Hey June! enter a new ‘Realidad’ with second album
Sometimes it just takes one step to change your reality. That’s what Hey June! achieved with Spotify Radar, a global artist development program showcasing up-and-coming artists. Since being part of Radar earlier this year, members Jim Mase, Coey Ballesteros and Aci Fodra gained double the international streams with listeners all over Asia. But it’s their unique storytelling of otherwise mundane realities that spurred their growth in the first place.
After going viral with their Lasik from their 2023 album “Curiosity Killed the Cat,” the band just released their second album, “Realidad,” with 12 tracks on coming of age and figuring out who you’re meant to be. It takes one on a journey through love and growing pains in the Philippines. Young STAR interviewed Hey June! before their album release to catch up on their creative journey since joining Spotify Radar.
YOUNG STAR: We first met you guys during Spotify Radar earlier this year, when you were recognized as an emerging Filipino talent. What do you think has changed about your creative process since then, and how has Spotify Radar contributed to that?
COEY: After Spotify Radar, lumawak ‘yung reach ng music namin and the opportunities that came in. Sobrang grateful kami sa help and platform na binigay (sa’min). Sa creative process naman, mas na-motivate kami, lalo na we released a couple of new songs after it. Medyo nakita rin namin ‘yung trend kung paano nag-move ‘yung audience namin, ‘yung reach, and we catered to it but also retained who we are. I think since we were done with our (second) album, not much changed in the songwriting sense, siguro more on the execution and how we move as a band.
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How have the past few months been with hearing from fans and seeing your band create a community?
COEY: ‘Yung pinaka-notable na nangyari sa’min since Spotify Radar was when we released (our) latest song, It’s Not the Same As It Used to Be. We reached 100,000 streams in a week. That’s a big thing for us, lalo na we’re coming into our second album. Sobrang may potential. May bitaw; nakikita namin na sobrang nagre-resonate pala ‘yung mga tao sa music namin, so ‘di na kami natatakot for what’s to come.
How does it feel to be back with Spotify with your sophomore album coming out soon?
JIM: Nakaka-excite. Very promising kasi this is a really big project for us and for the team rin. We’re very glad to team up with Spotify. I know not many people can be in this position so we’re very grateful and very humbled.
COEY: Gagalingan namin.
You’re performing inside an LRT-2 train today, similar to how some artists start as buskers. Why do you think it’s important to let music be performed and exist in public spaces like this?
COEY: I think music is an experience kasi, eh. Everybody can listen to music, but not everybody can experience it and feel the same things (we as artists) do just by listening to it.
Showing emotions and showing who we are as artists, as people who not only busk but also perform in different stages and provinces, (mas) nakikita (namin) kung ano ‘yung impact ng music (namin) kung live. Iba talaga siya. May bitaw.
Nakikita namin na sobrang nagre-resonate pala ‘yung mga tao sa music namin, so ‘di na kami natatakot for what’s to come.
JIM: May spark na pwedeng mangyari.
COEY: Ang daming fans na, (kapag) na-experience ‘yung music namin live, sasabihin nila na na-convert sila, na silent fans sila or they didn’t know about us before, but once they experienced our music, tuloy-tuloy na silang naging supporters.
Your second album is titled “Realidad.” What experiences or realities have made you more in tune with sharing through music?
COEY: Through the album, merong experiences about the overwhelming pressure of being a kid.
JIM: There are a lot of songs that talk about accepting and facing things we don’t want to face. Some songs in this album can resonate with people, especially those who are still finding the words.
Describe your upcoming album in one word with no context.
ACI: Ambitious.
COEY: Cathartic.
JIM: Connection.
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Discover more from Hey June! and other emerging Filipino artists on the Radar Philippines playlist on Spotify. Follow the artist at @heyjunemusic.
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