PETALING JAYA, Sept 22 — "It was either die or fight. So here I am.”

Those were the words Korean-American musician JAMES wrote when he started a campaign on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter in February 2018, a move that marked the beginning of his return to music-making after a near-fatal accident three years ago ended his career as a bassist in K-rock band Royal Pirates.

The fundraiser was a staggering success, with more than 1,400 backers, raising nearly US$90,000 (RM372,000) that helped JAMES, whose real name is James Joohyun Lee, to produce The Light EP and its music video.

In an interview with Malay Mail, JAMES opened up about how making music played an integral role in facing the personal challenges in his life for the past few years.

"Making music has definitely been my outlet, it’s kind of been my diary. It’s been very exciting and it’s been a great way to distract myself from the repercussions of the injury.

"I’m able to express what’s bottled up inside of me through my music,” he said.

The singer’s Kickstarter campaign, which surpassed its funding target of US$27,600 in less than half a day, is a testimony to the positive impact that social media has on artists and their music in the digital age.

He emphasised the power of it in helping him retain creative autonomy as an independent artist.

"Social media is the only reason I was able to reach as many people as I was able to,” JAMES explained.

"Without [it], I would definitely need more support from different gatekeepers,” he said.

In 2012, JAMES, then a bassist in Royal Pirates, had moved to South Korea with the hopes of gaining recognition in the world of K-pop, an industry populated with idol groups carefully groomed by talent agencies for both domestic and international success.

However, the 30-year-old has now chosen to walk down a different path; his solo endeavour with The Light focuses on a blend of electronic and acoustic pop with lyrics penned from his own experiences.

The record is a far cry from the saccharine sounds of mainstream Korean pop and JAMES is hoping that his music will strike a different note with fans who may have been expecting high-energy melodies and catchy earworms.

"I hope they can listen to music that is coming from a singer-songwriter standpoint versus the K-pop machine. My songs are not so much about that catchiness. It’s more about connecting with the audience through lyrical content and different emotions.

"I’ve always viewed myself as an American artist that didn’t really fit into the K-pop industry,” he said.

Despite setting himself apart from K-pop, JAMES also acknowledged the role that the genre has played in pushing Asian faces to the forefront of fame in the West.

"It’s an exciting time to be Asian in America,” JAMES said, citing K-pop superstars BTS and Hollywood rom-com hit Crazy Rich Asians as trailblazers for Asian representation on the global stage.

It marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for the musician as he continues to work on new material.

"When I was younger and a fan of other people’s music, I remember listening to every single detail of the music, like the sound of the snares, the sound of the kick, the sound of the guitar, where it’s coming from and how it’s panned, how it’s EQed,” he said.

"That was just so exciting for me, which is why it was so exciting to make this EP where I could pay more attention to each of those details.

"Instead of having a lead producer, I was leading it, I was directing this album.”

The Light EP was released on August 16 by Universal Music, followed by music videos for Up, The Light and Let’s Get Away.