---
title: "The Soul of an Artist (with Human Barbie and veronicavon — Chris Hackman and Xuan Nguyen)"

description: 'Chris and Xuan join the pod to discuss artistic serendipity, co-writing, unexpected choices, and how recording choices inform genre. Veronicavon, the brainchild of songwriters Chris Hackman (Human Barbie) and Xuan Nguyen (Xuan), emerged in 2020 with a (secret) mission to explore uncharted horizons in lo-fi pop. Their universe of grainy synths, cassette-drenched drums, and warbling guitars, complemented by Nguyen’s enchanting vocals, creates a wistful, playful, and instantly addictive dreamscape. Flood Magazine dubbed them "casually devastating," and their hypnotic bedroom aesthetic quickly garnered a passionate audience, with over 500k streams on Spotify in their first year. They''ve been featured on editorial playlists like ‘Fresh Finds’, ‘Borderless’, and ‘Fuzzy’. Keep a close eye on this duo, as they follow in the footsteps of alt-pop icons Men I Trust, Alvvays, and Japanese Breakfast.'

status: complete

date: 2023-07-18

kind: guest

guestSlugs:
  - chris-hackman

listenUrl: "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lovemusicmore/episodes/The-Soul-of-an-Artist-with-Human-Barbie-and-veronicavon--Chris-Hackman-and-Xuan-Nguyen-e272gag"
appleUrl: "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-soul-of-an-artist-with-human/id1567355195?i=1000621510181&uo=4"
spotifyUrl: "https://open.spotify.com/episode/4uzlerqnWzs5BHEB2DmwTU"

topicsDiscussed:
  - "Soul and R&B"
  - "Analog"
  - "Music production"
  - "Singing and vocals"
  - "Songwriting"
  - "Lo-fi pop exploration"
  - "Artistic serendipity"
  - "Vocal production techniques"
  - "Contrasting musical styles"
  - "Emotional storytelling in music"

hostNote: |
  In this episode of Love Music More, we explore the depths of artistic creation with the fascinating duo, **Chris Hackman** of Human Barbie and **Xuan Nguyen** of veronicavon. Together, they share insights into their unique musical processes, revealing how their contrasting styles—one rooted in lo-fi pop and the other in analog rock—collaborate to create an enticing sound. This episode is a From discussing the influence of recording techniques to navigating the challenges of collaboration, Chris and Xuan offer a candid look at the realities of being an artist today. Whether you’re a budding musician or a dedicated fan, this conversation will resonate with anyone who values the magic inherent in creativity.

selectedMoments:
  - label: "The contrast of music styles"
    startSec: 94
    note: "Chris compares their two projects, Human Barbie's analog sound and veronicavon's upbeat lo-fi pop."
  - label: "Recording on tape vs. digital"
    startSec: 175
    note: "The duo discusses the decision-making process when working with tape versus digital production."
  - label: "The essence of vocal performance"
    startSec: 559
    note: "Xuan emphasizes the emotional nuances that can be captured in vocal performances."
  - label: "Creating music with intention"
    startSec: 1961
    note: "Chris reflects on the importance of intention in artistic creation."
  - label: "Unexpected vocal transformation"
    startSec: 730
    note: "Chris experiments with voice transformation technology in new vocal projects."
  - label: "The importance of collaboration"
    startSec: 1220
    note: "Chris and Xuan offer insights into how their different writing styles complement each other."

excerptQuotes:
  - text: "I met Xuan and we started kind of like... sister brother cousin project Human Cool."
    startSec: 88
    reviewed: true
  - text: "There's no room to edit and there's no comping, so when you're done, it's just done."
    startSec: 174
    reviewed: true
  - text: "We have a record coming out and I'm curious if people will be able to tell which songs were written solo."
    startSec: 1290
    reviewed: true
  - text: "I'm trying to do it more musically, we're like going deeper and being a little more recursive."
    startSec: 1711
    reviewed: true
  - text: "Just remember that you really rock and you kick major butt."
    startSec: 2881
    reviewed: true

faq:
  - question: "What is Chris Hackman's musical background?"
    answer: "Chris Hackman is the creator behind Human Barbie and has a strong foundation in analog recording techniques, integrating lo-fi aesthetics into his music."
  - question: "How did Xuan Nguyen develop her vocal techniques?"
    answer: "Xuan Nguyen emphasizes capturing emotions in her singing, learning to balance technical accuracy with the expression of feeling."
  - question: "What themes do Chris and Xuan focus on in their songwriting?"
    answer: "Their songwriting often explores themes of emotional vulnerability, artistic identity, and the serendipity of collaboration."

transcriptPublished: false

draft: false
---