Interview: VeeAlwaysHere Goes Heart-to-Heart in ‘broken: playlist II’
Oftentimes, we wonder about life and its happenings as we ponder over a heartbreak or two. In times wherein words fall short in describing the innermost workings of one's mind, we find ourselves turning to music for healing and answers — that’s what makes up broken: playlist II.
Korean-American artist VeeAlwaysHere released a new album in August where he spoke about heartbreak, the residual feelings after a breakup, and the pain that lovers go through. Adding a visual narration to his lyrical storytelling, he released a music video for the track “joker.”
In this music video, he appears alongside actress Diem Truong. The two take turns singing the song, expressing the heartache written beautifully in the lyrics. The music video is minimalistic, with complete focus on Vee and Diem, keeping the viewers’ attention centered on the emotive expressions of the two.
Let’s take a look at our recent chat with the artist where he gets candid about his latest album broken: playlist II, his musical inspiration, and more.
Photo Courtesy of Gramophone Media
Can you please introduce yourself to our readers?
Hey guys! I’m VeeAlwaysHere, but you can call me Vee 🙂 I’m a Korean-American music artist from Los Angeles!
What is the idea behind the name “VeeAlwaysHere”?
In my opinion, any kind of success is all about being in the right place at the right time. And while we can never predict or control the timing of it, we can at least do our best to put ourselves in the right place. That’s the meaning behind the “AlwaysHere” part. At first it was just my Instagram handle, but I later decided to adopt it into my actual stage name.
It has been more than a month since your latest album, broken: playlist II was released. What are your thoughts about the album now post-release?
broken: playlist II was so scary to put out. I feel like the level of vulnerability I put into it, was like nothing I’ve ever done before. I was so happy to see how well it was received, and I can’t wait to continue the story!
Can you tell us a little more about the music video for “joker”?
This is definitely a weird one, but I love it so much! I wanted to put myself, the artist of the song, in the background for most of the video. After all, this is what the song is ultimately about — feeling unimportant, like you’re always stuck in the background in your relationship. The main focus is on the lead actress and her acting performance of the song, even though it’s in my voice. This was done to emphasize that I am letting her have the spotlight and choose to stay in the back.
The familiarity of the relationship keeps me from leaving, even though I’m clearly struggling with it. Throughout the video, I hesitantly attempt to put myself first, but in those moments, I’m still unable to go through with it. And finally, at the end, I’m ready to say goodbye and do me, even though it comes with a risk of losing her forever, but she still chooses to stay by my side; although, I don’t seem to acknowledge that — for me it’s already over. It was so much fun planning this and putting it all together.
American pop music has an influence on your music. Which artists from that genre inspire you the most?
Still to this day, I’m inspired by everyone and everything around me. There are no particular artists that I draw inspiration from, it’s more like the collective artistry inspires me. I feel so blessed to be in the conversation and to be a part of this community.
What is your usual song-making process like? Does the melody come first or the lyrics?
It’s always different. I keep it unpredictable and don’t try to control or systemize it — I sort of let the idea guide me to the next step. Sometimes it starts with a word or a line, maybe a melody, or I could produce the entire track and write to it. It really depends!
Walk us through a day in VeeAlwaysHere’s life. When not making music, what activities do you usually indulge in?
I’m a dog dad, so I have an amazing opportunity to take nice walks outside multiple times a day. Aside from that, when I’m not making music I like to learn about many different things. I enjoy hearing people’s stories, watching TV (many movies and shows inspired some of my songs already), exercising, and of course, socializing and spending time with friends. My life is pretty boring haha.
When creating music, do you ever experience writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome it?
It’s very easy for me. I just take a step back and stop. You can’t really force something like that, and once you feel like you HAVE TO do it, it sucks all the fun out of it. Take a break and revisit it later — this has always been my policy.
Your “playlist” series has two albums so far. Can we expect a third album in the series? What can you tell us about what’s next for you?
Yes! As soon as I started working on my first “playlist,” I knew right away that it was going to be a trilogy. In terms of where the story goes or what to expect, I can’t really say yet. I need to go and live my life a little. The continuation of this story is a mystery to me too, but I love it. broken: playlist II is such a real-time project, it’s like a season of a show, so I don’t know what season three is going to bring yet :)
Do you have any messages for your fans?
I just wanna say thank you so much for following and supporting my journey. It really means so much to me, and whenever you tell me how much you loved broken: playlist II or any of my music in general, it puts the biggest smile on my face! I will continue making music, and I’ll make you proud!
What is your favorite song from VeeAlwaysHere? Let us know by leaving a comment below or by reaching out on our Instagram or Twitter.
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Artist Facts
Name/Stage Name: VeeAlwaysHere
Birthday: November 9
Nationality: Korean
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
MBTI: ENFJ
Favorite Foods: Any Korean food
Favorite Drinks: My preferences here exist on the opposite ends of two extremes, it’s either water or whiskey haha
Favorite Movies: Rush Hour
Day or Night?: Night
Song you’re most proud of: “pink roses”
Edited by Alliya Garcia
