Dutch-born and now Seoul-based, Romee Avril is carving out a world that feels entirely her own - equal parts introspective, cinematic, and shaped by life between cultures.
From navigating Seoul’s endlessly evolving creative scene, we caught up with Romee for a conversation on the realities of building a life and career far from home - and the experiences quietly shaping the sound of her next chapter.
Q. You grew up in the NL and now live in Seoul. How has that cultural shift influenced the music you make and the way you approach creativity?
A. My creativity has always lived globally. Growing up in The Netherlands, I’ve had the privilege of traveling to many countries at a very young age. These exposures to cultures have naturally shaped my curiosity for the world and eventually made me wander to Asia for my artistry last year. It’s actually interesting, as when I touched down in Seoul for a DJ gig last June, I was already busy building my music library as a pop-artist.
Doing the gig there I realised how the market would compliment my sound. I fuse experimental hyperpop, with the spiritual pulse of the feminine flow, and in Seoul there is such a big market for pop with electronic beat processions. Musically you are allowed to combine multiple styles in one track. Something that is in parallel to my personality. You could flow from pop, to a techno dance break to a high-frequency soundscape in 2 minutes, and that freedom breaths potential. With that being said, the cultural shift between Amsterdam and Seoul is very present. There lives a paradox in Seoul: where they are ahead in consumer culture, the Koreans are still very nationalised.
With K-Entertainment reaching wider globalisation due to the growing popularity, I do feel it’s allowing more and more international voices everyday. However not many foreign artists are distributing in the Korean market, and rather drive inspiration from it. So there is not a blueprint for me to follow and I have to pave my own path - luckily, I rather get lost than follow anyone’s footsteps. My creativity now is predominately fuelled by imagining how to break through in this market. I need to find my way in. And that will all come down to the PR of the project as I know the music itself fits the industry. I live in the future capital of pop, and I can’t wait to make my mark in it.
Q. Seoul has such an intense and fast-moving music and fashion scene. What surprised you the most about building a career there?
A. Wow yes. It’s so fast. Sometimes even too fast to my taste. But that speed does put you more in the present creating an interesting loop. With the ever changing media landscape bridging fashion, music and identity, the concept of ‘trend’ doesn’t really live anymore due to its pace. You truly have to focus on the streets of today, making it hard for an artist to strategise a career. What surprised me the most is how storytelling is the foundation of every artist. Music truly becomes secondary. It’s all about crafting the world around the beats that the audience, literally, wants to buy into.
There is such strong fandom, with major commitment, and that makes building a career way more exciting as it unlocks opportunities to discover that not a lot of other markets anymore can carry now that everything is digital. In Seoul, building that community still comes in layers: from establishing tangible moments to connect with your fans to designing unique collectable merchandise to establish the feeling of belonging. The intense and fast-moving music and fashion scene of Seoul does make me want to focus more on building my world, Woohooland, then to tap into being on trend. And eventually that’s every artists’ dream, no?
Q. What’s inspiring you right now? Fashion, film everyday moments in the city?
A. Honestly I find inspiration by being outside. I get inspired by the smell of a rose, the sparks in the ocean while I’m catching a wave or a shot of tequila on a night out. Just by doing things that make me feel alive I channel to a higher power. My notes on my iPhone function as a temporary storage for all these brainwaves. I write down thoughts or experiences in short poetry, which most of the time find their placement in a track. I am an artist that writes from a concept. I need to go into the studio with a concept that I feel connected to and want to write about. And having access to infinite stories makes that process way more exciting. Ironic how with every session I turn my journal into bits of music. I also read a lot for inspiration.
Loads of books and paper magazines. I love to look at the editorials, and highlight my favourite lines in chapters. Right now I am reading ‘Women Who Run With Wolves’. I advise you to read the introduction of the book after you finish this interview. You will understand why, and hope you eventually will run with me <3
