Launched in 2015, THE CHARM PARK is the brainchild of talented Korean born, Los Angeles-raised vocalist Charm. Charm’s solo project is becoming the missing link which lies between western and eastern styles of pop music, and it’s even making big waves with the recent rise of the fusion pop genre in Japan. Dubbing himself the next generation pop maestro, Charm is true to his word, with organic and dynamic compositions accompanying his melodic vocals. He hopes that his arrangements will be enjoyed by fans all around the world.

Ken: First of all, thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview. We are huge fans, one of our members even choosing you as his New Artist of the Year back in 2019. To say we are excited is an understatement and we would like to congratulate you on the successful release of your album Bedroom Revelations back in February.

THE CHARM PARK: My pleasure.

K: As an artist who sings songs in both Japanese and English, what made you decide to do this? It is somewhat rare for artists to swap back and forth between languages for different tracks.

TCP: Well, firstly, for anyone who doesn't know my background, I was born in Seoul, Korea and was raised in Los Angeles for most of my life. Japanese is actually my third language, so singing in English was actually most natural for me. However, while I was in Los Angeles I had great admiration and respect for Japanese music and culture and always heard a little bit of English in their music regardless of their fluency in the language. So although I do feel like I'm a part of the bridge that connects Japan and English-speaking countries, I don't feel as out of place singing both languages in Japan.

K: If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and what type of song would you make?

“I would love to collaborate with artists outside of Japan who have a similar love for Japanese music.”

TCP: During my limited years as a musician I have gotten a lot of chances to collaborate with and write for many of the artists I'm a big fan of such as OhashiTrio, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, and Monkey Majik, to name a few. I feel lucky and blessed that these collaborations happened and hope to continue with others. These days I would love to collaborate with artists outside of Japan who have a similar love for Japanese music and see what new music can be made. One instance this came true was with STAMP from Thailand, who surprisingly had similar influences to mine even though we were born and raised in completely different places in the world.

K: Which artist would you say is your biggest inspiration?

TCP: I'm not sure if I can say these guys are my biggest inspiration judging by the music I'm creating these days, but X-Japan was the first band that inspired me to play the guitar and pursue music. The guitarist HIDE's solo albums are still a constant inspiration every time I listen and give me chills. My goal is to one day give the same inspiration to other artists as they have to me.

K: Recently on our podcast we talked about our favorite music videos and which songs we wished could have a music video, for some of our favorite artists. Out of all of the music videos you have filmed, which are your favorites? And, is there any song in your discography that you wish you could have filmed?

TCP: Every music video made has a special part in my heart, and probably like many other artists, it brings me back memories like reading a page out of my diary. I really can't pick one, but the video for "Timeless" has such a powerful impact on me. Kosuke Sugimoto, the creator of the video, has made many others for me including "Lost", "Gravity", and "Sunflower". And I hope these videos get seen by more people. As for the other question, I would like all of my songs to have videos, hehe.

K: International fans usually discover J-pop through anime. Do you watch anime? If so, which would you say is your favorite?

TCP: Being an international fan of J-pop originally, a lot of my favorite songs and bands were discovered through anime and games. I've been behind on watching anime these days, but I've always been a big fan of Gundam and the whole franchise. The robots and action are what got to me first, but the storytelling was what got me hooked. Also, the music (the songs and the soundtracks) are phenomenal most of the time.

K: What are some challenges you have faced as an artist? How have you overcome them?

TCP: Before becoming THE CHARM PARK, I was originally in a band called Hemenway. We got signed to a major label and back then I thought that had been the goal and the end of the hardships… but it really wasn't, heh. I don't want to bore you guys with all the details of my hardships, so long story short, you just have to do what you love and the rest is up to how many people agree with what you made. So as a natural people-pleaser, I try to stop myself from thinking about what others would like and do my thing. For now, that made me have the least regret in life, haha.

K: Is there a venue you performed at that you’ll never forget? Also, is there a dream venue that you would like to perform at?

“I realized the power of music and songs to bring people together.”

TCP: The first place I played as THE CHARM PARK—where you had to buy tickets—was a small live-cafe in Shimokitazawa called Mona Records. I had my first EP out through an indie label; I didn't have any big promotions or exposure so I didn't expect anyone to come, but the tickets were sold out pretty quickly. Then I realized the power of music and songs to bring people together. As an international fan of Japan, Budokan has been a dream venue since a long time ago but I'm not sure if the music I make is suitable for that kind of venue, haha.

K: For many of your tracks you use both English and Japanese. Do you plan to do an International Tour in the Future?

TCP: These plans never go as planned so I tend not to think about it, hah. I had a few international gigs planned in the year 2020 and we all know how that turned out, heh. In all seriousness, an international Tour would be a blast and I would love to go to different places to play where people want to hear my songs.

K: Do you have a process or certain mindset when creating your songs? If so, would you like to share that process?

TCP: I don't necessarily have a set process when creating songs, so everything's a bit of a mess when I start writing. However, one thing that is important to me is if I myself like the song or not. Songwriting as a career is impossible if nobody else likes your music, but ultimately I would rather have a song I like heard by a few than a song I don't heard by many.

K: How did the pandemic affect the way you approach recording your music? For example, did you wind up recording more at home?

TCP: THE CHARM PARK's origin was to have people listen to my bedroom recording and mistake me for a band (some actually do believe that). So, the pandemic hasn't changed that aspect, but I do feel it has made my writing lean more towards therapy than energy. I feel the songs I've been writing these days have become more personal and human, which thankfully connected me to more people who feel the same way as me.

K: What were some of the challenges you faced putting together your latest album, Bedroom Revelations?

“The music geek inside of me was fighting me the whole way.”

TCP: Bedroom Revelations was maybe my first album to not have a diverse genre of music. This was very much intended and I am very pleased with the way it turned out, but the music geek inside of me was fighting me the whole way, saying, "You need more fast songs" or "When is the electric guitar coming out?" Heh. Limiting myself to writing with just my classical guitar was a challenge at the beginning, but I think I came out a more mature musician after this album.

K: What is your favorite track off Bedroom Revelations?

TCP: I wouldn't say it's my favorite, but I would love more people to hear my duet with fifi léger, "Komoriutanohate", which means "At the end of this lullaby". The song came out so naturally and fifi's voice is also a gem.

K: Was Bedroom Revelations always planned to include ten tracks or were there more that ended up requiring a bit more tweaking?

TCP: Every time I make an album there are a few more songs made just in case the balance of the album is better with those songs, or just songs that didn't make my cut. Those songs will either be destroyed or given to other artists. Just kidding. ^^

K: Are there any upcoming projects you are excited for fans to hear about?

TCP: I recently collaborated with WOWOW, a TV channel in Japan, and filmed a 90-minute performance with them titled "Attack the Ages". I wanted to make it interesting so I divided the performance in decades (60s, 70s, 80s, etc.) and arranged my songs to those eras. The band and I went deep in replicating those eras so I'm working hard trying to see how we can have people all over the world watch my homage to pop music history.

KB: Do you have a message for your international fans?

TCP: I think times have changed enough so that we can REALLY choose to listen to what we love and watch what interests us. I can't say that I'm Japanese but I can't say I'm Korean or American either, so the term "international" is beginning to look weird in my point of view. Before going on a rant, I'd love to thank anyone who’s listened to my music and supported me on this journey. I'll try to create more songs that move me and hopefully people will feel the same way I do…

K: Once again, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule and we look forward to your upcoming releases!

TCP: Thank you guys for your awesome questions! This was my first English interview and my English is a bit rusty, but hopefully you guys got the gist of it, heh.

Be sure to check out THE CHARM PARKS’s official site along with his Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube Channel

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Interview: THE CHARM PARK