Q&A: KENTON Sheds an Intimate Light on Tracks from His Album ‘Sweetmouth’ with His EP ‘Sweetmouth (Sugar Free)’
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY SULLIVAN JORDAN ☆
Photo by Maseo Refuerzo
A FEW MONTHS AFTER RELEASING HIS CATHARTIC ALBUM SWEETMOUTH— KENTON shares acoustic project Sweetmouth (Sugar Free) comprising of five previously released tracks and one new ballad. With Sweetmouth, actor and singer-songwriter KENTON explores the emotional ups and downs of growing up Asian American and exploring his queer identity in both his personal and professional life. The album floats seamlessly between dance-worthy pop anthems and powerful ballads, with magnetic synths, electronic beats and deep piano instrumentals throughout the more melancholy tracks.
His new track “The Times” fits right in with the vibrant combination of piano and string instrumentals. While the song expands into a discussion of the social issues we are facing today, KENTON leaves listeners with a resilient message of hope as he pleads with us to keep moving forward despite the hardships we may face: “I don’t know where the time has gone/But the times they don’t reflect me/Still I keep holding onto hope/That in time we’ll resurrect these/Broken hearts, broken bodies/Tumbling into the dark/We can’t stop fighting for who we are.”
Luna had the chance to catch up with KENTON in an email interview and discuss the process of recording the EP, his musical inspirations and what he wants listeners to take away from his creative work.
Photo by Andrew Ge
LUNA: Congratulations on the release of your EP “Sweetmouth (Sugar Free)!” This is an acoustic version of songs from your 2025 album Sweetmouth. Can you tell us about the process of recording these songs acoustically?
KENTON: These acoustic versions came out of natural collaborations with friends I was working on other projects with. On tour with Scary Pockets in 2024, I shared demos of Sweetmouth with my friend and band leader Ryan Lerman, which led to us recording three of my tunes in the Stories-YouTube style at his studio. For “Without You,” I collaborated with my buddies Nick Dorian and Brandon Bae, who I’m currently working with on a stage immersive show called “True” (created by Matthew Law). “Let Light In,” I recorded with the choir and strings the same day we tracked the entire album. The newer tune, “The Times,” is a collaboration between Daniel Weidlein and I, which was born out of a project we worked on over lockdown with The Orchid Quartet. The song itself was originally released as an 80s dance song under my pseudonym Bridesmen.
LUNA: Acoustically, you are able to explore the themes and ideas from the album on a deeper and more intimate level. How did you decide which songs to record for the EP and which themes did you want to amplify or bring new light to?
KENTON: At first, I really tried to reimagine all the dance singles! But a lot of it lyrically and harmonically didn’t work as ballads. I wanted to focus on the lyrical content—words that I wanted listeners to reflect on after listening to the original LP, that they may have missed.
LUNA: What were the biggest challenges you encountered while recording the EP and how did you overcome them? How have these challenges helped you grow as an artist?
KENTON: The biggest challenge in the acoustic EP was really finding the time! Because there were so many collaborators and not one single producer, scheduling everyone while working on the LP release was the biggest puzzle. There were so many great jazz players I wanted to work with that unfortunately I could not get this round. The biggest lesson for me was patience, and to say to some of those friends, “I’ll catch you on the next one!”
LUNA: While recording the acoustic EP, what is something new you learned about yourself and/or your music-making process that you will carry with you on future projects?
KENTON: What I loved about the process of this EP were the imperfections. Four of these tunes have videos, and we did those songs in one take, one room. I’ve had the practice of doing this type of work for Scary Pockets, Postmodern Jukebox, etc., but trusting that process for my own music was hard to do. I had to be okay with flat notes and flubbed moments, in order to pick the take that told the story the best.
LUNA: Along with making music, you are also an actor. How did you first discover your love for the arts? What or who drew you or inspired you to make music?
KENTON: I’ve always considered myself a storyteller first. I started making music in order to write my thoughts down. I was in choir in high school, where I met the composer, Eric Whitacre. Listening to his music showed me how stirring a good piece of music could be.
Also, ironically…Steven Curtis Chapman, a contemporary Christian music artist. One summer, I listened to a song he made for his adopted daughter every night until I fell asleep—I think it was “When Love Takes You In.” I had dreams of being a touring Christian artist who travelled the world and died young. I say in my first song: “When I was younger, I thought I had my future set/Spread the Good Word round the world then meet an early death.”
LUNA: Who were some of your early musical and artistic influences and which artists are inspiring you right now?
KENTON: I grew up playing classical violin and listening to my mom’s favorite Taiwanese artists like Teresa Teng. I actually wasn’t allowed to listen to pop music—I’d steal away to listen to Sheryl Crow when I visited my uncle. Then, in high school, all I listened to was Astrud Gilberto, Bossa Nova and Jason Robert Brown. It was a strange pool of influences for sure. Right now (and most days,) I’m inspired by so much Black female artistry: Jazmine Sullivan, Cleo Soul, Amber Mark, Olivia Dean, Raye, Doechii…it’s all so good!
Photo by Ricky Chavez
LUNA: How do you think being an actor has informed your music and vice versa?
KENTON: I’ve considered myself an acting singer and a singing actor, if that makes sense? I’m always trying to get to “the truth” in each of my performances, whether that’s a song or a scene I’m in. Storytelling is always first—what am I trying to say in this slice of life? It’s very apparent in my visuals. All the music videos on my YouTube channel have a very strong narrative through-line. I shot all my videos for Sweetmouth over four days—they will all come together in a short that tells a whole story.
LUNA: What other creative outlets do you go to outside of acting and music when you need space or you experience a creative block?
KENTON: I don’t know that I necessarily have another creative outlet as much as a physical outlet. I have to move my body—whether it’s salsa or hip-hop class, lifting weights, or just going for a walk—breaking my routine is what gets me out of a funk. And I have really supportive friends who will listen to me yammer on about those blocks.
LUNA: What is your favorite thing about being an artist? What specifically is your favorite thing about making music?
KENTON: My favorite part of being an artist is collaboration! I know it sounds corny, but being in a room full of creative, passionate people, firing on all cylinders at the top of their game—there’s nothing like it. With music, it’s really a puzzle. Sometimes, I can write a song in 20 minutes, others, I’m wrestling with it through multiple versions, and can’t seem to get it right. It’s the process of creation and expression, more than the product, that fulfills me.
LUNA: What do you hope listeners take away from this EP and your exploration of identity and connecting with your emotions?
KENTON: I want my listeners to feel seen. So much of what I sing about in this EP and the full album are experiences I went through alone—whether as an immigrant, a queer child, or a former Evangelical. In the process of creating and promoting this music, I’ve found that so many people go through similar things; what makes it worse is suffering through isolation. Life is so complicated—we can choose love through anger, pain, confusion, and still come out okay. You got this!
