00:00 Nam Nation, are you ready?
00:02 Korean-American singer-songwriter Eric Nam is back in the country for yet another show.
00:06 Ahead of the release of his much-anticipated album, and lucky for us, before he performs
00:12 again for his Filipino fans, Eric is joining us right now here in the studio.
00:17 Good morning to you, Eric.
00:18 Thank you so much for taking time out of-- I know your schedule is so swamped right now.
00:24 No, thank you so much for having me.
00:26 It's a pleasure and honor to be here, and good morning to everybody watching.
00:29 I mean, what did we do right to make you want to come back?
00:33 I mean, you were just here in November.
00:37 That's quite so soon.
00:39 To promote your concert here, to promote your album there and back again, your concert and
00:43 your album, and then what?
00:45 So many months later, we have you back here.
00:47 Yeah, well, you know, I have a new album coming out in September, September 8th, and I have
00:51 a new song coming out actually next Friday called "Don't Leave Ya."
00:55 And we wanted to hit some great places to connect with fans before the album releases
01:00 and to kind of tease the album before a Head of the World tour that's coming.
01:04 But every time I come to Manila, I have such a good time, and the fans here are absolutely
01:10 incredible.
01:11 And they embrace me with the warmest hugs and the best hospitality.
01:15 And even when I'm not here, I feel so connected to the Philippines, especially because of
01:20 the internet and social media.
01:21 So I just wanted to come back, sing some songs, hang out.
01:24 I mean, we have this whole NAMNation happening right now.
01:29 I mean, just because of, I mean, for you.
01:31 So what can the fans expect for your fan meet?
01:35 Yeah, so tomorrow, August 5th, it's tomorrow, Saturday, 5pm at Market Market, we're doing
01:40 a free meet and greet fan meeting.
01:44 I'm probably going to do a bunch of songs.
01:46 More from your new album that's coming out?
01:47 Maybe some from the new album, some sneak peeks.
01:51 Some exclusives, and then some old classics that I think everybody will love as well.
01:55 But then, more than just performing, I think it's important, and I want to just really
02:00 talk to fans and interact with them, maybe play some games, and have a good time.
02:03 So it'll be, I think, just fun, lighthearted, but definitely music included.
02:09 Okay, so now your new album that's coming out, as you mentioned, tell me a little bit
02:13 about that, and how does it differ from your previous album?
02:18 This is your third All English album.
02:20 It is my third All English album.
02:23 It is different, it's called House on a Hill, not to be confused with the single which is
02:27 already released called House on a Hill, so some people are like, "What's going on?"
02:31 It comes out September 8th, and it is, I think, to me in many ways, an album about an existential
02:38 crisis, trying to figure out what makes us happy, what makes us really move forward every
02:43 day, what makes us really love ourselves but also hate ourselves.
02:47 It's these honest conversations that I think I had in the creation of this album, and also
02:52 getting to collaborate with some friends that I've wanted to work with for a long time,
02:56 for example, the British duo Han, we collaborated with, as well as the duo Oh Wonder, and some
03:03 also long-time friends.
03:04 Oh yeah, we have them here all the time.
03:07 They're like regulars for us here in the Philippines.
03:10 Okay, so I like the song, House on a Hill, so what happens if you do get everything?
03:17 You know what?
03:18 For you, right?
03:19 It seems like you have everything.
03:20 I mean, you're definitely living the dream.
03:23 Did you ever think that this would ever happen to you 10 years ago?
03:26 No, I mean, I think this is all very, how do I say this, unassuming.
03:31 I was very surprised, and I'm still very grateful and blessed to be in the position that I am
03:35 today.
03:36 But I think as I was putting this song together and this album together, I think as humans,
03:40 it's human nature for us to always want more, even when we have a brand new outfit or a
03:45 brand new whatever, car, anything that we really want, as soon as you have it for a
03:50 little bit, you're like, "Oh, that one looks better.
03:53 He or she looks happier than me."
03:54 And that's kind of the way that we're wired to be in society and human nature.
03:59 So a lot of the song is kind of like putting that down and saying, "One is more and more
04:03 enough.
04:04 Don't we have enough right now?
04:05 Maybe we are already fully happy, and we should embrace the way we are right now."
04:10 So it's asking a lot of questions that I don't have the answers to, but I think for me, it's
04:14 trying to be appreciative of what we do have and where we are right now.
04:18 Enjoy the moment, right?
04:19 Absolutely.
04:20 Smell the coffee, enjoy the moment.
04:22 For this album of yours, how many songs did you write?
04:25 Did you write all of the songs?
04:27 Yeah.
04:28 Any difficulties, easy songs, songs that you're so happy and proud of?
04:33 You know, the album is, we wrote probably 60 to 70 songs for this album, and then we
04:39 cut down over and over and over to land on seven songs plus a remix, so eight total songs.
04:44 They are very, very wide on the spectrum of musicality from very guitar-based to piano-sad
04:54 song ballads to very...
04:56 Jazzy, poppy.
04:58 EDM-y, very...
04:59 There's a little bit of everything.
05:02 And for some people, they're like, "Oh, but that's like, you know, what is Eric Nam's
05:05 style?"
05:06 But for me, I love all types of music, and I love experimenting and expressing myself
05:09 through different styles.
05:10 So we really had a good time getting really weird in the studio, trying all sorts of weird
05:16 things that are...
05:17 How weird?
05:18 I mean, what was the weirdest thing that you tried?
05:19 I mean, we've tried, like, punk rock, too, which is just...
05:23 We should not do that.
05:24 Never do that.
05:25 We should not do that.
05:26 Eric should also probably not try to rap.
05:28 I'm just not very good at rapping.
05:31 There's certain things that I want to be good at that I'm just not very good at.
05:34 So sticking to pop is probably my strength.
05:37 You mentioned in an interview that you felt that this album was one of your most defining
05:42 moments in your career.
05:44 Why is that so?
05:45 I mean...
05:46 You know, I debuted as a singer 10 years ago.
05:50 And it has been, in many ways, a short but also a very long 10 years, because I think
05:56 there are a lot of trials and tribulations, a lot of high highs, but also very low lows
05:59 in that journey.
06:01 And putting this album together, it felt like I was finally able to put together all the
06:07 things that I had learned and experienced over the past 10 years into one project.
06:11 Not only musically, but also through the film and TV work that I do.
06:15 And so we shot pretty much a short film that ties many songs on the album together.
06:22 There are four music videos with a short film.
06:25 And I try to write and kind of direct...
06:29 I'm not very good at directing...
06:31 A larger piece that tells a very cohesive story.
06:34 And so a lot of time, a lot of effort, not only from a musical sense, but from an overall
06:39 creative direction sense that we put into it.
06:41 So everything that I knew, we really just threw it into this album.
06:44 You know, it's only because you do so many things.
06:48 I think that's probably what happened here.
06:50 I mean, you sing, you write your songs, you host, you have your podcast, you direct, you
06:56 produce.
06:57 I mean, I don't know, what is the one thing that you can't do?
06:59 Well, aside from the...
07:00 The one thing I can't do...
07:01 The pop rock and everything else.
07:02 I think stay in a place at one time, stay for a long time.
07:06 So stay in a place at one time.
07:08 Do you expect to stay in the Philippines a lot longer?
07:11 I mean...
07:12 So I'm here for a few more days, but I hope to be back a lot more often.
07:16 I recently have partnered with Nima as my representation here in the Philippines.
07:22 And that's a big part because I want to be more active here and to see my fans more often
07:26 and just try to explore the really cool creative things that are coming out of the Philippines.
07:32 So hopefully a lot more time that I can spend here in Manila and beyond.
07:36 Does it mean we'll see you more than just singing?
07:40 Are you going to also take part possibly in movies or something?
07:46 Never say never.
07:47 Never say never.
07:48 You know, I'm not opposed to it.
07:49 I'm hopeful and I'm optimistic.
07:52 And what if?
07:53 You know, I really hope to.
07:54 All right.
07:55 Well, we wish you all the best.
07:56 We know that you're going to be busy for the remaining of the year.
07:58 Your world tour for your house on the hill is happening.
08:03 Yes.
08:04 What?
08:05 Well, we'll be doing around 80 shows for the world tour.
08:09 But we'll be very busy.
08:11 But I hope to be back here very soon.
08:12 And thank you so much for having me.
08:14 Thank you for being with us.
08:15 But do invite your fans.
08:17 Why don't you?
08:18 I mean, they would like to hear from you rather than from me, right?
08:20 No, they love hearing from you.
08:23 But I'll do it just for this time.
08:24 I will be here for a few more days.
08:27 But tomorrow at Market Market, 5 p.m., there is a free meet and greet and fan meeting.
08:32 I'll be singing songs.
08:33 We'll be hanging out with some fans, playing games and performing.
08:36 So please, if you're free, come hang out for the free fan meeting.
08:39 I look forward to seeing you all there.
08:40 And I love you guys so much.
08:42 Thank you.
08:43 Wonderful.
08:44 Well, good luck to you and your show tomorrow.
08:45 And of course, we're going to be watching out for your album.
08:47 Enjoy the rest of your stay.
08:48 Thank you so much.
08:49 Thank you.
08:49 Thank you.
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