Breaking Bánh Mì w/ Hana Vu
Speaking with rising Gen-Z Viet-Korean American Indie Artist Hana Vu
Randy:
Hi everyone, so today I am joined by Hana Vu. She is an American singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, California. She is of Vietnamese and Korean descent, who began writing songs as a child, and started performing around LA by the age of 14, eventually opening for bands like Soccer Mommy and Wet. After sharing music for several years on SoundCloud and Bandcamp, she released her self-produced EP, How Many Times Have You Driven? by the age of 17. Prior to the EP, she had collaborated with Willow Smith on the track Queen of High School in 2019. Vu released the double EP, Nicole Kidman/Anne Hathaway named after her two favorite actresses. The EP cover features a painting video of Anne Hathaway accepting an award that she laid distorted to mimic plastic mounting. The same year she was included in the M. e 100. Essential new artist for 2019 Following graduation from high school, who moved out of her parents house and resides in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles. This year, Hannah released her latest album Romanticism, and is set to go on a US tour.
Thank you for joining me today. Congratulations on your recently released album Romanticism. How does it feel to release your latest work right now?
Hana:
It feels good. It's been a long time working on it. And I'm glad for it to finally be out in the world.
Randy:
I want to talk about your album cover. It is definitely an eye opener, would you be able to share what's behind the making of this album cover?
Hana:
Yeah, so my friend and collaborator, Megan Hwang, who is a very inventive filmmaker, creative director, and designer. I had the idea once I made the record and, and showed it to her and, and told her my concepts for the record and the title. She just sort of had a lot of ideas. And it was inspired by the idea of romanticism and the concept of recontextualizing something that's classic and dramatic and recreating that work for our project.
Randy:
Thank you for sharing that. I want to spend some time talking about the genesis of creating Romanticism, what were you looking to explore both musically and thematically? And how does it differ from your previous releases?
Hana:
I think for this one, I really wanted to make an album that was very overt and not subdued. Every time we make a new album, I want to like make it sound bigger and louder and more accessible than the last album. Coming from like a very DIY-centered space, the more like access and resources I have, the more I think big and I think I just wanted to make a really big sounding record that was very cathartic, and you know, sort of obvious.
Randy:
Songs like 22 and Hammer, you talk about mental health and growing older. I'm curious to know what that journey has been like for you transitioning into adulthood from a Gen Z perspective.
Hana:
Um, it's very strange to think in modern culture, like the idea of a sort of childhood and adulthood (pre adulthood) is like, extended. So you know, I don't like to have a kid or buy a house right away. But you sort of looming markers exist in this timeframe, although like, it is sort of like a choose your own adventure for how you want to live your life I think as an adult in America right now.
Randy:
I actually love those two songs too. And I felt like it was so powerful to hear you talk about mental health and also being allowed to be vulnerable in your songs. You got started at an early age in your teens in music. What was an early memory that stood out for you as an artist?
Hana:
I just remember being young and playing a lot of shows every weekend around LA being a teenager. And like a lot of bars and clubs and you can't really drink. You can't be in those places because you're a teenager and you have to be 21 and over. So I just remember sort of like showing up to all these venues sort of playing my little 30-minute set, and then like immediately leaving because I couldn't stay, or anything.
Randy:
I'm actually very curious about your collaboration with Willow Smith at 16. How did that come about?
Hana:
I was playing at this like local LA showcase thing called Art Tribe, which is like run by students, especially a big art gallery run by students and she was there. She saw my set, and then we just met and (we were) like, we should work together on something.
Randy:
How supportive was your family when you first started your musical journey? I ask this question because for so many Asian families, going into the creative arts was oftentimes discouraged. Was there any pushback from them?
Hana:
I don't think that there was any pushback from them. I think that they, I'm like a firstborn child. So I don't think that they had any sort of expectations. For me, and what I was gonna do, both my parents are sort of in the creative field as well. And yeah, I think I showed to be kind of promising when I was very young. And so you know, as long as I could support myself, and you know, I didn't really ever need any help or anything. It was just sort of something I independently pursued. I don't think that they really like it that much.
Randy:
How do they feel about your music now, especially you as an artist now that you've gotten older?
Hana:
I think they're proud of me. And they, like, want to come to my shows and stuff. I think it's probably weird for them to see like, their daughter perform. It would be weird for me to see somebody who I knew was a baby performing. Um, yeah, I think they're, they're fine about it.
Randy:
Being both Vietnamese and Korean and being from America, how do you navigate between these identities? And how does it influence you as an artist?
Hana:
Being Vietnamese and Korean is interesting because I think that all Asian Americans have a very specific, like Americanization and, like, level of journey as to how they are, how they became in society right now. And so it's kind of, I think, isolating for a lot of people. I think they're people I know, who were born in Asia, and then came here as children or are fully one kind of Asian and then but like, grew up in LA. And so I think being sort of a mixed Asian, I don't (think) it aligns me in a specific way where it is like another one of those very unique ways of being Asian in America. So I think it's a little bit isolating.
Randy:
Have you gotten to the point where you feel very comfortable in having both your identities as part of your journey and and also as an artist?
Hana:
I feel I've always felt very unique about it. I've never felt negatively about it. I think, yeah, I've always felt extremely unique about it. I've never met anybody and I'm sure they exist, but I've never met somebody who is half Vietnamese and half South Korean. So I'm like, you know, from LA and I just feel very uniquely myself.
Randy:
One of your early songs that you released is a favorite of mine. I'm a big Fleetwood Matt / Steven Nicks fan and I love your cover of “Gypsy.” What was your decision behind covering that song?
Hana:
I really don't even know. I think I made that in like 2017 or 2018. I think I was just like a teenager and I resonated with that song. I still resonate with that sort of music and sort of ethos a lot.
Randy:
Do you feel that you have old taste in music? Like the 70s and the 80s and the older genres?
Hana:
I kind of don't. I feel like I have probably, like most people, like the music that I grew up listening to the most. A lot of stuff from the early to late 2000s. I do not listen to that much old music. I feel like I did more when I was younger.
Randy:
With a number of Asian American and Asian diaspora women artists like Japanese Breakfast, Mitski, Olivia Rodrigo, Yeah Yeah Yeahs among a few emerging and established, has it become easier to be taken seriously as an artist of Asian descent?
Hana:
No, I don't think so. Maybe alternately, maybe? Yeah, like it's, I think probably easier for people to like, understand as a concept like an Asian woman making indie rock because of like, Mitski or Japanese Breakfast. But I wouldn't say that it makes it easier. Who's to say really? What is easier, you know?
Randy:
What artists do you enjoy listening to or have inspired your creative input?
Hana:
I really listen, like listen to a lot of Coldplay, The Killers in terms of like bands. And then I think of songwriters, like Lana and Sophia. And then like, more singer, songwriter type people as well influenced me a bunch.
Randy:
As a Gen Z artists, you already have a few albums under your belt? What have you learned from your experiences so far as an artist?
Hana:
What have I learned from my experience as an artist? that your art can be your sort of main source of personal value to yourself. I think like, you know, at the end of the day, you're also like a person and you have to be okay with yourself, separately from whatever you're making.
Randy:
So you're about to go on your US tour. What can we expect? And what are your feelings as you're preparing for this tour?
Hana:
I think people can expect me to sing for an hour. And then it will be fun, maybe. And my feelings are mixed.
Randy:
What's holding you back? Like, because I know you've performed live before? What were your past experiences like being out on the road?
Hana:
They're all different. You know, I've had really fun experiences. And I've had experiences where I like, you know, didn't feel great about it. I think it just depends on what's going on. And I think it's really about mental fortitude, and like, trying to make the most out of it. And staying grounded. is a big part of it.
Randy:
Is there a favorite city that you are looking forward to seeing?
Hana:
Favorite city? No
Randy:
Have you visited Chicago?
Hana:
Yes, I was gonna say Chicago. But I don't know if that's my favorite city. I do like playing there. One of my good friends lives there. And I don't really have any reasons to go there. So it's always nice to like, play a show somewhere you wouldn't really go to otherwise.
Randy:
I'm looking forward to seeing you in Chicago at the Subterranean. I think the Subterranean is such a wonderful, intimate venue, so I hope that you will like it there.
If you had to go back to your 17 year old self, what would you say to that person now?
Hana:
Probably nothing. I really couldn't tell myself anything. I feel like a lot of people told me something. I was 17. And I didn't listen at all. I don't have any regrets and I wouldn't change anything that I did. Maybe like you know, just to not take everything so seriously, but then again, you know, like, it's gonna be good so I don't know.
Randy:
As we wrap up our conversation, what do you plan to do once your US summer tour is over?
Hana:
I want to go to Japan maybe. So maybe that Japan, I'm trying to go to Japan, Korea or Taiwan, or all 3. Probably going to take a nap. Go to sleep. And, you know, maybe start writing another record. Yeah.
Randy:
Do you plan to tour in Asia?
Hana:
I don't have any plans to tour in Asia now.
Randy:
I just want to say, you know, thank you so much for your time. Best of luck to you with your album and good luck with the US tour. I think you're gonna be amazing. And so we're looking forward to cheering you on.
Hana:
Oh, thank you so much. Well, I'll see you in Chicago.
Follow Hana Vu on IG: hanavuuu
For more information on her upcoming tour, visit hanavu.com