Today we’d like to introduce you to ESAE.
Thanks for sharing your story with us ESAE. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
My name is ESAE, and I’m an artist, songwriter, and music producer. The name ESAE is a play on words involving the first two syllables of my Korean name. 이세 (pronounced ee-say) means the second generation, and as a second generation Korean American, I thought this name was an accurate portrayal of who I am as a creator and a person.
I make what I hear in my head, nothing more and nothing less. Like many artists, I had a music background. I played violin very seriously throughout my childhood. Back then, I had every intention of becoming a famous violinist but burnt out before I went to college.
To be quite honest, I don’t know where my desire to make music came from. I just decided one day, at age nineteen in my stuffy dorm room at USC, that I was going to throw my carefully curated life plan (which included medical or pharmacy school) out the window to pursue music as a career.
There is absolutely no one in my family who ever pursued or wanted to pursue music. I never would have imagined to be where I am today, but I am grateful and simultaneously baffled.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think any artist can say they had a smooth road. I personally think good art comes from understanding the human condition, and a large part of the human condition is pain and struggle. When I started this three years ago, I knew absolutely nothing about writing or producing, and I have no vocal training whatsoever. I can say for a fact that I am incredibly lucky. I’ve always heard that music industry was based off of talent and who you knew.
I knew absolutely no one in the industry and really couldn’t connect to anyone in the music school at USC because I wasn’t taking many music classes. I took a production class at USC as an elective and remember having to play my production assignment for the class. I still remember that no one clapped for me, even though the class clapped for everyone else. It was devastating, and I felt like no one would ever take me seriously. I felt like no one believed that I produced music or thought my music was credible or worth listening to. It’s not a good feeling, and there are still days when I get angry at myself for pursuing music because I feel like my work is garbage.
I was able to be in the right place at the right time and built my opportunities based on the fact that I applied to a few competitions and won or placed highly in them. The exact same song that no one clapped for won runner-up at a contest called Open Station hosted by SM Entertainment, a huge Korean record label. I honestly don’t know how I won, or why I won. Not many people can say they were offered a publishing contract with little to know experience but I was offered one following that contest. This was around five months after I started producing. Although I didn’t end up signing, that contest marked my start into gaining credibility as a creator.
I don’t think it’s because I am particularly talented or gifted so I was, and still continue to be, floored when people reach out to help me, a clueless Korean girl who no one knew about. I am still an incredibly inexperienced producer, and I can’t afford vocal training, but I’m learning and doing my best with the resources I have.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I just make whatever music I want to make. I won a full scholarship to a music production program at a wonderful institution called IO Music Academy in Hollywood. Winning that scholarship has been the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I spend most of my week riding the train back and forth from my home in Irvine to Los Angeles to study, produce, and receive mentorship from my instructors.
As of now, I have no particular plan for my career, not because I don’t want to have one, but because I don’t have the mental capacity or time. All my time and energy is spent building my catalog and developing my skills as a producer and artist. I feel that once I have a team or a manager who enjoys managing social media (which I hate doing), I can take strides in building my career. But as of now, I’m doing the best by myself, and I’m trying not to beat myself up over it.
I’m not sure what building a brand means, so I’ve just been creating images that speak to me with the help of a couple of friends who share a similar aesthetic vision. I try to hide my face in my pictures because I want people to judge my music without taking my appearance into context. I also use motifs and recurring themes such as flowers, sneakers, and hands.
I think my claim to fame if I have any, is that I make people cry. I’ve had people comment on my songs saying they cried listening to them. I’ve had girls come up to me after live performances saying I made them cry. On one hand, I’m glad that my music has the capacity to move people, but I also don’t want my music to be so one dimensional that it’s only capable of making people sad. I’m just a naturally sad person these days, and I think it reflects in my work. I hope that changes one day. I’m not sure when.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://soundcloud.com/esaemusic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esaemusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/esaemusic/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/esaemusic
Image Credit:
Jason Ramirez (@ramires_j on Instagram)
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
