Beyond the K-pop groups and the choreography that dominate headlines, another wave of singer-songwriters and independent artists from South Korea’s music scene has been building its own audience – on streaming platforms, on YouTube, in small venues. DORI is part of that wave, though she arrived at it from an unlikely direction.

She studied audio engineering in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s not the obvious training ground for a Korean indie artist. Nashville's music culture treats songwriting as craft first – structure, feel, and patience. DORI absorbed that, came back to Korea in 2020, and began making music that reflects it. She writes her own lyrics, co-produces, edits her own recordings.

Her recent single “Violet” is the clearest expression of that yet. It’s dream-pop in texture – hazy guitar, layered atmosphere, a vocal that feels like it is arriving from somewhere inside a memory. She describes the colour violet as the song's organising concept: what happens when small failures and sadness accumulate, layer by layer, until they become something richer and more complex. The lyric video, hand-drawn and delicate, places a lone figure on a stage. The only thing rendered in full colour is her.

DORI had already built a following through YouTube covers and vlogs before she released a single original track. She had fans before she had a catalogue.

The chorus for your song “Violet” says "So call me Violet." Who is Violet to you – a part of you, or someone you are becoming?

DORI "Violet" represents me. It’s also the version of myself that will grow even deeper and richer in color. The song conveys the idea that the little failures and sadnesses we experience in daily life come together to shape a more mature version of who I am. I think it’s similar to how layers of paint build up to create a deeper, more intense color.

One line talks about being made from many dots gathered together. What are the dots for you – what experiences or feelings make up who you are now?

Like I mentioned, they mean the various hardships we face in life. The message is that even if we trip, bruise, and get left with lasting scars from unexpected moments, those very experiences are what ultimately add depth to who I am and make me stronger for the future.

Your music has moved from something fast and energetic (“Leftover”) to something dreamier and softer (“Violet”). What was pulling you in that direction?

"Leftover" was a project single in collaboration with xyz.tracker, meaning it incorporated diverse perspectives. Looking at the storyline and musical direction, I'd say this song connects more with my first EP, Sofie. While Sofie carried a raw, pure emotion, like writing a letter to my childhood self, "Violet" transitions into a more mature vibe that embraces pain and focuses on growth. It felt like a natural flow of maturing, both as a person and as an artist.

When you make music, do you also see it – like an image, or a place? How important is it to you that the visual world of a song matches how it sounds?

I actually rely heavily on visuals and imagery when creating music. For instance, since "Violet" was the central keyword for this track, I spent a lot of time thinking about the emotions that come to mind when I picture the color violet—and whether the music itself genuinely evokes that color in return. Beyond that, I usually imagine a specific keyword or a scene and treat it like an entire world. From there, I tend to write lyrics by following a narrative, asking myself, "If this were a real situation, what would happen next?"

You built an audience on YouTube before releasing any original music. Does that change how you decide which songs to share – do you feel a pressure to meet expectations?

I got into YouTube because I loved to sing, and those around me encouraged me to try it. At the time, the mere process of completing and sharing each cover track was pure joy. That naturally sparked a desire to create my own songs, and through a fortunate opportunity, I was able to work on my own music and make my debut. That period on YouTube definitely provided a lot of nourishment for my growth, but it doesn't really translate into pressure or dictate my current direction. Now is a whole new chapter, and I keep finding new things I want to explore!

You studied audio engineering in Nashville. How did that city and that experience change how you hear music?

Studying in Nashville exposed me to an incredibly wide variety of music. When I was younger, the range of music I listened to was relatively limited. But while studying audio engineering, I started digging into older music and even felt a sense of nostalgia for eras I had never lived through. Realizing that we ultimately share similar emotions despite living in different times naturally drew me toward more experimental music. For me, it was a profound learning experience, like diving into an endless universe. Inspired by those moments, I'm still experimenting with various styles and finding the sound that truly fits me.

When people outside Korea hear Korean music, they often call everything "K-pop." Does that term mean anything to you – does it feel like it includes you, or not?

I think K-pop is something much bigger than just a music genre. To me, it’s a comprehensive art form built by diverse professionals with exceptional skills. On top of that, it's backed by a solid training system, significant capital, and an incredibly supportive environment. In that sense, rather than calling myself K-pop… how about K-indie?

You trained as an audio engineer. Does that technical knowledge change the way you write songs – do you hear the production while you're still writing the words?

When I’m writing a song, I usually have a general picture of how it will turn out in the end. However, rather than working entirely alone, the track's vibe becomes so much clearer during the arranging process as the producers add their own color to it. Because of that, I strongly feel that the big picture is something we build together. When I'm in the songwriting phase, I tend to focus more on the story I want to tell, the key words, and how catchy the melody feels to the ear.

When you are making a song, how do you know when it is finished?

I feel a song is truly complete when I’ve tested it across all my audio equipment and find that I can just seamlessly enjoy the track without any distractions.

Is there a moment in the recording of your recent work that you still think about?

I’d have to say recording "Violet" recently. The track really needed a tasteful vocal groove, but it was tricky finding that perfect middle ground between over-singing and keeping it too understated. I remember spending a lot of time during the recording process making sure my delivery didn't sound overly forced or exaggerated.

What has changed most about you as an artist in the last year or two?

Between the end of last year and the beginning of this year, I released my first physical EP and held a small solo concert, which allowed me to finally meet my listeners in person. I think that was the exact moment it truly hit me: "Wow, I’m really doing music." It was a pivotal milestone for me. Since then, I’ve felt much more comfortable on stage, and interacting with my fans has become so much more fun. Musically, I feel like I've become more proficient at handling various aspects of my craft. Having experienced so much over the past couple of years, I now have so much more I want to say through my music.

Is there something you used to believe about music – or yourself – that you no longer believe?

I’ve largely let go of the mindset that "I have to be perfect." Now, I believe that even if it's not flawless, doing my absolute best within the given time is what truly matters. At the same time, the feeling that "I can do anything" has faded too. I’ve realized that people can't actually do everything. I now think it takes real courage to do your best with what you can do, and if that path doesn't feel right, to boldly let it go and look for a new direction.

When you think about the kind of artist you want to be in five years, what do you see?

I really want to perform a lot. If possible, I definitely want to release a full-length album, and I'd love to stand on festival stages. Ultimately, I want to become the kind of artist whose music people actively keep coming back to—someone they constantly want to listen to and watch.

What do you want people to remember about this period of your music?

I feel like I'm still very much in the middle of my growth process as a musician, which is why I keep experimenting with different things. Even though it's already my fourth year since debuting, I still have so much more I want to show everyone. Looking back on this time in the future, I’d love it if they remembered it simply as my chaotic, clumsy, but beautiful growth story.

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This feature is taken from our fifth printed issue, available for purchase here.