Hien is a Budapest-born, Brooklyn-based Vietnamese artist, and “i know you” is a love letter to girlhood, to friendship that feels like home, and to staying soft in a hard world. 

photos by Mariana Agostini

This time, our founder juulzee interviewed HIEN – an amazing independent artist who just released her new single “i know you” which you can listen right above while reading about her creative process and latest inspiration.

First off, tell me a bit about your creative process as an individual artist in today’s day and age. How do you create?
Being an artist is such a huge part of my daily life that it’s hard to even view it from the outside. I feel like I’m always in the process of creating. That includes living and experiencing the world around me, which naturally pours into my work. I have this internal compass that leads me toward what’s next. Once I sense the direction, I gather people who I feel could share and shape that vision with me. Sometimes the idea comes from the singer in me, sometimes the producer or sound designer — it really depends.

What is your main source of inspiration?
Being a third-world kid. The diaspora experience. Living in-between worlds. My roots. Women. Nature. The streets. These days, I would say old recordings — especially samples from my family archives.

What’s your favourite part of your own creative process?
When a strong vision hits me and I get to start collecting the pieces. Also, when I’m free to experiment.

Listening to your songs, there’s this beautiful, comfortable, and girly energy that overflows. How do you wish your fans to interpret you as an artist?
Thank you, that’s very kind. Honestly, it’s totally up to them. I love leaving space for interpretation. It makes me happy if they find joy in the music — that’s all I could ask for.

How was the creative experience behind “I Know You”?
It was such a fun, light, and playful process. The melody began as a voice memo my roommate and best friend Oreine recorded in the bathroom of Bossa Nova Civic Club — inspired by a DJ’s set, she sang into her phone. I instantly knew it had to become a track. I added some dreamy pads and brought in Lara, aka bad.entity — my dear friend and favorite collaborator — to co-produce. We ended up creating “I Know You,” and I’m so grateful we got to make a super wholesome video for it, directed by Eileen Yoon — one of my best experiences working with a film director, and something I’d been wanting for a long time, as I’ve always hoped to collaborate with an Asian femme director.

What would you like to see more of in today’s music scene?
More focus on music and sound. Less on image, visuals, and trends. I feel like audiences today are putting too much weight on how things look, and not enough on how things sound.

Speaking of creatives, who’s your main fixation this year?
Ouu, there are so many artists! I think I listened to Erika de Casier the most this year.

Can you spill any tea about your plans for the upcoming months?
I’m finishing up a bunch of songs and trying to decide whether to drop an album or not. Also, I’m currently playing Anna in “Frozen” the musical in Hungary, which will keep running through February.

Finally, for the Starfreak community: Do you identify as a star or a freak?
I’m both. 

words by Julia Mastalerz