Interview: ABOUT’s Story That Blooms, His ‘OMNIBUS’ Journey, And A Message To ‘Dolphins’
Jo TaeKyoung, better known as ABOUT, is a South Korean artist that amplifies pieces of his life story through music. As a creative singer-songwriter and producer, his music gives you melancholic vibes and a sensuous feeling. He expresses himself through different analogies that can be seen as poetic and somber.
HALSUG had the opportunity to interview ABOUT, where he shares the experiences he’s encountered moving from Seoul to NYC, the unexpected challenges when creating his latest EP “OMNIBUS,” how his journey as an artist has progressed, and a message to his supporters, aka Dolphins.
Photo Courtesy of ABOUT
Q: Who is ABOUT & what’s his story?
A single person on Earth who wants to do everything happily and healthily for a long time. Who was a bullied kid, loves music, and wanted to be an actor. The eldest son, with two little sisters. Loves his cat, is a homebody but also a social butterfly. Loves movies and books, is a bit of an old soul, is a heavy talker, was born with an itchy foot, and is a WORKAHOLIC.
Q: Moving to NYC from Seoul, did you encounter any difficulties getting accustomed to living in America versus being back home? Do you find it easier for your music to reach listeners in America or in Korea?
I was surprised by the occasional passive-aggressive traces of racism that exist even in New York and which I’ve never felt before in Korea only due to just my appearance. But ironically, I also never felt fully accepted in Korean society either, so it felt more familiar than I thought it would. Honestly, now I prefer living in New York as I feel more accepted in the individualistic atmosphere, and I feel more at home in New York. When it comes to my music, from the get-go my fanbase has been heavily international, so whether I am In Seoul or in New York doesn’t change much.
Q: Let’s talk about your latest EP, ‘OMNIBUS’, what was it like creating this collection? Did anything surprise you about the overall process? Any unexpected challenges?
Cover Artwork Cr: sōl
During the recording process, half of the featured artists fell sick and lost their voices. So that was fun and thrilling trying to set everything against the deadline lol. As every artist is a personal friend, it was both pressuring and enjoyable to work together, especially as some of them are under company management which added extra steps to finalizing the collaborations. But in the end, we were very satisfied with the result.
Q: What was it like being able to collaborate with various musicians on your EP, such as ALEPH, Hemo, Summer Soul, Xydo, NECTA, MINSEO, HWI YOUNG, and more?
As I said before, all of them are my friends whom I greatly respect as an artist. So, I was very happy to share these creative ideas together. Because they are all based on different genres, I also got to challenge myself a lot with new things, new vocal tone, and character.
Q: From your EP, can you tell us which song holds a stronger connection to you right now and what does it mean to you?
I feel most connected to “Burn” right now. Currently, I’m struggling between the character I need to portray for work and the real me, similar to the lyrics HWI YOUNG and I wrote for “Burn.” I feel like the only way I can deal with my emotions is through my music, and I enjoy knowing that other people can relate to them. However, somehow it also makes me wonder if music is the road I chose or a road I was forced to walk. For a long time I’ve been curious if I had a less traumatic childhood, would I have been more capable of handling my emotions in some other way? In the end, I love music, but still, the reason I’m doing it is not just for fame but for emotional gratification.
Q: How do you feel about your growth as an artist since the beginning of your journey?
First of all, I never thought that I’d be able to make a living with my music in the Korean industry, even when I started eight years ago. So, I feel very lucky and thankful to all my listeners on Earth. Music-wise, I’ve become more confident in my own way of working. Thank you for always being with me.
Q: What are some core memories you’re willing to share from your life experiences that influence some of your songs? Which songs are they?
Most of my music is influenced by my lifetime memories. Most of them sound so sad, here I’ll leave you a positive one: “Ice Cream Man In The Town.” When I was living on 94th street in New York, there was my favorite Ice Cream Brand called Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. Like every other day, I came home after buying it, and my friend suddenly said in a sing-songy voice, “Ice Cream Man is coming~,” and that hit me as a fun and promising theme for a song, and the rest is history lol.
Q: We love how you always transcribe your Korean lyrics to English, is it sometimes difficult to do this? Can the meaning be interpreted differently when we read the lyrics in English versus the song itself being in Korean?
I am always very aware how difficult it can be to understand Korean lyrics, especially for international fans. And I am very thankful that they’re paying attention to the lyrics because those are the essential part of my music. Because of this, I make sure to try and translate the lyrics and meanings of the songs as accurately as possible, and there is an important partner, my best friend, who has known me since I was twenty and couldn’t speak English properly, who has always been working with me to make sure the English words are chosen well. She knows my way of writing Korean lyrics inside out. She is also very passionate about ABOUT’s music’s worldview and meticulous about the words. So, together we can make sure that as little as possible of the meaning is lost during the translation. I want to take this time to say thank you to her and the fans for caring so much about what I have to say. Thank you, my Dolphins, and thank you, Eliina.
Q: We noticed you do something a lot of artists/musicians don’t, which is crediting everyone involved in the overall process of a song, including the artwork. How does it make you feel knowing some don’t get the credit deserved for their work?
Personally, I think that all of the creative work that goes into producing an album is equally valuable and deserves to have its credit, no matter how small the part is. The way I produce music is also very focused on the idea of originality, as I prefer working directly with various musicians and producers instead of relying on ready-made samples on Splice. Because of this, the number of people that participate in any of my releases is relatively high compared to other indie musicians in the Korean music industry. To me, giving credit is the way to succeed together rather than just paying them a minimum amount for their work while leaving them without credit. I consider it a sad reality where giving credit is not always possible, and I hope the industry will be able to change for all of us to work together.
Q: We read in your description for your song “Dandelion” that you referred to your first single “Wither” and stated: “I thought of myself as a decayed seed that is gone to be a flower” and now as you stated, you are able to make “music that blooms.” How do you describe the comparison between “Dandelion” and “Wither?” What sets them apart? Were you able to compose the songs while singing to yourself, or were you singing it to someone else?
When I was writing “Wither,” I was having the hardest time of my life. and I wanted to pour that real feeling into the song. Back then, I couldn’t even imagine that my life would be as it is now. And during the past three years, as I felt people empathize with my music, it helped change the way I think. Now even if I feel sad or depressed, I don’t feel hopeless anymore thanks to the people who share and listen to my music. So in this way, you could say I wrote “Wither” and “Dandelion” for myself but also for others who are suffering right now, and by sharing this feeling, I feel like I was able to bloom.
Q: What does ABOUT today have to say to ABOUT in the past?
Stop overthinking, trust yourself, and give some love to yourself. People will love you whatever you create or do; love is nothing, and at the same time, love is everything.
Q: What is your favorite song to perform, and what has been the best performance of your career so far?
“Ice Cream Man In The Town,” “Hollow Chest Teenager,” “Ashtray,” and “Wither.” For now those, are my favorite numbers. And for the best performance, it must be the Empathy concert I had in April 2022.
Q: How would you describe the music that you typically create?
Music to cry together with or emotional conduit, and amplified pieces of my life or history.
Q: What’s something you want to convey as an artist worldwide?
It’s ok to be sad or angry or emotional as long as you don’t hurt anyone including yourself.
Q: Can you give a message to your supporters and something they can expect from you in the near future?
Thank you for being with me so far so long. Hope I could see you all one day wherever you are, love you Dolphins :). And for the future, I don’t really know but I would say well-aged sadness or sort of happiness, more freedom, variety, and so on.
Listen to ABOUT’s latest single “Letter To Dolphins (Unhappy is not me anymore).”
Thank you ABOUT for the interview.
Make sure to follow ABOUT on his socials to stay involved with his journey and listen to more of his music here.
Artist Facts
Name/Stage Name: Jo TaeKyoung/ABOUT
Birthday: December 2, 1994
Nationality: Korean
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
MBTI: ENTJ
Fave Foods: Red Bean, Chorizo
Fave Drinks: Coffee with Oat milk, Lemonade
Fave Movies: Idaho, Maudie, Miss Stevens, Everything Everywhere All At Once
Day or Night?: Night
Song You’re Most Proud Of: Wither