‘Empathize’ on the Vietnamese hardcore scene

Navigating discrimination and playing with Australia’s Blind Girls

In early January, I was in Vietnam for Global Immersion Guarantee (GIG), a two-week overseas study program offered to first-year students at Monash. It was an intense fortnight of lectures, field trips, karaoke, late-night adventures, and plenty of pho. On our last night, some of my friends wanted to revisit a thrift store we’d discovered the week before to buy last-minute souvenirs. 

Heading back there on a whim turned out to be the best experience of the trip, as I stumbled upon a band rehearsing above the space. Their music could be heard at a faint volume from the second floor. At first, I was intrigued by the harsh vocals and aggressive drums, thinking it was music playing from a speaker. However, listening closer, I realised it was live, and my curiosity led me to follow the noise upstairs.

Photos of inside the thrift store 17.01.26. Image Supplied by Jasmine Janiksela

At the top of the stairs was a tiny room with a glass door through which I could see people set up with mics, drums and guitars. They were in the middle of playing something energetic and intense. I couldn’t help watching and nodding along in excitement. 

When the people inside noticed I was there, they exchanged curious looks. Not wanting to intrude, I almost went back downstairs. Thankfully, when the song ended, they waved me inside with keen smiles. They seemed excited and were so welcoming. We exchanged names, and Bao (one of the vocalists) pulled up a stool, so that I could watch and record the rest of their rehearsal. 

As it turns out, the band playing was Empathize, whom I discovered months earlier on Instagram. For context, prior to the trip, I researched Vietnamese hardcore/skramz bands, hoping for the chance to possibly see a show. From what I found, the scene appeared extremely small, and no gigs were happening throughout our trip. I was disappointed, but followed a couple of bands on Instagram anyway.

Photo of Empathise playing in the rehearsal space 16.01.26. Image Supplied by Jasmine Janiksela

Once rehearsal ended, the band invited my friends and I to a street cafe. Chimin (one of the guitarists) generously agreed to do an impromptu interview. So, despite the traffic roaring beside us, I whipped out voice memos on my phone to record.

Here’s a summarised version of that interview:

Chimin – Guitarist  

Mai – Drummer

Koi – Vocalist

Bao – Vocalist 

Duc Ahn – Bassist

Ben – Buitarist

The band initially formed in late 2023. Prior to Empathize, Chimin organised other hardcore bands such as Under Pressure [with their ex-bassist, who owns the thrift store they rehearse above], and Grudgebound. Both bands are still active in the scene. Last November, Grudgebound performed with Blind Girls (a well-known Australian Screamo band) during their tour in Asia. I asked what the experience was like, to which Chimin said: 

“It was just unreal. Sean is so funny. I love him so much. All the guys were super nice.” 

From the stories they shared, it seemed like a tight friendship formed between both bands. Everyone was also full of praise for Blind Girl’s talent as performers. Mai, who is a member of both Empathize and Grudgebound, declared Ben from Blind Girls is the best drummer she’s ever seen. Having just seen her play with awe-striking skill, I felt the compliment wasn’t to be taken lightly. Chimin stated that Mai is one of only two known female drummers across Vietnam. She commented that people usually expect her to be a vocalist and react with surprise when they find out she plays drums. 

Talking about Blind Girls led to a discussion about how the scene in Vietnam compares to Australia. The most notable difference is the Vietnamese scene is extremely small. Chimin estimated that hardcore has only gained traction in Vietnam over the last 10 – 15 years. Although, he finds that there are benefits to this. Namely, it was easy for Empathize to gain immediate recognition, as everyone in the scene is closely connected. What he described was a very supportive, tight-knit community in which the people are willing to talk, share their knowledge, play together, and spread the culture. 

Despite this, due to social conditions which don’t allow shows to be held at house or park venues, there is less DIY culture than we have in Australia. Elaborating on this, Chimin mentioned an incident that occurred a few years ago, where a show was shut down by police who believed there was an anti-communist agenda behind the gathering. 

Another notable difference lies in social perceptions of the scene. Hardcore is greatly stigmatised in Vietnam. Chimin explained that much of the discrimination stems from a misconception that the scene promotes violence and hostility. He said that they are often called freaks or mentally ill by people who don’t understand what hardcore is really about. 

When asked whether they see this stigma changing in the near future, Chimin shook his head. 

“Because Vietnamese people are really really traditional, when new things come they don’t wanna change.” 

Although at a societal level Empathize may not expect this stigma to change, they do expect the scene will continue to grow. They commented that young people in Vietnam are expanding their taste and diving into new genres. There is more recognition now than ever for genres outside of pop. [At this point, we bonded over a shared love for shoegaze bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Whirr and Slowdive, who I saw perform at the forum in April last year.] They went on to say that young people are attracted to the vibe of their music. When they come to shows, it's chaotic, but all the teenagers love it. 

At the same time, he criticised the scene for its pervasive misogyny and toxic masculinity. He expressed strong disapproval of the way women in the scene are often treated as groupies and objectified by some members of the community. 

“We want to get rid of that, so our music is spoken from our hearts to stop those things and become better.” 

Given the social stigma towards hardcore in Vietnam, having a supportive community is vital. He said this sentiment is what led to the formation of Empathize. As Chimin elaborated on his personal experiences with discrimination, I understood why empathy was such a core value to the band.

Photo of us at the street cafe taken 16.01.26. Image Supplied by Jasmine Janiksela

We found out they had a gig the following night, sadly at the same time as our flight. After teaching us some Vietnamese swear words, exchanging final goodbyes and leaving them with a bottle of soju, we headed back to the hotel. 

I want to express a huge, huge thank you to Empathize for being so warm and open to talking. It was an incredible privilege to meet you all. Everyone reading should go stream Empathize’s music so they can come play in Australia one day!