Meet Gi | Artist, Songwriter, & DJ

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gi, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I think it’s changed a lot over the past year for me, and I think that it’s been palpable to my supporters as well. So much has changed in my life – the pandemic hitting, graduating from college with my Bachelor’s degree, moving, etc. It was really hard balancing music in my life when I was in school. And now, it’s hard balancing music with work and health, now that I’m done with school. I’m actually trying to get back into my music with a different mindset now. Since I’ve always been so busy with things outside of music, I always felt so much internal pressure to occupy any of my free time towards music. And to many people, this is “ambitious” and “driven,” but over time it’s taken a toll on my mental health. I feel like I’ve put so much pressure on myself to be constantly productive or driven, that I can’t enjoy my free time or even enjoy creating the way I used to. So I’ve been trying to enjoy life outside of music and school, and I think that this mental self-care will eventually help me fall in love with creating again. Because I want to experience that organic fun and curiosity I used to feel when I first started. That’s where the best art comes from. Today’s culture romanticizes hustling and over-ambitious behavior so much that it’s mentally drowning a lot of people. I definitely think it’s important to take a step back to assess what we each need, and that’s how we can take the first step to balance.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
One thing I’m super proud of is being a Korean-American artist. I don’t fit the schema of being a K-Pop girl. I’m just myself, a fierce and soft creative. And I think what sets me apart musically is my versatility, something that reflects my personality too. Though I mainly have R&B music out right now, I’ve made songs in almost every genre. Lofi, reggaeton, trap, pop, etc. I’m working on rebranding myself right now, so I can share my new music soon. For a while, I felt like I had to sell my R&B image in order to “make it” or stay popular. But at this point, I just want to share my art.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have a weird addiction to sweet beverages, it’s my one vice. Almost daily I get/make either a latte, smoothie, or bubble tea. So because of that, we’d definitely have to hit up Summer Moon, Juiceland, and Feng Cha. They’re my go-to spots for lattes, smoothies, and boba. Aside from drinks, I’d probably take my friend to 1618, my favorite restaurant in Austin. Non-food related activities would probably be hiking, exploring the city, thrifting, and swimming!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shoutout my main audio engineer, Pac, for changing the course of my career. We connected through Instagram a couple years back, and my sound has been elevated since. It’s never been about money or favors between us, just creating dope music and trying to make our dreams come true together. It also doesn’t hurt that we connect as friends and I’ve always felt comfortable working with him.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsjustgi/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtTUHyKk_hheYedHlMDx6ZQ

Image Credits
RJ Jones, Simba Chinomoa, Hallie Conrad