"That's a vibe" is a phrase we know too well and maybe, use way too much; but if there's anything that it perfectly applies to, it's HYBS.
Since 2021, the Thai duo, comprising best friends Alyn and Karn, have been cooking up music that feel like a daydream. They're laidback, easy, and nothing short of a good time, all wrapped up in a delicious blend of R&B and pop. In just two years, their music has made its way across the region and taken them to stages across Manila, Hong Kong, Bandung, Shanghai, and more.
Most recently, HYBS returned with their newest single 'Tip Toe' that, yes, is a vibe. So, we caught up with Alyn and Karn to talk about how their new track, their upcoming "getaways", and their favourite dish.
Congratulations on your new single, 'Tip Toe'. Tell me more about the song and how it came to be.
Alyn: With every song, we just kind of vibe with whatever we're feeling at the moment. With 'Tip Toe', we got the pre-chorus verse: "I'll be putting on a suit, be tip toeing to you" and the word 'tiptoe' just kind of stuck with us. We just went ahead and wrote the rest of the song on that main idea.
BANDWAGON TV
I noticed that when you talk about your music, you always use the word 'vibe'. You're always just vibing.
Alyn: Yeah, it's all about feeling what's right and not thinking too much about it. We kind of just want to translate the energy we feel and if it feels good, then I think that most of the time, that works.
How do you then translate those vibes into a song that's ready for release?
Karn: I think maybe we just let the vibe of the beat trigger us and just see how it goes, where it leads us to. Some beats make us feel like we need to go to the beach, so we write it that way. Sometimes it works like that—no, it always works like that.
Alyn: We just don't think too much about the meaning or like the concept or anything like that. We just go with the vibe and then we try to make sense out of it. Once we like the song, then we try to recheck if it makes sense to other people.
Karn: You need to see the first lyrics draft, it makes no sense at all (laughs).
Alyn: Yeah, like most of the time we would think, we would think like: 'I don't think this would make sense' because we were just like singing gibberish but then most of the time 90% of it gets kept in the song (laughs).
View this post on Instagram
When you guys release new music, it always garners a lot of attention. Do you ever feel pressure when releasing new songs?
Karn: We used to be like that but we realised after that it can lead us to [our] brains freezing when we would try and be creative. So, yeah, like Alyn said, we're just vibing now, just seeing where things can go.
Alyn: We don't think too much about that, I think we just try to create something that excites us and that's enough for us. If we like it, we think it's new, and it has something new to offer like there's nothing like stale old about it then we have the confidence to release it. But if we don't feel it and we get stuck, we would never let it slide.
I think that also translates to how you guys perform on stage. In the last year, you guys have performed at a number of festivals across the region. How do you guys typically perpare for a festival performance?
Alyn: Well, we sleep. We try to sleep. What do we do, man? I guess we just make sure that the set is tight, the band is ready. All the songs that we pick for the festival flows nicely. Yeah, but most of the time, we just try...
Karn: to get some good sleep.
Alyn: Yeah, we're on the road and working so much now so we don't really prepare much. We just go with the flow and have fun.
Earlier this year, you guys came to Manila for Wanderland and you're going to be returning soon, but this time for your own concert. Is there a difference between preparing for a festival and your own show?
Alyn: Well, for starters, we prepare more songs to play and try to showcase some songs that might not be released for us. Our songs like 'Tiptoe' will be there but basically we just try to prepare more material cause it's a longer set.
What do you guys hope people take away from a HYBS show?
Karn: We just want them to be happy. We all get depressed sometimes so we hope when the fans come to our show, they can get some good vibes and then go back to their home and be happier. That's all we want.
Alyn: We just want it to be like an hour and a half getaway.
Karn: Oh, yeah maybe we can call it a getaway!
View this post on Instagram
Beyond music, you guys also love food. What dish, if you had to pick one, would perfectly describe HYBS and the music that you guys make together?
Karn: It must be a Picanha [steak] with salt, garlic, and pepper.
Alyn: Yes, it's so delicious and fun to make as well. I feel like making steak especially gives a soothing vibe where it makes you feel relaxed and at home, I guess. That's why when we make steak, we enjoy like seasoning the steak up until cooking it and eating it. We feel that it translates to music as well, to our songs. We feel like you could listen to our songs while doing chores or just relaxing, talking with friends, and it could make you feel a little bit better.
What's the best part about being in HYBS and making music together?
Alyn: I think that the journey that we're taking is so precious, like we don't take it for granted. It's such a unique experience and a dream come true to me and taking it with someone, with a friend is always better than going alone. Yeah, just experiencing what we have and getting the experience to perform in front of so many people, make music for people around the world, it's a pleasure and it's so much fun to do this with Karn.
Karn: We're so lucky, aren't we? I don't know how to describe that feeling when you see someone breaking down and then they listen to our songs and it makes their days better. We can't ask for more than this and [to do this with] good friends and good food... I could never ask for more.
Listen to HYBS' 'Tip Toe' here.
Like what you read? Show our writer some love!
-