Making Peace With The Process: Inside Akio's Return

Akio is one of many artists that use music as an outlet to express how they feel. His newest run of releases arrives with clarity that comes after a long hiatus sparked by self-doubt. It's an exhale of breath that feels calm and relieving, while there's warmth in what he is creating it does not erase the underlying sadness. Instead, it shows how someone might act when they are not in a good mental state, often hiding their sadness behind a mask of happiness. His sound is lived in and is a journey of someone learning to trust themselves in real time.

Growing up in Kealakekua, Hawaii, Akio was raised in a home where music wasn’t just a background noise but a part of his everyday life. He recalls waking up in the morning, hearing his dad playing James Taylor on his guitar, hearing Rebel Souljahz in grocery stores, and buying 50 Cent’s “Get Rich or Die Tryin” at his local Kmart when he was only 7 years old. He was burning CDs, filling up iPods, and “allegedly” surfing Limewire before he became an artist himself. That early obsession shaped the person and artist he would eventually become. He first began making songs in college, rapping for fun and getting hooked on wordplay. Eventually, he took a music production class that pulled him towards the melodic sound, and he says, “it gave me the control I was looking for in terms of translating what I heard in my head to a  physical product.”

His newest single, “easier” represents everything he has been through. Written at a low point in 2022, ”At the time I was going through a lot, was in an on again off again relationship, was broke, and had nothing really going for me in terms of music. I was genuinely just sad and questioning if it would ever get easier.” The verses are heavy and almost confessional, but they sit on top of a production that is upbeat and an inverse of the lyrics. The contrast makes a point, a reflection of how Akio was feeling. The song lived on his phone unfinished, as he was in the process of finishing it on his laptop, his house was broken into, and he lost his laptop and all of his files. Losing everything forced him to surrender in a sense and "easier” only survived through his phone. The robbery turned into the reason the track exists today.

After almost a two year hiatus, he says, “I think I’ve learned to trust myself a lot more during that hiatus” Akio has returned to music with a new sense of self. He stopped obsessing over perfection and started releasing songs that he loved. “Tonguetied” reflects this shift as we see his confidence radiate; he stresses less about mistakes and realizes that no art can be perfect, rather art should be a reflection of who the artist is. Akio has also begun focusing on creating a community, attending more events, and meeting other artists whom he looks to collaborate with. He wants listeners to experience the artist behind the music that is a regular person. He takes inspiration from other artists such as Dominic Fike, Bon Iver, Hall of Oats, and Quadeca. Akio plays rec league softball on his team the “Basic Pitches”, loves eating pho when it's cold outside, and is currently watching “Attack On Titan.”

In 2026, Akio is dropping a new single every month and also has a project planned that is in the beginning stages of development. He is focused on having fun with music again and staying confident in who he is through the imperfections. He shows resilience through his music, although he has lived in doubt he has never let it define him. One Thing he wishes he told himself in the beginning of his career is to stop being insecure and “ just drop the song man, I promise no one will be able to tell except you.” This new chapter feels like someone stepping into their own voice with honesty and self confidence.