This story is part of Coast2Coast’s special cover series for September Fever 8. Read the other features here.
Born in the midst of the pandemic, Hathaw9y first found their footing on the interwebs. Through Soundcloud demos and a Naver Onstage performance, the Busan-based indie pop trio quickly became one of the most promising bands from their city.
This was further solidified with their debut record, Essential. In Essential, the band plays with walking bass and guitar lines, infectious harmonies between vocalists Teukmin and Kiwi, and influences from indie pop, surf rock, and hints of funk.
After launching their career through the digital space, Hathaw9y’s forthcoming album aims to do the opposite — a return to the physical environment that shaped, and continues to shape, them.
When reflecting over their journey as a band, Bassist-vocalist Teukmin shared that the band just started out as a side project. “But then we
released a full-length album, got our own studio, and found ourselves able to do more and more on our own. That gave me a sense of responsibility to work even harder — of course, in a good way! I’m really excited to see how we’ll continue to grow in the future.”
Fast forward to 2025, and the band is gearing up for their sophomore album. They dropped two singles this year: “Drive into your heart” and “seven.”
“We wanted them to serve as a hint of the sound and concept
we’re aiming for in this album,” Guitarist-vocalist Kiwi shares to Coast2Coast.
“For this record in particular, we gave more weight to recording directly in our own space. By capturing sounds comfortably in our own environment and reflecting our intentions more clearly, we felt a great sense of freedom and joy. Of course, there’s still much for us to improve, but it’s true that the process itself has become much more enjoyable. We’re excited and curious to see how people will respond to it.”
Drummer Seyo chimes in, saying that he wanted to be more involved in not just the writing process, but the recording process for the upcoming album. “In the past, we would bring prepared songs into a studio and record them as efficiently as possible. This time, however, we’ve been allowing ourselves to reflect, experiment, and really feel the process of recording.”
Even though recording in their own space may mean that the physical quality of the sound may not be as refined, Seyo says that it’s fine. “We’ve been able to spend enough time making work that satisfies us. That’s why I feel very positive about it, and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead.”
While the auditory difference may not be clearly heard to the untrained ear, you can hear it in the arrangement of the songs. Both “Drive into your heart” and “seven” lean into beach-inspired and road trip imagery, which may be a reflection of Busan’s own features.
“Busan has beautiful beaches — maybe not as famous as Cebu’s, but still very popular and stunning,” shares Kiwi, when talking about Busan’s music scene. “The scene may not be the biggest or most abundant, but compared to other regions in Korea, it holds unique assets, and everyone here is enjoying making music in it…Busan is home to Saysueme, a true global rock star, and also to Ovantgarde, a one-of-a-kind local live pub. Bands from Busan have been traveling across
Korea and abroad, spreading their music. It’s amazing! We also grew up inspired and encouraged by Saysueme, Bosudong Cooler, and Ovantgarde.”
Seyo continues, saying that, “Funny as it may sound, I think of the Busan scene as a bit like a zombie. In the past, I couldn’t clearly explain what made Busan’s scene special. But after visiting different regional scenes across Korea and Asia, I realized what sets Busan apart is its strong self-sustainability. Even though it seems to lack capital, market size, or manpower, people keep emerging to carry the scene forward no matter what. Now that I say it, maybe that’s true everywhere… but still, that’s how I feel about it.”
As they gear up for their sophomore album and look back at where they’ve come from, the trio continue to operate on the basis of deep love for music and the audiences around them.
“Over the past two years, we’ve had so many different experiences and
received so much love,” shares Kiwi. “I just live each day with gratitude and joy in my heart…Please look forward to our upcoming second album, which truly carries our hearts in it. We will always do our best to bring you great music and stages full of joy and happiness.”
Listen to Hathaw9y’s latest single, “seven,” below.
Creative direction by Kara Angan and Miggy Matreo. Art direction by Kara Angan. Photographed by Miggy Matreo, assisted by Xandro Romualdez. Story by Kara Angan. Shot on location at Unity Coffee and Vinyl, Cebu City. Coast2Coast, 2025.
coast2coast 