Meet Musician Roy Halim

Barrett WhiteAugust 1, 2014

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A bi guy: describing who his life partner might be, he says, “Girls or guys...but I’ve never been in a relationship, so who knows!” — A bi guy: describing who his life partner might be, he says, “Girls or guys…but I’ve never been in a relationship, so who knows!”

Not some mindless noise.
by Barrett White

Grounded in Connecticut, fun-loving musician Roy Halim is preparing for his next big venture in life as an indie artist in America’s spotlight.

From an early age, Halim and his sisters loved to sing. Throughout his early years, he worked hard to hone his craft, with no formal training until after high school. “I picked up [an] acoustic guitar right as I was entering high school, and I taught myself off of YouTube videos,” Halim says. “I’m not a patient person, so I’m surprised I was able to practice enough to actually stand my ground with it. I picked up vocal lessons last year because I finally had enough money to do it myself!”

With so many dime-a-dozen pop stars enjoying their flash in America’s pan on the radio these days, Halim likes to keep his audience guessing. After all, striving for originality is a Roy Halim rule. “It’s something so very cliché, but it’s undeniably what is most likely to get someone noticed,” he says. “Being different has turned out to be such a good thing, in my opinion; I dislike it when an artist or band follows in the footsteps of another band or artist.”

With a mix of pop notes and acoustic twang, Halim bleeds his ballads in his spare time between two jobs and school, where he is earning his associate degree in general education before transferring out of Connecticut to pursue a bachelor’s degree in music management. “Music has been my passion ever since I can remember,” he says. “It’s the only thing I truly believed in growing up, and I actually believe in myself enough to attack the business side of music.”

While preparing to become a full-time musician, Halim fills his down-time between work, school, and recording with recreational running, swimming, and hiking—or with his promotional photo shoots at the beach. As if that doesn’t keep him busy enough, he does his own advertising as well, steadily gaining followers on his myriad of social media accounts. “My preferred form of promotion is through playing shows in different states, but it’s getting so expensive nowadays—[it’s a] bummer,” Halim says. “Usually where I’ll self-promote is off of Tumblr, one of my most favorite sites, followed by the basic social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. They all come in handy.”

After leaving his first band to perform solo for a bit, Halim enjoyed a stint of solo concert performances and released his first extended play (EP) download titled Mindless—a four-song package including the power ballad “Heroes,” and the incredibly entertaining “Imaginary Friends.”

Beyond his growing online presence, Halim’s real-life friends never lose sight of the Halim they grew up with. They know that his outgoing stage persona masks the more authentic, awkward kid who walks backstage after the show for meet-and-greets with fans who are unaware that he is just as nervous as they are. “I see how nervous people can get [when they meet me], so I usually enjoy making an ass of myself to give them some comfort,” he jokes.

Despite his growing success (fueled in part by his promotional appearances with the clothing brand Hot Band Boys), he always returns home to his friends to be grounded by their trademark support. “They all make fun of me,” Halim laughs. “It’s really cool to see them still treat me the same [as they did] before my music started doing things in this world. It has helped me find my true friends, ditch the flakes, and make new amazing relationships. I’m forever grateful, and hope it only goes up from here.”

Though Halim happens to be an eligible bachelor, this self-described soccer fan and cat enthusiast likes to think of himself as an “open man,” falling somewhere between men and women when describing his ideal life partner. “Girls or guys,” Halim says. “Been digging more guys lately, though—but I’ve never been in a relationship, so who knows!”

Keep an eye out for more of Halim as he forms a new band this month—more home-grown talent and honest music with his friends, creating new musings from his authentic taste for “crazy, catchy hooks, solid tunes, and a great live show.”