A Chat with Kwun (01.06.26)
Described as a trailblazer, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in music, singer-songwriter and producer Kwun is “at the cutting edge of a movement of conscious artists, leading the way into a new paradigm.” We speak with Kwun about his album, Ancient, Ageless & True, what music means to him, and much more.
OSR: We spoke with you last year about your single ‘Sovereignty’. What have you been up to since then?
Kwun: I’ve mainly been busy getting the album together. So, since ‘Sovereignty’, there were a few more singles, namely ‘Cuíca’, ‘Soft Animal’ and ‘The Beautiful Ones’. I’ve also been shooting and editing a bunch of music videos, so it’s been a busy time just getting everything finished and ready for release.
And outside of that, still enjoying being here in Tulum, Mexico.
OSR: You’ve just released your album Ancient Ageless & True. What can you tell us about the album? Is there a particular theme or backstory?
Kwun: It’s a collection of 11 songs and instrumentals, and there’s quite a cinematic thread running through it. The album’s been sequenced like a continuous piece of work, though each track also stands on its own. And the album moves through lots of different genres, textures and moods.
In terms of themes, I’d say it explores things like truth, love and connection, and just the nature of things really. If I had to sum it up simply, I’d say truth and connection are probably the strongest threads running through the album.
And as for the backstory, most of the groundwork was done in Glastonbury in the UK, but I was working remotely with musicians and engineers throughout the whole thing. Then I ended up taking the album with me to Mexico, India and the US, and working on it from there.
And then the visual world around the album initially formed here in Tulum in Mexico, then was carried over to India and a little bit in the States as well.
OSR: What was your creative process when composing and producing this album?
Kwun: For this particular set of songs, I was actually writing to themes set by a songwriting group I was involved with in the UK at the time. It was a small group of just five or six of us, and each month we’d choose a theme, write something to it individually, then share it with each other. That’s how these songs came about. It was a really productive time.
I usually write alone. With songs like ‘The Pursuit’ and ‘Ancient Ageless & True’, I wrote them on guitar and didn’t commit to recording a single note until the lyrics and structure were completely locked in. Other tracks like ‘Cuíca’ were built from playing around with electronic loops, before overdubbing the live instruments. Whichever approach I used, once the composition was locked in, I’d then reach out to some session musicians to help bring the track to life. We worked entirely remotely. They were all amazing. Most were based in the States, but they came from everywhere really, from Uruguay to Trinidad and Tobago, and from Italy to Venezuela. I’d play some of the instruments as well.
Production-wise, this just happens alongside building each track. I’d hear the instruments or parts that I wanted in the arrangement, whether that was a horn section, a sax solo, a choir, a string orchestra or whatever, and then I’d reach out to the musicians to provide those parts.
OSR: The album spans an incredibly diverse sonic landscape from soul to folk and even touches of acid jazz. Was there ever a moment where you worried the album would feel too scattered, or do you feel this genre-hopping as a representation of your musical vocabulary?
Kwun: No, not at all; I was never worried it would feel too scattered. It’s how I’ve always made music. I mean, I can take all kinds of music in the same breath. It could be punk, pop music, jazz, or whatever, but to me it’s about the feeling. The form is almost irrelevant. I don’t particularly think in terms of genres, and my influences invariably surface when I write. It was quite interesting to observe actually, and pinpoint where some of the influences were coming from.
OSR: I know most people wouldn’t change anything in their releases, but if you had to change one thing about Ancient Ageless & True, what would it be and why?
Kwun: Actually, I wouldn’t change anything. Everything was very intentional, and there was a huge amount of detail that went into it all. It was almost mathematical. So no, I don’t think there’s anything I’d change.
OSR: What do you hope people take from this album, and what do you take from it?
Kwun: I hope people enjoy it, and that it touches them or moves them in some way. But beyond that, it’s not really up to me what people take from it. How we experience music is such a personal thing that everyone is going to take something different. I don’t really want to be attached to it in that way. Once it’s out, it’s not really mine anymore. I just hope it reaches people and does what it needs to do.
As for what I’ve taken from it, well, it’s my debut album, and I’ve learned a lot about the whole process of recording and releasing an album. And working with musicians and engineers of this calibre was a first for me too, so that was a learning curve and definitely something I can take going forward.
OSR: If you had to introduce your music to a new listener, which track would you recommend?
Kwun: I think it would be really difficult to recommend one single track, because no one track represents the album or what I do. If somebody asked me where to start, I’d probably have to pick three, like ‘The Pursuit’, ‘Cuíca’ and ‘Supernatural’. But then again, I could just as easily give three completely different tracks. So yeah, I’d say just listen to the whole album lol.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Kwun: Well, music becomes the soundtrack to our lives, doesn’t it? It affects us and moves us in ways that can be so profound. I’ve heard it said that of all the art forms, music affects us and can change our mood in the most direct way. For me, like any art form, music is a way of connecting with a bigger part of ourselves.
OSR: What can we expect from you in the future?
Kwun: I’ve actually got a lot more music that just needs to be completed. It’s all written and partially recorded, so it’s just doing the overdubs. And alongside the music, I’ve started really getting into filmmaking and editing recently. A lot of my recent music videos, like ‘Cuíca’, ‘The Beautiful Ones’ and ‘Sovereignty’, I edited myself. So there’ll be a lot more visual work and more videos.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Kwun: Stay awesome. Much love to everyone reading. Keep on truckin. Go and listen to the album. Peace.
Many thanks to Kwun for speaking with us. Find out more about Kwun on his official website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify.
