Interview: Harry Teardrop is in between it all

A few weeks ago, Harry Teardrop dropped “Unspoken”. It was the first song that the New York musician had put out since the release of “Black converse” five months ago, and it was the kind of emo-MySpace adjacent track the musician was known for. But on this one, there was a bonus message that flashed on the screen as the credits rolled: “this is dedicated to my fans / you know who you are / it’s been a long time coming… / but i’m proud to announce my debut album / Inbetween Webs / July 17th”. And just like that a few days later, Inbetween Webs was released.

Like the music itself, which casts a wide net of influences from 2010s emo, digicam-era indie rock, and radio alternative, Inbetween Webs was announced and released in the most Internet way possible: an almost unceremonious, vlog-like, winking IYKYK method that was tacked onto the end of a video with no warning. What can I say? It worked. For those of us who had been waiting for this release to finally come out, it was truly exciting.

Way back in May of last year, I had called Harry Teardrop to interview him about Inbetween Webs, the name of which was already soft-launched via other interviews the musician had given. Off of the power of “7” (which I still have on my playlist on repeat), the release of Inbetween Webs seemed to be fast approaching… until the trail went cold. A year had passed since we talked about it and I feared that it was shelved for one reason or another. Finally seeing it come out in July, then, felt exciting in itself, and it’s one that was worth the wait. If you grew up in that emo-alternative corner of the Internet, you’ll find something here to latch onto… I can easily see it popping up on a feed filled with Pon and Zi re-shares, Domo memes, and scene selfies that you’d be too embarrassed to look back at in ten years time. Maybe you would’ve paused and pressed play on it in between posts, drawn in by the shadowy album artwork. Or maybe you, like a true early Internet kid, just secretly downloaded onto your iPod Touch. IYKYK, indeed. 

Read on to learn more about Harry Teardrop’s album inspirations, his visual style, and what it’s like to make New York City his home as an indie musician.

Note: this interview was conducted back in May of 2025 via Zoom and all of his answers are a reflection of that time. 

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I just wanted to very quickly ask, you know, how are you doing? I believe you had a show yesterday. Is that right? 

Yeah, yeah, last night. It was great. It was my first time playing in a while in New York. I kind of took a little hiatus because I was focusing on some other projects and playing in different bands. But this night was really special because I got to play with two of my friends from Japan, and it was their first time playing in New York. I got to vicariously experience that through them. Playing in the city for the first time is so special.

It seems like there’s kind of a tight knit group around New York, maybe a little scene. What’s it like being a part of that? How did you find your people?

I was born in New York, but I moved away growing up, moved around a lot on the West Coast, and China also. When I moved back to New York to go to school at NYU, I met a lot of people. So I got really lucky in a way. I was able to jump start and be thrown into a community because of school, and I’m still friends with a lot of those people to this day. I got my start just playing college shows, really, and then it kind of sprouted from there. At first I was just accepting literally any show that would come my way. I was playing a show a week at one point.

I’d say the community here is really good in the sense that artists are very supportive of each other. I think we have a lot of respect for each other, and it’s easy to find your people because there’s a lot of different subgenres, too. There’s a really big electronic scene right now. There’s cool emo music coming up. But I guess what I struggle with sometimes is that — and kind of the reason why I took a break for a while — I feel like my music is in between a lot of different things. It’s not really [pigeonholed] into any one genre or culture, and that’s kind of like what my album is about, actually. It’s called Inbetween Webs, and it’s just about how I always feel like I’m in between different circles. It’s something that I’ve learned to embrace, and now I just feel like it’s part of who I am. I think I’m gonna try to just make my own thing.

Could you tell me a little bit more about [your debut album]? I know you’ve mentioned it in a few interviews in the past. What’s the story about this album so far?

It’s taken on a life of its own, in a way. I’ve been working on it for four to five years now, and it’s gone through a lot of different iterations. It’s been my baby that’s grown with me and changed in a lot of different forms. It’s a compilation of my young adulthood. It’s definitely very New York, but also influenced by my experiences in Japan and being able to travel the US. It’s definitely not traditional in that most albums are kind of a snapshot in one particular moment in time.

For me, it’s more of a collage of a lot of different moments in my life. But the one thing that I’m grateful for that I’ve waited this long is I feel like there is a cohesive sound, and it feels very true to me. When it does come out, I’m going to be really proud of it.

With this upcoming album as well, I know that you started teasing it around the time of the release of “Discolor.” All these singles that came out after that… are they expected to be on the album?

The tracklist isn’t set in stone yet, but those tracks are going to be on the album. It’s going to be pretty long, like a proper full length album. I know a lot of people these days will release an album that’s like eight songs. But this one will be a proper full length, maybe like 13 songs. And honestly, I want to do a deluxe release afterwards where I just put out everything that’s been part of this process, and that will be like 20 songs.

After I get this one out, I’m not sure if I’m going to keep putting out music under Harry Teardrop, or if I’m gonna focus more on Push Ups or just pivot. But in any capacity, after this, I just want to be putting out music a lot more consistently and freely instead of vaulting all the stuff like I have been for this project.

I’ve learned a lot throughout this process. I think a big reason why I didn’t just call it done when I could have in the past is because I’m finding my own confidence in myself, both as an artist and as a person — just figuring out who I am and what I stand for. I feel like nowadays I’m a lot more sure of myself. And also I realized that I’m not just one thing, and I don’t have to confine myself to one thing. That’s something that I’ve recently really embraced.

So I know that your music is tied to your visual style. I’d love to know a little bit more about that. Who are you inspired by? 

The visuals came about because, well, I’ve always loved music videos growing up. That was a big reason as to why I got into music in the first place was through watching music videos. This was back in the MTV era, you know. I would watch Sum-41 videos, or like, Fountains of Wayne, and be like, “Oh, that’s so sick. I want to do that.” That’s always just been in the back of my mind. I started working with my brother, Drake, with visuals when I was first putting out music and I fell in love with the process of making music videos too. That’s one of my favorite parts of being an artist is being able to make the visuals. I also gotta shout out Isaac Kau for “Fcuk” and “7,” because he shot the majority of both of those videos. He’s a really talented artist, somebody who really gets my vision, and he’s able to shoot things that I can’t. That’s been a process in itself, like learning how to collaborate with other people, because I do so many things on my own. I usually don’t collaborate with people, so it’s really special to find somebody I can just bounce ideas off of so freely. I’m not sure why I gravitate towards making visual content too. It’s just something that I really enjoy, and I feel like it comes from the same place as the music. To me, it doesn’t feel separate. It all just funnels through my creative vision.

I just want to add that I’d love to collaborate more going forward, because I think some of the most special things happen from bouncing ideas off of somebody else. A big part of the DIY-filter that surrounds my visuals and the music is mostly out of necessity. I’m super independent. Like, I don’t have a manager, label, or anything – literally no outside support whatsoever. The DIY aspect just comes from me being like, “Oh, I need a music video and it can be really expensive to hire somebody to do it. You know what? I can just do it myself.” And then I would literally buy a cheap camera, and then shoot with that. And that’s kind of where the digicam style comes from. Yeah, people can relate to it, because it feels super real.

I’ve noticed that a lot of your singles have an ambient B side with very specific, particular titles! I was kind of curious about your logic behind these B sides. Are these pairings inspired by something?

They’re kind of like a release after I’ve finished the A side, because I’ll spend a ton of time working on the A side and then the B sides come really fast. The last one, the polka dot umbrella one, I literally made in an hour. It’s super organic, and it’s because I’m not putting any pressure on it at all. I literally just make something that sounds good, and I don’t think about it all. 

But the ambient stuff in general is definitely inspired by a few Japanese artists that I’m really inspired by, like Daisuke Miyatani is one I really love. Rei Harakami is another one. I got into that kind of music maybe in 2021, and it just made me feel so at peace listening to that kind of music. I just really fell in love with the concept of making music that’s more for the background, and letting the natural sound around you take more of the forefront.

I guess it’s similar to why people love Lo-fi beats to study to, or the Minecraft soundtrack. It scratches the same itch in my brain. It’s just really peaceful and calming, and I like being able to give people that experience in addition to the more “in your face” stuff that I do.

Have you thought about film scoring or anything like that?

Yeah, it’s something I would love to do in future. I’ve done it very casually here and there before, but that’s kind of like an end goal for me. And [making] movies in general.

I know that in one of your interviews, the texting interview, you did mention that you wanted to put out an ambient project in the future. Is that something that’s still on the table?

Yeah, for sure. I think after the album comes out, I’ll probably just put out a short EP of all the ambient stuff. My friend actually is starting an ambient label, and he was like, “Hey, if you ever want to put out something under this feel free.” And I was like, “Maybe I’ll do that.” I’m not sure if it’s going to be under Harry Teardrop or if it’s going to be under a different name, but I’ll definitely put out some sort of ambient project.

And I would love to make a zine too. That’s something that I’ve always wanted to do along with this album. Some sort of physical zine that has stories from this era and photos [for] an interactive experience. That’s kind of like what I want to do in general. When I make something, I want to give something tangible to people that they can interact with and let it take on a life of its own.

I also wanted to go back to this one interview that you did with Luna, maybe back in 2021. I think they asked you how you describe your music, and at the time, you said something like “pop music with guitars.” Would you still describe your music that way?

Honestly, I feel like I described it that way, but I’m not sure if it’s perceived that way. I do think that what I make is pop music, but in a way, it’s also very punk at its core. Even though it doesn’t necessarily sound like punk, the approach is similar. I’m trying to do something against the grain. I thought it was a lot more digestible than maybe it actually is, because sometimes I’m playing to like certain crowds, and I can just see they’re a little confused by it. It’s not something that I do on purpose to make something that’s hard to understand. I think because there’s a lot of mixing ideas, maybe it does take a little second to wrap your head around what’s going on. I mean, ultimately, I do want to make music that’s digestible and fun. The ideal balance, I think, is a balance between being fun and also being a little risky.

Speaking of pop music as well, I know that you covered Plain White Ts last year. Where did the idea for that come from? Is that a glimpse into what you like to listen to?

I’d say so. I grew up on Plain White Ts for sure. And Coldplay and Death Cab For Cutie. Very twee, kind of innocent music. I love that kind of music. That cover was inspired because I saw them live literally a week before that in New York. It was really sick. It just reminded me how much I loved that song growing up. I made that cover really quick, like in one day. Yeah, I do love making stuff that fast. It’s so fun. That’s something I want to do more going forward.

What is it like working with your brother and growing up with them?

It’s amazing. He’s such a big reason as to why I make music at all. We kind of started at the same time, actually. In the early years, I have definitely just copied a lot of his swag. He would get into a band, and I’d be like, “Oh, that’s cool. What are you listening to?” And then I would make that my favorite band, and then he would be like, “Screw you. I’m gonna find a new favorite band!” And then the cycle would just repeat.

As we’ve gotten older, we’ve grown into our own different tastes, and now we’re at a point where we’re totally able to contribute something different with each other, and that’s something I’m so grateful for. We’re also in a band together called Push Ups, and that came about a couple years ago, and that’s definitely more his vision. I’m supporting that more these days, and that’s been a lot of fun, too. I can’t imagine not having him in my life, honestly. It’s just so centric to who I am.

What does the rest of your family make of your music careers?

I’m really lucky that my mom and dad are super supportive. They’re very creative in their own ways. Neither of them are artists necessarily. My mom’s kind of a writer too, but they just really understand what we’re doing, and I’m really grateful for that. It’s really rare. I would say usually people outside of just my immediate family don’t really understand, but that’s okay. I would say, the four of us — me, my brother, my mom and dad — are just a core unit. Because I grew up moving around a lot, I’m not as close with my other family members.

Do they ever come to shows and support you?

They love coming to the shows! My mom actually came to my show in Tokyo, which is crazy. She used to live in Japan back in the 90s, and she really wanted to go back to Japan. So when she found out I was playing, she’s like, “I have to go!” She was literally at my show, and she doesn’t drink anymore, but she had like, one drink or something, and she got really tipsy. She was just being so loud and kind of embarrassing me, but it was, like, so classic. “Mom, what are you doing?” I guess that’ll never change, honestly!

I love my parents so much, and it’s really rare for Asian parents, especially, to be supportive of creative endeavors. So I do really realize how lucky I am.

You’ve been in the indie space for a long time. I’m thinking about your 2018 single, “Chinatown” which was actually how I found out about you. Do you think the scene has changed from then to now, in terms of Asian American musicians in the indie space, or is it still kind of an underground thing? What do you think?

It’s definitely still an underground thing, but there’s more representation now which is awesome. I would say beabadoobee has been huge. She’s not even American, but just an Asian face making alternative music is really cool. For a while, it was just 88Rising, which I’ve had a love-hate relationship with. Ultimately, it is cool that there are Asian people getting their music out there at all, so no hate.

I’d say in terms of the indie-alternative space, it’s definitely still on the underground. Especially when it comes to touring in the more middle areas of the US… when I was doing that with another band, a lot of times I would be the only Asian person in the room. It’s rewarding in that I feel like I’m doing something important, but also it can be isolating too. Since I started, my hope has always been to inspire other Asian artists to put themselves out there. I think that I see that a lot more, especially on TikTok and stuff. I would say TikTok changed the music industry.

Actually, yesterday was my first time playing with an all-Asian lineup in America, which is crazy because I’ve been doing this for a long time. It’s something that I’d like to do more and more.

What are some of your favorite films? If Genius is to be believed, “Chinatown” sampled Chungking Express! Any other favorites?

Shoutout Chungking Express. I would say that movie for sure changed my life. That was another movie that my brother put me onto. I think that movie was my first time seeing an Asian movie that was so sentimental and iconic. I think that really struck a chord within me, because I just related to it so hard. And Fallen Angels is another one I’m really obsessed with.

Outside of that, I just recently watched a Japanese movie called Love + Pop that I thought was really awesome. It’s from the creator of Neon Evangelion and that movie was so bizarre and kind of heavy. But on the complete flip-side, I’m a huge sucker for rom-coms. Notting Hill, Definitely, Maybe, Love Actually. I just can’t explain it. It’s so satisfying. Any movie that’s set in New York, too. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, too. I’d love to be in a soundtrack for something like that one day.

What are your favorite games/films/musical projects, either at the moment or of all time?

Games — The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, Minecraft – all for their sense of wonder and the amazing soundtracks that accompany them.

Musical projects – This has no end of an answer but some of my favorite artists include The Cribs, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Lali Puna, Supercar, The Teenagers, Blink-182, to name a few. 

What would your perfect day in New York consist of?

New York has endless hidden gems but I’ll go with the Natural History Museum/Central Park or Chinatown/Two Bridges. When I have time off I like to skate around the city and write in my journal.

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Inbetween Webs is out now. This interview was conducted in May 2025 via Zoom and email. Header photo taken from the single artwork of “Black converse”.

Artist pages: Website | YouTube | Instagram | Spotify