You may have many questions considering Brian Hong, like Why is Brian so Hong? How Hong is Brian? Or is Brian even Hong at all? The native New Yorker hailing from Flushing, Queens brings a sound that truly captivates his audience. Often citing his influence from Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson, Brian is able to separate himself from them through his acoustic melodies and soothing lyrics that are able to transform the unknown and complex world, as we know it, into a glass ball we can hold in our hands. And if we happen to explore and look through this sphere: the passion, the soul, and the heart of Brian Hong become simple to sense, grasp, and feel. Each word, syllable, and strum of the guitar falls in sync with each beat of his heart.

So how exactly did Brian Hong get to master his musical ability? Karaoke, Brian blames. Ever since the age of one, his mother has consistently referred to this Japanese pastime. He would get on the microphone and just give every note his last breath, his mom recalls. As for his infamous acoustic guitar skills, that is his own fault. In 2007, Brian picked up one of his momma’s guitars and began to strum and pluck notes. Soon enough, he learned the proper way to play and gained practice by covering hit songs such as Santeria by Sublime, and Lithium by Nirvana, probably left over influence of the karaoke. Brian soon realized that he didn’t just want to get other people’s messages out; in fact, he had his own voice and style which he could put to use. He began developing melodies at first, and then as he fine tuned his rhythms, lyrics began to develop.

Growing up in a city like New York gives Brian Hong much of his inspiration as to how his music sounds. The fast-paced city, the gritty subways, and the noisy streets. It’s no wonder Brian uses music as an escape from there. Times get tough and his soothing music keeps him standing. But that’s not to say he doesn’t love it. Anytime finds himself with no money in his pocket, he becomes inspired to pick up his guitar and play on any crowded corner. Even to this day, he can be found in popular areas such as Union Square or Central Park just humming his songs. He not only gains a dollar for his McDonald’s addiction, he adds fans to ever growing fan base, which began in high school (shout out to Bronx Science and Bayside). His love for music appears in his live performances which do not even require microphones to reach out to large crowds.

Brian’s professional recording career officially began in 2009. He gives credit to the fashion brand, MuffinMilk (www.muffinmilk.com) who jump started his career as a recording artist. It’s actually a funny story, Brian recalls. They were holding interviews for new employees over the internet and I just convinced myself to introduce myself as a musician. He soon performed for MuffinMilk CEO, Gary Jiang via webcam and later in person. It was like cupid came down and slapped me. That’s how much I fell in love with his music and agreed to help him out. Mr. Jiang remembers. Soon enough, MuffinMilk introduced him to an audio engineer, Amlan Das, who owned and operated his own recording studio in Queens. Amlan claims that he first heard of Brian Hong as the Korean Jason Mraz, and was skeptical at first. But as soon as Brian began working with Amlan, the musical chemistry between them was immediate, and without any hesitation, the recording process begun. During the process, Brian Hong became the lead artist for the newly formed record label and management company, Nine Diamonds. Spending countless hours each weekend in the studio over a six week period eventually led to his first album, The Bootleg.

And yes, the rumors are true, Brian is indeed Hong.

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