Q: “Home Home Home” is your FOURTH released single since the start of the pandemic, so, obviously, you took advantage of the lockdown to work on your art. What was that like?
JUHAN: Many of my initial plans had changed since the start of the pandemic — I’m sure everyone else all around the world experienced the same thing. Yes, it was nice to be able to stay home all day, 24/7, and focus on being productive, but it was challenging at the same time not being able to rehearse or perform live, among other things. I tried to focus on the positive things.
Q: What changed and remained the same when it came to producing music?
JUHAN: What changed was the flexibility to go to recording studios to track some live drums, pianos, or guitars, or to rehearse with other musicians. Other than that, my production process remained the same: coming up with composition ideas in my studio, recording guitar riffs, jamming on the piano, etc.
Q: Tell me a little bit about “Home Home Home.” What’s the meaning and emotion behind the piece?
JUHAN: The things I thought about when writing and producing “Home Home Home” were: my hometown Pontianak City, West Borneo, Indonesia), my family, my partner, my childhood friends, and all the things that were happening in the U.S. and all around the world in 2020. I tried to channel all these thoughts into the melodies I played on the guitar and keys — hoping that it would reflect the emotions I was feeling at the time.
Q: Why “Home Home Home” instead of just “Home”?
JUHAN: I had more than one “Home” growing up. I was born in Indonesia, grew up in Singapore, went to college in Seattle, Washington, and currently living in Los Angeles. Instead of “Homes,” I prefer “Home Home Home” — cooler that way.
Q: The composition is remarkable! The serenity of the instrumental track allows me to take a deep breath and relax my mind. You gifted many people a sweet escape from their chaotic lives.
JUHAN: Thank you and I’m happy that you enjoyed it.
Q: I noticed at the end of the track (YouTube) some scratching and beats that sound a bit different from the rest of the track, why is that?
JUHAN: In my own interpretation, those “chaotic” sounds represent the storms and struggle that we might face in life — it comes out of nowhere when we least expected it, but that too shall pass as with many other things. Plus, I wouldn’t put those at the beginning of the song — people will definitely press the “skip” button [LOL].
Q: I know people are going to want more after listening to this track, so, what are you working on now?
JUHAN: I’m working on releasing a couple more tracks very soon. It would be less experimental and more laidback — more ambiance I would say. It would show progress on my musical composition journey.
Interviewed by Taylor Berry
