HYUKOH says 'love is alternative over questions for cycle of beginning and end'

HYUKOH/ Courtesy of DooRooDooRoo Artist Company

By Park Ji-won

When indie band HYUKOH made its debut here in 2014 with an experimental sound and catchy lyrics, nobody expected it could become one of Korea's mainstream bands, holding concerts around the world.

The group, after spending a few months performing on the street and at underground concert halls in Seoul, became a phenomenon on the mainstream music scene ― through word of mouth.

Its music was assessed as nostalgic but was unprecedented in sound, with a mix of Korean, Chinese and English in its lyrics. The band managed to appeal to all generations here and overseas and collaborated with leading musicians and media firms, including top female singer IU and entertainment service Netflix.

After releasing one full-length studio album, three EP albums and four singles, HYUKOH released its second studio album, “Through Love,” which consists of six new songs, on Jan. 30. It also began a world tour that comprises 44 concerts in 42 cities in Asia, North America and Europe through June.

HYUKOH's members, including Oh Hyuk, the band's lead vocal, guitarist and songwriter, said the songs on the new album are questions and explanations over the cycle of the beginning and the end.

“The six songs are explanations and questions. The album's title 'Through Love' is an alternative answer to these questions. What I focused on in the writing is the circulation. In the cycle of the beginning and the end, we will always be waiting or facing the other,” Oh said in an email interview with The Korea Times, Friday.

The concept of a cycle matters in this album, in particular, and that's one of the reasons the band chose to use a work of German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans for the cover of the new album and recorded the music in one take while urging audiences to listen to all the songs in a row.

The cover photo of HYUKOH's new album “Through Love.” Courtesy of DooRooDooRoo Artist Company

“I first encountered the photo of Wolfgang Tillmans, which was used for our album cover, in 2018 and kept it in mind for a while. I asked the artist for (permission) and he said yes. It would have many meanings, but for me it was something showing the cycle of the beginning and the end at the same time.”

When asked about what is love to the members, guitarist Hyun-jae said: “Nothing really matters except for seeking the full-of-love status. You can see love when you pour everything of yourself.” Bassist Dong-Geon said: “It is hard to define for me. I still don't know. Maybe I will get to know it. Maybe not.”

Meanwhile, band members are planning to perform on international stages without drummer In-woo, citing health issues. Carrying out one of the longest concert tours for the band, the members are trying to do their best to stay healthy on their tight schedules while hoping people will enjoy their music.

“The tours are physically hard,” Oh said. “So I am trying to find motivation every day to keep working through. One of my key motivations is having fun. I am surviving the busy schedule by realizing the fact that (we) have made it and having fun through work ... (Regarding the tour,) we will use recorded drums instead of real ones. I hope people can have fun and listen to good music during our concerts.”

Dong-geon said: “I hope listeners feel HYUKOH's music the way they want. In my case, if an artist said something about his or her artwork, I just interpret it on my own. It is not interesting to see certain lyrics and sounds interpreted in just one way.”

Seen is a composed image of scenes from HYUKOH's Seoul concert held on Feb. 10. Courtesy of DooRooDooRoo Artist Company