New Zealand-Korean indie pop artist hanbee returns today with ‘lovers’ from her upcoming debut album small love out July 12. Later that month hanbee will take to the Golden Age Cinema stage with hans. for their joint headline show on July 20. LISTEN HERE + RSVP TO HEADLINE SHOW HERE.

Breezy citypop and lo-fi come to a head on ‘lovers’, a synth-backed relay on the precipice of love and heartbreak. Channelling the daunting energy that surrounds the question of “What are we?” between two people getting to know one another, increasingly seeking further time spent together, ‘lovers’ eases the anxiety of its looming answer. Recounting the sweet idiosyncrasies and seemingly simple moments that forge deeper connections, hanbee bridges the gap of desire.

“Are we lovers? Such a simple question yet one that holds much weight. ‘lovers’ takes place in that fragile step at the brink of a relationship. Defining a complicated relationship can be confusing, but eventually love will find its way,” hanbee explains. “Inspired by such experiences of myself and others, ‘lovers’ is about that struggle of trying to figure out your own feelings for someone who is close but not quite near enough yet.”

She continues, “‘lovers’ is all about being faced with the defining step of a relationship – whether it be growing into a relationship or breaking apart. Being faced with this decision can be daunting, leading to complicated feelings of wanting not only intimacy but also to run away. The lyrics portray such mixed feelings, while the track remains upbeat, symbolising that hopefulness of potential love.”

hanbee’s debut album small love, due July 12, is set to reveal the vocalists full artistic range, her quaint, crisp vocals at the centre. Today’s ‘lovers’ joins the previously released single ‘days months years‘, arriving to praise across Coup De Main, Rolling Stone, Frankie Magazine, Sniffers and Pileratsalongside a steady stream of DSP support including EQUAL, Pop n’ Fresh, softly, Fresh Finds and others.

hanbee first set flight with the viral single ‘Strawberry’ from her debut project Seashell Cassette, now accumulating over 3 million DSP streams. Since, a steady period of development has followed from sourcing acclaim across Rolling Stone – most notably nominated for Best New Artist at the Rolling Stone Aotearoa Awards – Coup De Main, Sniffers, Tone Deaf to performing alongside Men I Trust, Fazerdaze and Telenova.

Most recently, hanbee appeared at Laneway Festival NZ and SXSW Sydney while her music has been featured in the soundtrack of ABC series White Fever, which celebrates contemporary music and experiences from the Asian diaspora. With support from the NZ On Air initiative and small love under her wings, hanbee continues to soar forward with fast rising status.