Hans takes a seat across from me. He comfortably slouches his elbows on the table, eyes hidden slightly behind his Dodgers cap. He zips up his windbreaker as if he’s about to go on a brisk morning jog before calmly confessing, “To be honest, I’m a little hungover. ” I was surprised. His unbothered demeanour and charming kiwi accent wouldn’t have led me to believe he was any worse for wear. Getting my notes together, I asked him if there was anything off-limits. He gave me a small smile before inviting me to ask away.
In my career, I’ve conducted many interviews. I’ve talked to people in the throes of hectic crowds and under the intense gaze of militarised publicists. In all my years doing this job, I’ve seldom come across anyone quite as chill as Hans. Hailing from New Zealand, K-rapper Hans has become renowned for his dreamy brand of hip-hop. Over spacey synth beats, he tells stories of his bravado, heartbreak, and sipping soju on rainy evenings. In his brief career, Hans has already released multiple projects and singles, been shouted out by tastemaker Zane Lowe, featured on tracks with Clairo and Sumin, and opened for Billie Eilish. For someone with such a prolific output, I was curious as to how he seemed so consistently comfortable in his own skin. As I learned from our chat, the right mindset, people, and a healthy dose of partying can go a long way (sans the aforementioned hangover).
I remember we talked when you first moved to Sydney. It was a really brief conversation, but you were living in Strathfield at the time?
Yes. I did six months in Surry Hills, and then I lived in a closet in Rhodes. It was all psycho for a year. And now I’m back in Rhodes, just not in a closet (laughs). I’m pretty central to everything.
For my first proper question, I literally just wrote down Lidcombe and circled it (laughs). Have you been hanging out there?
Like, ironically, I hate to be a statistic, but I do hang out in Lidcombe a lot.
For sure.
I go out there and drink. I quite enjoy drinking.
Oh, yeah (laughs).
I find myself in Lidcombe and Eastwood a lot.
The Korean side of Eastwood?
Both sides. I go to Eastwood a lot.
Do you have some favourite joints?
I do. In Lidcombe, I like ‘Tonight’. They have an ice beer.
Yes they do (laughs).
It’s fucking lit. I’m not sure what it’s called in English, but there’s a jokbal joint (pig’s feet).
Yeah.
There used to be ‘Oyako’ which moved from Strathfield, it’s not there anymore. We used to go there a lot. In Eastwood…I love Eastwood hotel.
(editor’s note: Oyako just reopened!)
‘Jean’s Chilli Chicken’, the best!
It’s a banger of an institution. In the city, there’s actually a Korean joint right next to Nakano. It’s one of my favourite spots. There’s a few songs on my last album that I borderline wrote in my head while drinking there. It’s a pretty meaningful spot to me.
That whole Steam Mill Lane is pretty fun.
For sure. I was actually there last night (laughs).
Hell yeah (laughs). I think I’m going there tonight. Let that be on the record.
Nice.
We’re talking about the present, but I’m gonna take it back to the past. So were you born and raised in Auckland?
No. I was born in Kawakawa, which is a town of 300 people. It’s in the far north of New Zealand. Then I grew up in Kerikeri, which is a three hour drive north of Auckland. It’s pretty small, with a population of like 5000 people. I only moved to Auckland when I was 15.
Gotcha.
Yeah, I had a pretty rural upbringing for most of my childhood.
Were you parents working there?
Yeah, my parents were working there. There were no Asian kids. I was in that town with one other Chinese kid. It was a pretty average upbringing. I played a lot of soccer growing up. I started going to music when I was 12 or 13. There wasn’t really much to do.
Were you into New Zealand music? My experience with NZ music is Scribe, Dave Dallas, P-Money, Savage, and all that type of stuff. Were you into that or whatever came later?
I grew up in the mid-2000s. My only exposure to music in New Zealand was a channel called C4, like MTV. My only way of grasping music at the time was whatever the majors had. And then obviously top 40, like Katy Perry, Kanye, and whatever else was playing. I wasn’t exposed to much music until I was 14. Our Broadband plan changed from 1 GB a month to 10 GB. It was a game-changer once I could watch YouTube.
For sure.
I wasn’t super exposed to NZ music until I was maybe 15. But I do love NZ music. When I moved to Auckland, I got more into the underground scene, not like New Zealand’s pop acts. Homebrew was my favourite NZ group and still is one of my favourites, period. They’re a rap group headed by Tom Scott. But that didn’t come until later.
When were you introduced to Korean music, especially as we know it now?
I never had a Korean friend until I moved to Auckland. My parents moved into a pretty Korean area. I went to Rangitoto College in Auckland, which is an ethnically pretty Asian high school. In terms of population, it’s the biggest high school in New Zealand.
But yeah, I made Korean friends and had an entire Korean friend group. It was almost by osmosis, them knowing certain hip-hop acts in Korea. There was a renaissance from 2012 to 2013 in the blog era and among internet rappers. Rap was my main intro into Korean music, and it evolved through algorithms and whatnot. I then started getting into K-indie music and rock.
Was that the 2012-2013 period like Ambition Musik and Swings?
It was even before Ambition Musik. It was like early, early Swings. There were people like Simon Dominic and Jay Park, who were just starting their solo careers around then. It was a fun time. There were a lot of cool artists popping up. That was definitely my first intro, even beyond K-pop. I wasn’t really interested in K-pop when I was younger. I’m probably more interested in it now (laughs).
Dynamic duo too. I was gonna say they’re timeless, but they’re also ageless. I swear they don’t age.
I don’t know if it’s Botox or something, but it’s lit (laughs).
It’s something (laughs).
I’m also a huge dumbfoundead fan. I’m not sure if that counts as Korean music, but I definitely grew up listening to him.
My brother Chris did the animation for his podcast.
Oh hectic.
I’m a little more selective about it now. I definitely hit the ground running. The first year in Sydney, I felt like I was always running around doing something.
Did you start making music in Auckland when you were in high school?
Yeah, I actually started making it in my last year in Kerikeri when I was around 14. I downloaded Audacity and started recording myself and writing raps. Mac Miller was coming out and had his ‘Kids’ mixtape up. I think it was 2010 or 2011. He was my biggest inspo for wanting to rap. Before that, I was listening to Tupac and Biggie. While I love it, I can’t fully relate to it. But with Mac Miller, I had someone I could relate to. So yeah, I started making music more seriously, and it just spiralled from there.
So then you started releasing music online?
Yeah, SoundCloud.
You were a SoundCloud rapper (laughs)?
I literally am (laughs). That’s how I came up, never forget your roots (laughs). I was just posting on SoundCloud. I’d shoot shitty music videos on a digital camera and post those on YouTube as well. They’re clean scrubbed, so no one can find them now (laughs). But yeah, I’d posted a lot. I was 15 when I first posted on SoundCloud.
What was it like when you first started releasing music, especially in the Auckland scene?
Everyone moves in crews, but not in a bad way. However, it can be cliquey. I don’t really have a crew, per se, because none of my close friends were into music. I always felt I operated outside of that. I did get along with specific groups of people who made music similar to mine. I was making pretty lo-fi, experimental hip-hop. There was a collective called The Grow Room that was doing something similar. So, yeah, it definitely was received well. Everyone’s quite inclusive in their efforts to support local music.
Was the motivation to move to Sydney a music or life one?
I kind of just wanted to get away from Auckland for a bit. Bro, I moved after the whole COVID lockdown, when things eased up. Everyone had a bit of cabin fever at the time. But yeah, I wanted to move for a minute. With Sydney, I already had a friend network here and guys I knew from high school. In general, it’s a bigger market than Auckland, but I’d say it was more of a personal than a purely career reason to move. I wanted to get out of Auckland, and the weather’s nice here.
Did it feel like when you arrived you just hit the ground running?
Yeah, a little bit. I went on a couple of tours. One was with UK indie pop band Easy Life, who are now Hard Life. I played at SXSW and released two EPs. But it’s kind of similar to when I was in Auckland. I’m always trying to release as much as I can. If anything, I was gigging a lot more in Auckland versus here. I think came naturally. When I was younger, I’d take every gig. Now, I’m a little more selective. I definitely hit the ground running. The first year in Sydney, I felt like I was always running around doing something.
It’s funny, Sydney is so nice, but everyone’s hustling. Just like we’re doing right now.
Totally.
I think, in that moment, the juxtaposition between me, secluded at home, and my friends on IG stories partying made me think about how much partying I’d been doing before. I got to a point where I was burnt out and sick.
Your music’s been described as dreamy, soft and melodic. Why are you attracted to those types of sounds?
I actually don’t know. I try to make the production process as natural as possible. I try not to overthink things, so I always gravitate to whatever feels right at that moment. It just so happens to be that dreamy sound more often than not. But yeah, I don’t know. I like pretty sound palettes and being melodic. I think it contrasts well with my lower, gravelly voice. It’s just fun, I feel like the rappity-rap part of my life was definitely in my late teens. When I was 19, I had whole songs that were just raps. These days I prefer to sing a little more (laughs).
It’s interesting, as your songs are pretty, but the lyrics can be quite revealing. Even though you’re always humorous, you talk about your thoughts and insecurities a lot. I was especially struck by ‘Grandmother’s Waiting For Me’. Is there a process to being vulnerable through music?
I don’t think there’s a process. I don’t overthink things; I just let it be. When I feel things in the moment, I have a switch in my brain where I’m like, “Oh, I’ll tuck that away for later.”
The whole ‘Grandmother’s Waiting For Me’ was inspired by a real-life moment. It was two years ago. I was leaving Korea and was saying goodbye to my grandma in an elevator. We’re crying, and the elevator door shuts between us. It’s moments like that that I try to hold on to. On my last album, there’s a song called ‘Pocha’. The inspo came from when I was at Kwangjang Pocha in the city, and it was raining a lot. I thought of the lyrics in that moment. I wanted to capture the picture that was being painted in front of me. I always hold on to things. It makes it easier when I actually have to sit down and write a song.
I’m not sure if you have this, but do you tend to start making everything work? I’m always thinking of whether something could be a story. Do you feel like you can never switch off your brain from drawing inspiration or scrapbooking things to turn into songs?
It definitely never switches off. It’s become so natural that I don’t really think twice about it. Everything I do is an archive of some sort. That can be kind of nice, right? When you’re able to look back on something later, it’s as if you’re writing out your own story. I think that’s pretty cool. I’m doing what I like; that’s a blessing.
That’s a good point. I’m like one step away from having a little notebook and recorder at all times (laughs).
Yeah (laughs)!
Let’s talk about your latest single, ‘Silver lining’. Where did the song come from? What inspired it? I also love the video shot by Brad Kim.
Yeah! So pretty.
Yeah.
Love Brad.
Can you talk about the single and the music video?
I caught Covid, which is such a throwback, off my manager, Dave. This is actually part of the press release (laughs). I was in quarantine over the weekend and had mad FOMO because my friends were out partying. The song came out of a writing exercise. I wasn’t trying to make a song. I was playing around with beats and samples. The whole song is carried by one sample and a vocal loop. I think, in that moment, the juxtaposition between me, secluded at home, and my friends on IG stories partying made me think about how much partying I’d been doing before. I got to a point where I was burnt out and sick.
Yeah.
So the song’s about that. It’s just about finding a balance and not being too extreme with certain lifestyle choices. I wanted the song to be more reflective, like, “Damn, I should probably take care of myself.”
With the video, it’s just like Sydney, right? I made it a point because I haven’t really documented my time in Sydney that much. In my music, you can’t tell I’ve been living in Sydney for the last three years. I wanted to do that for the archiving process. Sydney’s the city I run around in, right (laughs)? Like, when I was 27, 28, I was living in Sydney.
So we touched on it a bit before, Auckland, Sydney, and earlier this year, you were in Korea. How have you found it navigating the Korean music scene?
I’ve been really lucky. I’m super grateful because everyone in Seoul has been very open to me. I definitely have to shout out Hypnosis Therapy. They were huge at the start when I first went over. They’re borderline OG’s in the scene and introduced me to a lot of people. They’re really well respected amongst musicians, and just having them back me was huge. Also, just going out in Seoul and making friends. Throughout my come-up, I was never shy about reaching out to other artists. That’s how I got the Clairo feature. I literally cold emailed her. I’ve always been doing that.
Whenever I go to Korea, I always reach out to see who wants to hang or make music. Over the last three years, I’ve been going twice a year. I’ve made a really cool circle of not just friends, but really respected musicians, which is surreal to me sometimes. I have a song with Sumin, and that makes no sense on paper. I’m really grateful for it because there’s no reason for me to have it. I’m not entitled to anything; I’m an outsider coming in, and I’m always very conscious of that. But yeah, everyone’s been really open and accepting.
What’s your relationship with the idea of fitting in or being an outsider? From my point of view, you seem to fit in like straight away anywhere you go.
I don’t really care to fit in, but not in a bad way. I’m just going to do me. It doesn’t really matter. But I’m definitely very lucky in having friend circles in Auckland, Sydney and Seoul. I think I naturally gravitate to people that I feel comfortable around.
You’re an artist yourself, which is also a lot of work. But you also started ABG. What made you want to take on more responsibility? What does that kind of work entail?
I’ve learned a lot from it. The whole project originally started as just a bunch of friends in Auckland. We were all making music together. To go back to that point at the start, we wanted to make a collective because we were all moving together in the scene anyway. I was also interested in the business side of music. I wanted a better understanding of how it works. The artists that we had were really talented. So the thinking was, I just want to support other artists. You know, build something together.
What it entails is a fuck-ton of admin, a lot of planning (laughs). We build off each other anyway, and I think that’s the best part of it. I’ve learned so much about the business side of things, which is invaluable. It’s stuff that you can’t necessarily learn in a book. You have to live it. It’s everything on top of actually making the music. The most important thing is the music.
It’s been a cool project. It’s kind of winding down now. A lot of the guys have moved overseas. They’re not in New Zealand either. I still manage Hanbee.
Is there anything you learned that you apply to yourself?
All the time. I guess I benefit because I’m an artist too. I definitely learned a lot to do with copyrights, publishing masters, and even just politics. I’ve definitely learned a lot. I’ve seen a lot.
You’ve been shouted out by Zane Lowe, opened for Billie Eilish, had a feature with Clairo, racked up millions of streams.
It sounds a lot more glamorous when you say it like that (laughs).
Well that’s my question. When you read all that on paper, how do you reflect on it?
Again, it’s an archive of my life. Cool things that happened. But honestly, I try to not look back on it. I hate to be the guy who peaked in high school. There have been really cool things that have happened, but I’m also looking forward to what I’ll make next. It may not even be music one day; it’ll be something else. I’m more excited about the things coming up.
For sure.
There are split seconds. Even today, when I talked about making a song with Sumin, that’s cool to think about. Whatever this simulation is, I’ll take it.
I feel like there’s a part to being Asian where you can’t hold on to stuff for some reason. It’s always the next thing. I feel like we’re told that success means more and more. It can make it hard to be present when something good happens. I don’t know, maybe it’s something that’s more person to person.
I definitely have that. I’m always onto the next thing. It might be like a cultural thing ingrained in us too.
Before we wrap up, do you have anything you want to shout out?
I have a show in January. Hopefully, there will be a Sydney show next year. I haven’t played a Sydney show in a while. I think it’s been like over a year.
Thanks to Hans for taking the time to chat. If you’re in Seoul early 2026, Hans will be playing at Senggi Studio on Jan 9th. Keep your eyes peeled on his socials for more.
