DEMIAN is a philosophical literary work by Herman Hesse that touches on the subject of enlightenment and growth. Singersongwriter DEMIAN (’13, Business Administration), who shares the same name as the novel, deals with his intimate process of healing and growth through trendy sounds and candid lyrics that everyone can connect with. In his first digital single Cassette, he sings “you left like we’re strangers,” showing his true feelings for love and memories. When faced with the inevitable bitterness of love, his music is a refuge where the hurt souls can rest easy.

About DEMIAN

Sohn Jeong Hyuck, a singer-songwriter known by his stage name DEMIAN, is a graduate of Korea University (KU) Business School. As one of the competitors on the TV show Superband, Sohn gained media attention for his musical talent in mixing indie sounds with trendy beats. Sohn debuted on March 11, 2020, when his label contacted him after listening to his music through Soundcloud. Sohn mentioned in his interview with Icon TV that he was inspired to use the name DEMIAN from Hesse’s novel as his stage name because he liked how the character was neither a child nor a grownup. Sohn’s musical career indeed reflects such a trait since he started his career with no musical background, yet he constantly strives for excellence.

GT: What motivated you to start music at the age of 22? Did you always know that you would be doing music?

DEMIAN: There was no specific motive since I jumped into this career with a light heart at first. And I think the illusion that I could excel at it in a short period of time could have come into play. I was just an ordinary student who liked to listen to music, often went to the karaoke alone, and received compliments for my singing skills when I sang in front of my friends. Then, while serving in an alternative military service, I had some free time after my shift. I wanted to find a more serious hobby and started to engage more deeply into music.

As I became more invested in studying music, I naturally developed an ambition to become good at it and develop a career out of it. After three years of hard work from the point where I started to regard music as my career, I was faced with a wall of hopelessness. At that point, however, I had already come too far to give up. I felt like I was drifting in the middle of the sea with no land to return to. So, I rowed harder and harder until I reached somewhere rather than looking back. I had no other choice but to do that.

GT: What is the message that you want to deliver with your music?

DEMIAN: My thoughts on this have changed a lot, but I think it is meaningful in itself to create music even without trying to convey a specific message. Some people work with great intentions or directions in making music, but I think everyone is already a portrait of a society — the groups, eras, cities, and generations in which they each belong. Therefore, rather than being so caught up on delivering a certain message, I'm taking an approach to ask myself the question of “why” and relate that to the things that catch my attention, ultimately trying to understand them. Whether I belong to a special group and have such personality or not, I believe it is meaningful to record myself as I am. From that point, how convincingly you express that, the way of expression, matters more.

GT: What was the biggest challenge you faced in your career?

DEMIAN: Blanks and worries are my biggest challenges. But worries are also the most fun part of doing this job, although it bothers me all over again when deadlines approach…

GT: What is your most cherished memory from your days at KU? Has your experience at KU affected your career and your music?

DEMIAN: Of course. My favorite memory is ordering jajangmyeon at the Central Plaza, and I remember the faces of the people I was with more than any memories. Since I started doing music, I got to meet new people with a whole new energy. Therefore, I sometimes feel at home when I meet my old friends from KU, who have specific plans for their future and have much self-control. Meeting them motivates me a lot. Music is also about investing my time and effort, but as a creative activity, the time you spend without actively doing something is overwhelmingly more than when you are preparing for something tangible. But I guess I also do spend more time off than it is necessary. Therefore, when I meet up with my old friends from KU during those time-offs, I find myself reflecting back on myself, pondering if I have been as diligent as them.

Not only regarding music, but I think the best thing about having been a student at KU is that I have an expectation to live up to. This is not because I graduated from KU, but because I always have friends with high standards. Surrounded and respected by those friends, I maintain high standards for my own career and my life. Sometimes this is hard, but in the long run, I think it is one of the most important virtues in helping you achieve what you want.

GT: Which direction do you want to head to in the future?

DEMIAN: For the time being, I will make efforts to become a better artist, the kind of artist that I look up to. It may seem like an endless process, but there is definitely a checkpoint that only I can see. I believe that interesting synergy will happen once I reach that point.

GT: Do you have any advice for KU students?

DEMIAN: Rather than advice, I would like to say that the pace at which society changes every day seems to have caught up with that of an upheaval, and I think this could provide a series of great opportunities for young adults like us. So, I hope you will be able to stand in the positions where opportunities come at you, fiercely discussing and moving on with each other.