Meet Haana Lee | Musician and Undisciplinary Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Haana Lee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Haana Lee, why did you pursue a creative career?
I started DJing and eventually just playing other people’s music wasn’t enough for me; I wanted to be involved and make something of my own! It’s hard to describe my motivation in a deeper sense, I guess I just started to feel this overwhelming urge to start something myself, and the feeling grew to be stronger and even more powerful than the underlying constant fear of failing I had.

Making music and art for me has always been a therapeutic practice more than anything else, for so so many reasons, but I guess at the exact moment I decided to take that leap I had realized that I had based my identity on things that actually had nothing to do with me – starting my own creative journey was a way of redefining myself, for myself.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I guess what I’m most proud of at the moment is my first full-length album ‘textures’ – released in October of 2025. The album is a gentle invitation into somatic listening and tender imperfection, and consolidates the analog and digital sound design techniques I have been exploring over the last couple of years, principally using electric organs and keyboards as my raw sonic material to then add layer upon layer of textures (for lack of a better word) by improvising sound design on an intricate chain of effects pedals. Here I attempt to interpret the sound/body/space relationship of my background as a producer and DJ in electronic club scenes to a more restorative and intentional practice shared in spaces of reflection.

Personally, I’ve been changing a lot in my life to facilitate nervous system regulation and a closer, more somatic relationship to my body; similarly, this album signifies my artistic transition towards a more honest and intuitive creative process. I allowed the tracks to take form organically, leaving in white noise, clicks, and other unplanned miscellaneous sounds, a playful response to the crisp and square perfection often found in electronic music. Each track contains a fraction of my first melodic compositions on the piano (an instrument I started to re-learn in the pandemic) – simple and unembellished melodies that have been deconstructed to leave more room for slow, dynamic changes in the sound design itself. The innocence of the melodies in this album is occasionally countered by the abrasiveness of the machines I work with (and the way I like to work with them) – harkening to the unavoidable discomfort, stress, and tenderness associated with (even the most positive of) major life changes.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I grew up in La Crescenta, on the northern edge of LA right up against Angeles Crest, so the tour would probably start in Montrose with a frozen yogurt snack at Froyo Life and a trip to the maximalist vintage thrift shop Pattye’s Closet. While in the Crescenta Valley, we might pop by Gamelan Merdu Kamala’s practice spot in Tujunga to say hi, or if we’re lucky, catch one of their seasonal shows! We could go catch an indie film screening at 2220 Arts & Archives, and see some experimental musicians improvising at Solarc Brewery. The Los Angeles Poverty Department (LAPD for short) hosts the most talented open mic nights on Fridays, and David Horvitz’s garden is one of my favorite places for artistic outdoor gatherings and happenings 🙂

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d love to dedicate my shoutout to my alma mater’s radio station – KUCR of UC Riverside – and Bed Crumb Show, an online radio station based out of LA. Spaces like these are more important than ever for alternative music programming, and are creative and cultural hubs for people to come together, share, grow, and learn from each other based on a shared interest.

Website: https://haanalee.xyz/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haana_lee_/

Other: https://haana-lee.bandcamp.com/

Image Credits
Photos of me: Lina Sarmiento @malisepower Photos of hair / hair & hand: Skyland Dallal Rice @____skyland Photos of wax / sea shell & candles: me (haana lee) @haana_lee_