Continuing his career being the champion of music discovery on The SoCal Sound, Nic Harcourt welcomed Seoul-based visionary SE SO NEON into the performance studios for a SoCal Sound Session. Known for blending Korean and English lyrics with cinematic and punk rock textures, this performance captivated the entire upper floor of the building that houses The SoCal Sound for her first U.S. radio interview and live session.
Listen to The SoCal Sound 24/7 Anywhere with a cellular or internet connection through the FREE SoCal Sound App
Artistic Background & Creative Roots
SE SO NEON is the art project from So Yoon Hwang. Hwang is originally from Seoul, but has recently relocated to Los Angeles in order to work on music and other projects. She comes from a family of visual storytellers, her father being a photojournalist and mother is a designer, who both encouraged creative expression from a young age. They enrolled Hwang in an alternative school, and in later school years she studied film.
This cinematic approach to writing music is what makes this music so unique to SE SO NEON. She refers to her songwriting approach to “grabbing from the universe” rather than sitting down and laying out plans to create a song, a sense of dream like quality that gives the songs an open airiness, despite there being a ton of rock sounds and thrashy drum beats. She goes on to explain, “So when you're writing a song, you're visualizing it…. at the same time, like really vivid. So I just translate that things to like real video in my head and then YouTube or video”. This is why the music videos that accompany her songs play out like a short vignette of a movie rather than just a music video for videos sake.
Live Performance - In Studio
SE SO NEON performed three songs for The SoCal Sound sessions:
“So when you're writing a song, you're visualizing it…."
Southern California - A New Home
SE SO NEON has found a home locally to Southern California, relocating from Korea to the scene side of east LA. This is an effort to establish this music project, however it has also proven to be a location of great inspiration. “My band is my main career in my life… especially in LA, I love nature. I grew up in the mountains, so I have to [live] close with nature. And LA is a perfect, place to feel nature and also meet people.”
SE SO NEON will be out on tour in Australia soon with dates in Newstead, Sydney, and Northcote, and the record NOW is available everywhere from AWAL records.
Support The SoCal Sound & The SoCal Sound Sessions
Your clicks, comments, and subscriptions not only boost these artists—it also helps The SoCal Sound grow our reach and continue showcasing what makes this music community so vibrant.
Stay Connected with The SoCal Sound
Stream SE SO NEON's full session on TheSoCalSound.org or through the free SoCal Sound app—now Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible. Don’t miss future sessions: sign up for our email newsletter for exclusive content, ticket giveaways, and station updates.
- · Filmed & Edited & Photographed by Matt Blake
- · Audio by Tristan Dolce
- · Host: Marc “Mookie” Kaczor
The SoCal Sound is member-supported public radio. Your support keeps sessions like this on the air and online.
