Photo by Sophie Jouvenaar
Course Studied:
BA (Hons) Music (Production)
Year of Graduation: 2022
Yvonne Han (she/they) is a graduate of our BA (Hons) Music (Production) course, Yvonne recently released the debut album 'Cognitive Dissonance' with her indie rock band The Sound of Modesty.
BA (Hons) Music (Production)When did you first start pursuing your career and what inspired you to do so?
I was in a careers meeting for my university choices and looking at what would be viable. I wanted to do a creative writing or English based course as I loved writing and poetry, and I knew I wanted to express myself in whatever I did next. However, after looking at the courses and seeing how I had spent so much of my life also doing music, I realised maybe there was something out there that would combine my love for writing with my passion for music. I made a YouTube channel and started sharing my songs. Once I realised I was improving at the craft and getting useful feedback, I decided to take it to the next level at the conservatoire.
Photo by Sophie Jouvenaar
How did studying at Leeds Conservatoire prepare you for working in the wider industry?
Aside from the access to facilities and teaching that once you leave further studies are no longer free to access, I’d say the community that the conservatoire attracts has been the best preparation for myself, as half of working in the industry is network, and most of my network and what’s grown from it was comprised of people I knew at the conservatoire. Additionally, being able to learn from the people around me has taught me the independent skills to be proactive.
Photo by Sophie Jouvenaar
What was the most important lesson you learned during your time in Leeds?
Time management, and more specifically, respecting your own time first and foremost. I learned over the course of my studies how important it was for me to respect and value my own time and craft, and when working with others, not to undervalue your abilities and what you can bring to the table.
Photo by Misha Warren
How important were the connections you made during your studies?
Incredibly important. I met my current bandmates and producer through the conservatoire, and I think if I hadn’t of been there at that time, I might not have had the amazing collaboration opportunities that I was able to experience.
Photo by Yvonne Han
What are your key sources of inspiration when writing?
My main source of inspiration comes from my own experiences and the experiences of those around me. Writing from experiences has always come the easiest to me, but outside of that I also draw a lot of inspiration from films, books, poetry, plays, and video games. My biggest songwriting inspiration is Mitski.
Photo by Sophie Jouvenaar
What is your favourite song that you’ve written?
It’s constantly changing depending on what I’m most recently writing, but right now it’s an unreleased song mainly in 7/8. For my released songs, I’m really proud of my writing on ‘In The Night Time’ and ‘Effortless Again’.
Listen to 'In The Night Time' on Spotify
Photo by Sophie Jouvenaar
Could you tell about some of your most memorable performances to date?
My most memorable performance would have to be my album release show for my debut album ‘Cognitive Dissonance’ at Oporto. The whole audience was there singing along word for word the songs I had spent months toiling over in my bedroom. It was also the first time I did my symbolic ‘tantrum dance’ for my track ‘Hot Showers and Emotional Warmth’ and I did not expect the audience to react in the way they did. It was a very momentous night for me and the band, and a huge payoff seeing three years of work cheering you right in the face.
'Cognitive Dissonance' on BandCamp
Photo by Sophie Jouvenaar
How would you describe your sound?
I always use the genres: Indie, Alternative, J-Pop, Rock, to describe us to anyone who asks. I’d say the common tie between everyone in the band is the love we have for rock, metal, and the Japanese music scene. We all have a lot of inspirations from there.
Listen to 'Effortless Again' on Spotify
Photo by Sophie Jouvenaar
What's coming up next for you in terms of projects or releases?
We’re currently working on our next album and keeping a bit more tight-lipped about it than our previous album. We’ve been recording some incredible material, and I can’t wait till we’re able to share it with everyone.
Photo by Sophie Jouvenaar
What is your best memory from Leeds Conservatoire?
I can’t say I have only one best memory, as I’ve had so many different memorable experiences during my time there. From hosting a glow-in-the-dark single launch party in my tiny student flat, to nervously performing in the café bar on my birthday for the first open mic of the year, writing something in a studio session that I instantly knew would become amazing, and rehearsing in the practice rooms with my band on the top floor - being able to look down and see all of Leeds twinkling below.
What advice would you give to a prospective student thinking of applying to your course?
Never stop self-reflecting about what you want. I came to the conservatoire with the mind to study songwriting, and I ended up leaving with a BA in Music Production! Everyone’s musical journeys are going through different stages, and everyone needs different things. For myself, I thought I needed songwriting, but it turns out I needed to improve on my production first for my sound. If you’re thinking of applying, stay honest with yourself about what you want, and everything else will follow.
We'd like to say a huge thank you to Yvonne for chatting with us!
Check out Yvonne's socials:
Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube
Find out more about BA (Hons) Music (Production)
Find out more about what our successful graduates have been up to in our Alumni Profiles
