Irish-Hong Kongese musician Chris Wong on identity, creativity and finding his voice
Born to an Irish mother and a father from Hong Kong, Wong grew up in Dublin, Ireland, and is now living and making music in Berlin. He is proud of his Hong-Kongese heritage, and feels it has given him perspective from a young age.
Wong released his debut single ‘Talents’ in late 2022, and since then, has released several more singles, and taken to stages across Ireland, the UK and the US. He released his debut EP, ‘For me I try’ in September 2025 and completed an EU tour with his EP across Ireland, the UK, Amsterdam and Berlin, as well as shows in Los Angeles in the United States.
Off the back of a recent trip to Hong Kong, we caught up with Wong to learn more about his growth and journey in the music industry, the importance of his heritage, and his future plans.
How did you first get started in music?
“It started with singing from a young age in school. When I was 6 or 7 years old I did some singing lessons and my interest grew from there. I always knew I loved to sing but pursuing a career in music was only something I realised I wanted at the age of 18 really. Once I left school I began playing shows more consistently and the feeling was something I couldn’t, and still can’t, get enough of.”
Who are your biggest musical influences and inspirations?
“I always loved Elton John and Tom Jones growing up. I still feel so inspired by these two (and others) who have managed to consistently carve out a career for themselves over so many years. I’ve had a lot of pleasure in recent times diving discovering new artists such as Jacob Alon. Someone who I think just has it all is Olivia Dean. I got to meet her a couple of times and it’s been really inspiring seeing her grow so much. The music of Daniel Caesar, Jeff Buckley, and John Martyn is also really stuck with me at the moment.”
What is your creative process like?
“I never force anything. My best songs just come out of me. Usually over the course of a day or two. When I don’t feel like music that fits into my own sound I still sit and try to create. I’ve found it’s always important to keep on massaging the creative muscle because you never know what ideas will come out. Going to concerts and listening to new music is always a good kickstarter whenever I feel stuck.”
How has your Irish and Hong Kong heritage shaped your music and your world view?
“It’s played a massive part of who I am. Growing up in a mixed race household has forced me to practice having perspective from a very young age. I was forced into it. At the time it wasn’t so pleasant. I wanted to be like everyone else when I was growing up.
In all honestly I felt pretty insecure with the way I looked. I had to learn that I was different to many of my peers. I got into a habit of constantly reflecting and this I have carried through with me in my career so far as a musician. It’s been an invaluable lesson to carry with me. Perspective is such an important word to me.”
What have you been most proud of to date?
“I will forever remember playing on the same stage as Olivia Dean at a music festival I got booked for. She’s someone I’ve looked up to for a long time so this was a bit of a fan-boy moment for sure. In all honesty though I’m proud of doing so much on my own. As an independent artist you have to wear all of the hats. Booking yourself, managing yourself, promoting yourself, motivating yourself… the list goes on really. I have so much respect for anyone that chooses this career path because it’s certainly a grind.”
What’s next in store for you?
“Working towards recording an album! There’ll be a couple of single releases along the way in 2026 but an album is ultimately what I want. To me an album feels like no matter what happens then you have a body of work that you can stand over for the rest of your life. I’m also working on some more collaborative projects with artists in Germany, Ireland and Hong Kong so releases will also be coming soon!”