For nearly a decade, SE SO NEON has been one of Korea’s most respected and adventurous bands, their shape-shifting sound pulling from blues, psychedelic rock, new wave, and synth pop. At the center is Soyoon Hwang – singer, songwriter, guitarist, and restless multi-disciplinary artist – who has steered the group through lineup changes, global acclaim, and now its boldest chapter yet. With the release of <NOW>, SE SO NEON’s long-awaited debut album, Soyoon is stepping into a moment of unusual clarity. 

For Soyoon, the record represents more than just a milestone – it’s proof that she made it through a period of burnout that nearly ended her career. After her 2023 solo project Episode1: Love, she felt stuck and drained – the only way out was radical change: relocating to New York, spending ten-hour stretches in the studio, and letting herself rediscover joy in the act of creation.

Out of that came clarity, and the title <NOW>, which embodies a choice to work from presence. It’s also why she sees the record as no longer hers. “This album is not mine anymore – it’s yours now,” she tells me, a statement that lands less as detachment than as release.

The songs on <NOW> reflect both Soyoon’s searching spirit and her uncompromising drive to be genuine. Each track has its own energy and dynamic, from the storming defiance of “3 Revolution” to the shimmering funk-pop of “New Romantic” and the sprawling distortion of “Secret Police.” Throughout, her guitar remains the anchor – jagged one moment, delicate the next – carrying the contradictions that define SE SO NEON’s sound. Even the album’s English-language deluxe versions, which stretch to translate her abstract Korean lyrics, test the limits of how far music’s essence can travel across languages.

At the same time, <NOW> expands beyond music into Soyoon’s wider artistic world. She has long insisted on directing SE SO NEON’s videos and crafting the creative direction for each release, seeing visuals not as accessories but as extensions of the songs’ lifeblood. That holistic approach comes from her need to be honest and deliberate with her work – a process that often takes time. “Sometimes I zone out for a whole day just to figure out what I want,” she says. For her, making music is inseparable from grappling with life itself.

As she prepares for a world tour, Soyoon seems steadier than ever, speaking of a new guitar, a renewed band dynamic, and a deeper connection to her audience. But if there’s one thing she resists, it’s definition. Instead, <NOW> becomes a snapshot – of survival, of presence, of possibility – while leaving space for what comes next. That instinct, to keep moving without settling, is what’s made SE SO NEON not just a band but one of the most vital artistic forces in Korea today.

It’s been almost a week since <NOW> was released. How are you feeling about the album being in the world?

Soyoon Hwang: You know what? I usually feel a little anxious or tense after a release, but especially with this album, I feel like, oh, okay, let’s move on. It feels really clear this time, because I started this project a long time ago, like in January. So now I feel I can truly finish it in my heart and just let it go. It’s like, this album is not mine anymore – it’s yours now. So I feel really clear and also really excited about the tour and playing it on stage.

Have there been any particular reactions to the record so far that have surprised or moved you most?

Well, I don’t really look at all the reactions yet. That’s why I focus on doing interviews and trying to find more audience, especially here. It might sound a little arrogant, but no offense – I don’t get shaken by any reaction, whether it’s a compliment or not. I’m really curious about how all my fans and audience will listen to and feel this album. But right now it’s too early, because I’ve been making this album for three or four years. I think it will take time to hear back from people. For now, I’m really trying to stay chill and focus on the next step.

And because you're going on tour, I guess that will give you a good way to see how people respond to the music as well.

Exactly. I think all artists really feel the reaction on stage, when they meet the audience in the venue. So yeah, I’m also really excited for that.

Looking back, what was the hardest moment in making <NOW> – and the most joyful?

The hardest moment was right before I started this album. This is my first full-length album with this project. I debuted almost eight years ago, and I only had two EPs before, so I was kind of shocked that I had done something with only twelve or fourteen songs total. So, that means I’m slow. So when I decided to start my first full-length album for this band, I struggled a little with how I could communicate with people, because at the time I was for people, I was more in the culture, in the industry, right? So I felt more responsibility to make songs for others. That gave me pressure, and I started thinking: is my music necessary to other people? Does it make sense in the world now, which changes so fast, even in just three or four years?

I had to think back to the beginning – why I’m doing music, why I have to make music, why I have to interact with people through my music. That was the hardest time, because I had to think through everything from the beginning until now. Afterwards, everything felt natural – just deciding and moving on.

The most joyful part was the mixing process. I really enjoy being in the studio and mixing. I usually do it remotely, which is like fighting with myself – just me, the laptop, and the monitoring system. I like going deep inside and finding the right sounds, because there’s no one answer, especially in sound design. I also have to trust the mixing engineer, because they’re an artist too. Even while mixing, I would literally listen to my track in London, Paris, Korea, everywhere. Every place it sounded different, felt different. I could take all that data from each country and use it. That process was really fun.

Can you recall the moment when the album felt ‘finished’ to you? How did that moment make you feel?

Yes. Honestly, I felt it this May. When I finished the mastering process – like really done – I immediately went to London for a month. First of all, I finished the album here [in LA], and if I needed to rest or try something new, LA wasn’t new for me anymore – it’s my home now. So I had to move somewhere else and distance myself from the album.

I had never imagined going to London and having this experience for a month, but I did. I also stopped by Paris for a few days. When I got to Paris, I thought, I think now it’s done. Physically done, yes, but also mentally. I feel this album isn’t just about music – it’s a bit of a life project for me. Even after finishing the music process, I still felt like something was going on, and I had to figure out why it didn’t feel completely finished.

Europe was really chill, with so many parks and nature, so I had plenty of time to think and create some distance from myself. In London and Paris, I realized, yes, it’s done. I’m ready to move on.

That's interesting that you were here for such a long time.

I told you, I’m slow [laughs] but it’s interesting because I have so many projects – band, solo work – and every song is really different, with its own dynamic. I always try to be genuine, to be myself, so it takes a long time. Sometimes I just have to zone out for a whole day because I need to figure out what I want, what I’m concerned about – not just in music, but in life too. That’s also why I direct my music videos, and why I’m always involved in the creative direction for the album.

“NOW” has become a standout track for fans since the album’s release, and it’s currently your most popular song on Apple Music. How does it feel to see the song resonate so immediately with listeners?

I’m not a logical person. Okay, I can calculate, but… well, that’s kind of bad, because all musicians are business people these days. But, especially with this album, I didn’t really care about marketing or those things – that’s probably bad. But I had to follow my heart. There are so many tracks I love – I love all the tracks, definitely. But “NOW,” the track, it’s more timeless for me. I love “Remember,” I love “New Romantic,” I love all the singles I put out earlier. But I think “NOW” is the most innocent and direct from my heart. I had to make that track to show my journey, my track for this album. I didn’t really care about genre, honestly.

You’ve already been playing the song live too.

Yeah, for a few years. That’s the thing – I’ve already played it on stage for a few years.

And did you find that playing it live impacted how you finalized the recorded version, or did it always stay the same? What was that experience like?

Well, I recorded the vocals after performing it on stage for a few years, so it feels kind of different because I already knew how I could sing it. I tried to feel like I was on stage while recording. When I perform “NOW” live, it feels like a spell – there aren’t many lyrics. I also feel it’s all question marks: “Where are you now? Out of the earth? What should we do? What should I do?” It’s all questions.

I think if you don’t give answers, questions can always exist and are always necessary. That’s why “NOW” feels really open, and that’s why it feels timeless. Even when recording the vocals, I didn’t care about how smooth it was. I tried to be rough. There are parts I usually want to perfect – I’m a perfectionist, especially about vocals, like on “Kidd.” But for “NOW,” I really tried not to think about perfection.

There’s also an English Deluxe version of the album, with four English versions. Being a perfectionist, how did you find that process of translating your Korean songs into fully English songs? Did you find that difficult or what was that process like?

It was really hard, because many people – especially Korean listeners, I don’t know about others – said my lyrics are kind of hard, like too abstract. So it was definitely hard to find the right words, even though it wasn’t a direct translation. I also had to think about rhyme and rhythm.

But it was really fun, because it was the first time I tried translating my lyrics. I wanted to see how different it would feel if I changed the language, but I really wanted to try it as a challenge. I was curious: would it still feel the same, even in another language? Would I feel the same about what I’m saying, and would the audience feel the same?

My friend, the translator, and I really tried to find the right words. It took a long time, but making the English versions was so much fun – even recording the new vocals in English.

With the tour, are you going to do the English versions or the Korean versions?

I’m still thinking. What do you think? Should I sing English, or Korean?

It’s an interesting topic, because sometimes fans get more used to the Korean versions and they’re like, “Oh, we want to hear that one,” since that’s the “original version.”

Yeah. And I definitely feel better with Korean because it’s my mother language. But I also want people to understand what I’m saying. I’m still thinking about it.

With live music, you connect with the artist not just through the words, but through performance and stage presence. I know you’re known for your guitar skills as well, so that’s something people will connect with on stage. It goes beyond just understanding the language, in my opinion.

Yeah, yeah. Big decisions.

I’m sure whichever you choose will be a good decision. How are you feeling about the tour in general?

Well, last night I did a jazz gig with my tour members, like a pre-rehearsal, and I bought a new guitar for the tour. I’m really serious about my relationship with my guitar. My main guitar, I’ve had since I was 15, so almost 13 or 14 years.

So you have a new one replacing this one? Oh, that’s a really, really big step.

I even brought my old main guitar for the tour, but suddenly I felt, “Oh, I think I need a new one.” So I tried it. On the day the album released – August 15th – I went to the guitar store and played this guitar for a few hours, to see if it was what I was looking for. I was so nervous, like it was a new relationship… literally like an ex-partner and then a new partner in my life. I was so nervous. I literally told the owner, “Well, I think this guitar is sick, but I might have to come back tomorrow because I’m nervous, I’m so scared.”

It's a big commitment. It's literally, like you said, like committing to a new partner. So you want to be sure, right?

Yeah. So this album, and also this guitar, said to me: you’re gonna go to the next chapter. I know I’m going there, but I feel a little nervous. But I bought this guitar, I got it, and I played it yesterday – it was the first time. It was nice. I still have to build a relationship, communicate with this new guitar, but I feel good with it and with the members.

The last tour was right after I released my solo album, so basically we didn’t have a new album. It was more like my solo fans and my band fans were all mixed. But now I feel it’s all about this album and its fans. Even if it’s not super hyped, I feel genuinely ready to do everything, and I know people will really enjoy this show.

Is there a reason why you think they're going to enjoy this show more than others?

Because I have a new guitar, and even when I debuted I looked experienced on stage, but now I am experienced. I want to give more – I’m more energetic than before. I want to put my whole heart and energy into performing and give all my energy to the audience and fans.

This record is like a snapshot of who you are today. What do you hope that the future you – maybe 10 years from now – will see when looking back at this version of yourself?

Oh, wow. Good question. I don't know. People always say to me, “every time you put out something, it's so different, but it's so you.” They all say that. So I feel like this album is also like… just one finger snap. It was really big for me while I'm doing my project; but now it's done, and I have to go forward. I bet, like 10 years later… I think this album will mean a lot, but it doesn't mean a lot.

And it's kind of like you said – it's done, it's out in the world, and now time to move on.

I guess so. I learned so many things from this album, and I can say I’m living in the now because of it. It means a lot to me. But I also know that 10 years from now, I’ll learn so much more from my future albums.