[INTERVIEW] Introducing Gabby Onme: The Texas-Raised Korean-American Artist Bridging Cultures with Music

Deborah Rodriguez 

Credit: gabbyonme

Texas-raised artist, Gabby Onme (Adrian Kim) has embarked on an exciting journey in South Korea, where he's set to make his official debut as an artist alongside producer KINDA. Their shared vision is to dismantle barriers and foster connections between diverse cultures and genres through their music.

While Gabby Onme gears up for his highly anticipated debut, his previous releases offer a glimpse into the sonic landscape he's poised to explore. From his debut track "Ithinkiwannaridewithyou'' in 2020 to the soul-stirring "One Regret" in September 2023 and his latest single "Transparency" dropped just this past December, Gabby Onme's musical evolution is nothing short of captivating.

The B.E.L.U. Lineup had the privilege of sitting down with Gabby Onme to delve into his background, musical influences, and a sneak peek of what lies ahead in 2024.

Dive into the full interview below to discover the essence of Gabby Onme's artistry.

***Please be advised that this interview has been edited for length and clarity.***


Hi Gabby Onme! It is an honor to be able to meet with you today. Could you please take a moment to say hello and introduce yourself to our B.E.L.U. Lineup readers?

Gabby Onme: Hi everyone! It is amazing to be able to share our story with The B.E.L.U Lineup today. I’m Gabby Onme. I am a singer-songwriter. The other half of Gabby Onme is producer and songwriter KINDA. KINDA and I started making music together about 4 years ago, and now we are going to officially debut with an album this April through a music label in Korea.

What influenced you to pursue music as a career?

Gabby Onme: I was always into music growing up. Back in Texas, I used to be drumline captain during high school and played piano as well. My mother used to be a gospel singer, so I always had musical influences in my household. Then, I came back to Korea, and met KINDA. He has different roots, but he has always been doing music too. His background consists of producing and songwriting for K-pop artists. So when we met, it was like opposite sides of the world but we learned so much from each other that we thought our difference in perspectives could be our strength. That’s how we decided that we wanted to create our own unique sound through our experiences.
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Which one of your songs would you suggest to new listeners to introduce them to your artistic style?

Gabby Onme: I would say “One Regret.” That's when we started honing into our indie, R&B, and ballad sound. We really got into the style of music that we could be good at, and before that we were just experimenting with a lot of different sounds that we really liked.


What message do you want to deliver across to your fans with your music?

Gabby Onme: More than a message, I think it’s a feeling that we want to deliver to our fans. Me and KINDA have such different experiences. He grew up in Korea and went on world tours when he was young, and I grew up in Texas. I really think what connected us together was a feeling of nostalgia and our mutual love for music. I hope the audience can receive that feeling of nostalgia when they listen to our music.


Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?

Gabby Onme: I love to travel! That’s the #1 thing that I love. The world is so big and everytime I go to a different country I just fall in love with how unique the culture is. There are so many different values and traditions that we can learn from and appreciate in the world. I have been very fortunate to be able to travel when I was young, so I have been to South America, Canada, Africa, and Europe. Traveling is my favorite thing whenever I get the chance to do it.


What has been your favorite place to visit so far?

Gabby Onme: I love all the places, but Chile was the most eye-opening to me. I grew up in a very conservative household, much like Korea. So, when I went to Chile, everyone was openly friendly from the start. People greeted each other with kisses and in Korea you don’t do that. It was a positive cultural shock.


If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be?

Gabby Onme: There’s so many! I listen to a lot and love all music genres! Based on the style of music that Gabby Onme is putting out, we would love to collaborate with artists like Sweet the Kid and Jimmy Brown. Korean artists that are very fluent in English as well.


If you were invited to play at a music festival, which artists would you hope to see on the lineup with you?

Gabby Onme: Wow. The venues that I am thinking about are like Coachella and SXSW. I love K-pop, so maybe BlackPink. Aespa, and Le Serafim. I like NCT and DPR too! As for western artists, maybe PARTYNEXTDOOR, Bryson Tiller, Drake! Drake is amazing.


What emoji would you choose to describe yourself?

Gabby Onme: There is a white bunny emoji and I do not know why I like it. It may be because of the matrix, like following the white rabbit. I use it to symbolize myself following my own truth, my gut, and my instinct. It’s also cute!


You mentioned on one of your Instagram posts that there are some exciting things happening this year in your career. Can you give us a sneak peek?

Gabby Onme: This past year, KINDA and I really focused on debuting officially with external support and investment. We are in the process of creating some videos, other content, we are in talks with a distribution company in Korea, and we are setting up our own label through our own company. So, this year we will be debuting and we will be releasing music on a more consistent basis than we were before.


Is there anything we have left out that you would like to share with your fans?

Gabby Onme: Yeah! It's been a journey. At first KINDA and I started doing this for fun but with a passion. We are appreciative of the friends that have been with us since the start and we appreciate the people that gave us words of encouragement in the process. We are just really grateful to everyone who has been with us through the process, including The B.E.L.U. Lineup. We appreciate you for taking the time to meet us and ask us these questions.


While we eagerly await Gabby Onme's official debut and upcoming releases in 2024, we encourage you to explore some of Gabby Onme's previous releases below! Don't forget to follow us for the latest updates on Gabby Onme's journey in 2024.

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