta shout them out because I wouldn’t be here without them. Opening for Ricky Montgomery was also a surreal experience, the biggest crowd I’ve ever played – I think it was close to two thousand people – and I was surprised at the amount of love I got. He’s also such a humble, down-to-earth artist, and I’m so honored that I got a chance to cross paths with him and his band!
What’s next for you? Any goals left to check off during the second half of 2024?
As of now, I plan on continuing to play shows and working on promoting the album! I’d love to tour America and open for an artist I really love on the road, so if anyone’s reading this and you are going on tour, hit me up!!!!
