Soyoon on Se So Neon, “Twit Winter,” and Learning from the Past
As the electrifying frontwoman of Se So Neon, Soyoon is the genre-defying trailblazer that’s boldly redefining the landscape of Korean indie music.
Formed in 2016, Se So Neon quickly rose from Seoul’s underground to national prominence, earning prestigious accolades including “Rookie of the Year” and “Best Rock Song” at the Korean Music Awards. But these early honors weren’t just milestones, they were a blaring signal that Se So Neon was redefining what Korean rock could sound like in the modern era: fearless, soulful, and unafraid to challenge outmoded convention.
This month, our publisher, Kristin Prim, had a quick chat with Soyoon to speak about the band’s latest single, “Twit Winter,” their much-anticipated forthcoming album, and how it’s always important to learn from your past.
KP: Se So Neon has become one of South Korea’s most acclaimed indie groups, and you’re especially known for this very unique blend of rock, R&B, and synths — it’s instantly recognizable. How did you come into your sound, and what has made you stay there?
SOYOON: I think that style isn’t something you make, but something that naturally occurs. The reason Se So Neon’s music gets categorized into genres is not because I intended it that way, but because listeners perceive it differently. The secret to maintaining the sound is the same as the idea of genre itself: keeping a wide perspective and knowing what you want to express.
KP: I agree completely. In an interview with The Korea Times, you explained that you stylized your name for your solo career in order to build a new character apart from yourself as an individual. What do you feel the differences are between you as a woman and you as a performer?
SOYOON: As a woman, I don’t particularly feel anything distinct in daily life. I define myself as a woman only when others do — as in this interview, for instance. There used to be a big gap between my everyday self and performer self, and that sometimes brought a sense of dissonance. But that’s gradually fading — in a good way. I have a cautious awareness that personal identity and artistic work shouldn’t be equated, yet every time I release a project, I feel how much of my personal side gets involved. The difference between solo work and band work is like the difference between a novel and a poem. What matters is that they both fall under the same umbrella of literature.
KP: That’s a really great way of approaching it. It definitely lends to a cohesive identity, which I very much appreciate. People love watching you perform, especially for your guitar playing. When did you start playing and why?
SOYOON: I started playing guitar when I was around 10 years old. At the time, I was a kid who loved discovering anything I thought was cool, and after watching a video of someone playing electric guitar, I became convinced that it was the coolest instrument in the world. I had learned piano before that, but I wasn’t particularly interested in it. I was more drawn to the guitar because of how freely you can play with dynamics and scales. I got into blues music, and from age 10 until just before adulthood, I mostly played blues guitar.
KP: Likewise! I started playing piano when I was 4 or 5 and then picked up the guitar at 6 or 7. My first guitar teacher was jazz trained, so that’s where I started — it’s definitely the hardest to play, so it really prepares you well for anything else. What was the first one you bought?
SOYOON: I bought my first Fender when I was 14, and it’s still my main guitar to this day. Before that, I used to play cheap beginner guitars. After getting teased by my friends who were also learning guitar, I decided that no matter what guitar I played, I’d have the kind of fingers that could make it sound like a top-tier instrument. That was the mindset I had when I bought it. It’s a guitar that’s been shaped to fit me — rough and bold, just like my personality.
“I have no advice for my past self. Even if I went back, I’d probably go through the same things. What matters more is what you learn from the past.”
KP: I love that. I started playing electric on a Carlo Robelli strat, so it was a very similar experience. Now my favorite to play is a MIA Fender, but stylistically I’m a sucker for Duesenbergs!
But moving back to your music, you just released Se So Neon’s latest single, “Twit Winter.” Can you tell us a little about the song?
SOYOON: “Twit Winter” is a message between the present and future versions of Se So Neon. It’s a song that asks ourselves how we will change or not change over time.
KP: The video for it is also so interesting — I can’t remember ever seeing similar visuals. What was the inspiration behind it?
SOYOON: It’s a concept that I had in mind since the songwriting process. I imagined: What if I made a time capsule with music and visuals? It’s a video recorded in 2025 and opened in 2065.
KP: We hear that additional music is on the way as well!
SOYOON: Our first full-length album is on the way. There are still many songs that haven’t been released yet, so I can’t spoil much, but I’m confident that the album will resonate with the times no matter when it’s released. Most of the lyrics are in Korean, but I believe it will still communicate fully with people outside of Korea.
KP: I believe so, too! And speaking of Korea, as a New Yorker, I can never separate the city from the work that I create, or who I have become as a person. Do you find that your cultural background has influenced your music in any way? If so, how do you incorporate it into your work?
SOYOON: After moving to California, I realized how much I had been influenced by the fact that Korea has four distinct seasons. Having lived in many different countries in recent years, I’ve come to think that the seasons really affect our emotional state. The emotional dynamics created by the dramatic changes of Korea’s four seasons felt especially significant to me as an artist living there.
KP: I feel exactly the same. The idea of celebrating the holidays in the heat almost makes me shudder. [Laughs]. I like it cold and dark!
But you’ve been releasing music as Se So Neon for almost a decade now, and many accolades have lit the way. What is one thing you know now that you wish you knew back then?
SOYOON: I have no advice for my past self. Even if I went back, I’d probably go through the same things. What matters more is what you learn from the past.
KP: And lastly, what do you feel makes a provocative woman?
SOYOON: I think a provocative woman is someone who doesn’t really think about what being provocative means.
Photography: Bahno Jung
