When I asked what defines JK Wong as a person, he replied “creative, musician, mantis, and necromancer.” Despite having to clarify what “mantis” meant (it’s Wong’s family sigil), I couldn’t describe the Boston-based artist any better. With nails plastered with chipped black nail polish, shirts with phrases like “hail satan” printed in bold letters across the front, and a diverse musical resume, Wong—aka aznjujube—is nothing short of an enigma.

Wong wants the world to know that he is no one-trick pony. Not only has he released two EPs under his personal project aznjujube in 2021, but Wong is also a part of two musical groups. He fronts both the Canto-pop revival band Juk Sing and the Boston harbor, surf rock duo Orca Bones, and plays bass for the lo-fi hip hop group Ruby Grove.

Wong says that it’s “probably the dopamine rush” he gets from performing that keeps him invested and motivated in his many pursuits.

Many of the musicians that motivated Wong to begin creating were similarly intricate individuals.

“I'm especially inspired by the Beijing experimental music scene, such as Zhang Shouwang of Carsick Cars and Xiao He,” he said.

First stepping into the music scene in the 2000s with his experimental folk band Glamorous Pharmacy, Xiao He (the pseudonym for He Guofeng) has since been classified as one of the most influential artists to come out of Beijing. The sample layering, unique sound effects, and sound-alchemy are aspects of He’s music that aznjujube’s is reminiscent of. This experimental-pop project incorporates live-looping, mandolins, nature sounds, and lo-fi hip hop beats.

Even the pseudonym Wong chose, “aznjujube,” evokes memories of a time long past.

“Aznjujube is a reference to the AZN era of the early 2000s,” Wong said.

The AZN movement, also known as AZN Pride, was the love child of Asian American teens’ desire for community in the early years of the internet.

“It was a time when the internet was untamed and the only social media was AOL,” Wong continued. “All over the western world, the Asian youth were finally getting connected through these new tools, thus invoking the AZN movement. For the first time in many of our lives, we finally felt pride in our otherness,” he said.

Aznjujube’s debut EP, “Odes,” pays homage to different pop culture icons. One song, simply titled “Keanu,” is a personal favorite of mine. In the song, an infatuated Wong sings over a lo-fi beat as he professes his love for Keanu Reeves:

“I still dream of Keanu Reeves, // Because he is so dreamy. // I believe in Keanu Reeves, // Because he will come save me. // Scrolling through all his posts, // Staring through his windows, // I’m just a little ghost.”

The EP also has a song entirely dedicated to Faye Wong. Under the same name as the Hong Kong singer-songwriter, “Faye Wong” serves as the EP’s ballad. In the track, Wong switches between English and Cantonese as a mandolin riff sets the scene for aznjujube’s adoration for “Hong Kong’s starchild.”

The inspiration for the EP came easy to Wong, as many of the references snuck up on him during the writing process.

“While planning out [“Odes”], I realized that I'd already written many songs idolizing random characters over the years,” Wong said. “It was interesting to me that my subconscious would repeatedly conjure up pop icons in my lyrics. This EP acknowledges our innate tendency to worship idols.”

Wong’s second EP released under aznjujube, “Quarantine,” is a collection of songs that were all written during and inspired by the COVID-19 lockdown.

“The start of COVID was a great time to work on all my projects, but as the social distancing and quarantine dragged on, it became quite demotivating,” Wong said.

The EP features a more relaxed sound compared to “Odes,” as Wong’s lyrics describe his feelings and thoughts during the lockdown.

“Thankfully, I was invited to play in many virtual shows during the hard lockdown months to keep sane,” he said.

Now that Boston is finally opening up, after almost two years without live performances, Wong is back to playing intimate gigs. Juk Sing, Wong’s Canto-pop band with Jeff La, and Ashley Yu were the closing acts for this year’s Experience Chinatown Festival. Wong’s surf rock duo with Christopher Canieso, Orca Bones, recently had their debut gig at The Midway Cafe.

“I'm also working on several non-music related projects as well,” Wong said.

Wong’s commitment to his craft is keeping him busy, and he is showing no signs of slowing down. Fueled by the raw energy of embarking on new adventures, Wong is looking forward to seeing what the future has in store for him. Citing how “inspiration hits at random moments,” the musician is anticipating releasing music under Orca Bones as he continues to play live shows—emphasizing making sure his voice is heard loud and clear.

Chech out aznjujube’s Full Discography on Spotify Below:

JK Wong: Multifaceted and High Off Nostalgia