Friendships come right when you need them, even the second time around.

Much like a lot of long-lost friends, Alyn Wee and Karn Kasidej were brought together by the pandemic after 8 years, finding comfort in each other and music during uncertain times. The result of their reunion was HYBS, a Thai indie pop duo that's taken the world by storm—something they never expected. 

The pair released their debut single 'Ride' in 2021 and have since seen a meteoric rise in the region's indie music scene. Most recently, HYBS released their highly anticipated debut album, Making Steak where they continue to cook up carefree and laid-back melodies and lyrics that hit close to home. 

Bandwagon caught up with HYBS to talk about what inspires their music, their debut record, and what lies ahead. 

Hi HYBS! What’s been keeping you busy lately?

The album! We have been super busy making Making Steak.

What inspired the decision to reunite and form HYBS?

Loneliness. Hahahaha. It was a lockdown time in Bangkok so we decided to meet up and make some music together. 

Your music has made it all across the world, racking up millions of streams from fans both in and out of Thailand. What do you think it is about your music that resonates with so many people?

We don’t really know…but if we have to guess it’s probably the easy words and the vibe that we share with our listeners through the music based on what we loved.

Who are some artists that inspire you?

The Beatles, PREP, and Roosevelt. 

You just released your first album Making Steak, what was your vision for the album?

We wanna do what we love! And from the response we got from our fans, we think they’d love it too. 

What’s the story behind your lead single ‘Would You Mind’?

It happened when we were about to cook some food and, somehow, James (Alyn) got the verse and the chorus out of the blue. 

Walk us through what the creative process was like for the album. What were some challenges that you guys faced and how did you overcome them?

Actually, not just for this album, we vibe together to make music then we write the lyrics together based on our ideas. For the challenges, we guess it is our time hahaha. Our schedules started to get tight back then. 

What do you hope your listeners take away from ‘Making Steak?

I hope they’ll get good experiences, good vibes when they are taking their journey throughout the album.

What are some goals you have for the band and your music?

We are aiming for a world tour! If it will happen one day :) 

So far, what’s the best part of being part of HYBS?

I think it’s our chemistry that matches when we vibe together with a good friend who is able to share ideas and comments explicitly. 

What can we expect from HYBS in the coming year?

More collaborations! We want to meet and work with more people around the world, so if anyone is interested, don’t hesitate to let us know! 

Listen to HYBS' debut album, Making Steak here.