Busan Band Hathaway Named Melon Track Zero’s Artist of the Month for August

Hathaway, selected as a Melon Track Zero artist. Provided by Melon

Hathaway, a three-member band based in Busan, has been selected as Melon Track Zero's 'Artist of the Month' for August under Kakao Entertainment's music platform Melon's indie music project TrackZero.

Melon announced on the 6th that it released an interview featuring Hathaway's members Kiwi, Seyo, and Teukmin, along with a curated playlist of 17 recommended tracks.

The interview focused on the production process of their second full-length album 'Lovers' and the band's musical background. Hathaway concentrated on maintaining their three-person band setup, avoiding MIDI and synthesizers. They also took charge of recording and mixing the album in their own studio.

Kiwi, who handles guitar and vocals, said, "We thought that the best way forward was to further enhance our chemistry among ourselves," adding, "There may be some thinness in sound since it's just the three of us on stage, but we believe that strong synergy can make up for it."

Hathaway revealed that, in preparation for their solo concert in Seoul, they devoted more time than ever before to practicing and getting ready for their performance. Kiwi stated, "This is the most preparation we've ever done," and added, "The entire process—from producing the album to hand-packing the CDs ourselves—has now passed." Bassist Seyo commented, "There are some regrets, but I have no regrets overall."

For their new album, the band put special effort into creating a 'clean tone' with little to no effects on the instruments. Kiwi explained that he carefully compared various amps such as Dumble, Mesa Boogie Fillmore, Jazz Chorus, and Fender to determine the right guitar sound.

Kiwi cited Toto's 'I Won't Hold You Back' as an example, stating that he has been influenced by the band's tone for a long time. Seyo also shared that he frequently listened to yacht rock artists such as Anita Baker and Bobby Caldwell.

The album cover features scenes from Busan. It was photographed with a building in Haeundae as the backdrop, and the members personally picked their outfits from a thrift shop alley in Nampo-dong. Seyo said, "The building right by the sea felt both bizarre and symbolic to us."

Hathaway is also in contact with other musicians active in Busan, such as Say Sue Me, EWE, and Bosudongcooler. Seyo explained that he received help from Byungkyu of Say Sue Me during the album recording process. The playlist includes major tracks by Hathaway as well as collaborations with Bosudongcooler.

Melon has been running Track Zero since April 2022, selecting an 'Artist of the Month' and 'Recommended New Releases' every month. The Artist of the Month is chosen from musicians who have released music domestically, while the Recommended New Releases are picked from tracks that have been released within the last three to four months.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.