In 2013, two young siblings wowed television viewers when they came on the singing audition program “K-pop Star.” The pair had been homeschooled in Mongolia while living with their missionary parents. Nothing was particularly flashy about their acoustic guitar-based tunes, but their ingenuity was refreshing to audiences.
Since then, Akdong Musician has infused the K-pop scene with their own brand of whimsical music about ordinary things in life such as ramen noodles and people crossing their legs.
Lee Chan-hyuk, the 20-year-old older brother who writes the duo’s songs, says he is inspired by the everyday.
“People think there’s a secret to my songwriting. The truth is, there isn’t,” he said at a group interview on Wednesday in Hapjeong-dong, Seoul. “I don’t know who came up with the word ‘inspiration,’ but I think it’s just the same thing as ‘thoughts.’ Even the most common thought that everybody has, if you take it out and shed light on it, it becomes inspiration.”
The siblings won top place on the audition program, signed a record deal with the agency YG Entertainment, and released their debut album “Play” in 2014.
Now, after a two-year hiatus, Akdong Musician has returned with a new album, “Spring.” The two title tracks are “Re-bye,” a jazzy tune on how easily people part ways, and “How People Move,” a theatrical number on the wonders of human movement.
The songs, all composed by Chan-hyuk, are as playful as ever, but they have also been combined with richer and more polished arrangements now.
Appearance-wise, the younger sister and vocalist Lee Su-hyun has dropped 8 kilograms, while Chan-hyuk has dyed his hair a fashionable ashen-grey.
“I turned 18 this year,” said Su-hyun. “I felt like I hadn’t done anything with my life. I wanted to begin by taking care of myself,” she said on her weight loss.
Akdong Musician members Lee Chan-hyuk (left) and Lee Su-hyun pose for a promotional cut of their new album “Spring.” (YG Entertainment)
While many have lauded Chan-hyuk’s unique sensitivity and his shrewd eye for capturing the oddity of the everyday in his songs, it was only recently that Su-hyun gained newfound appreciation for her brother’s talent.
“(Chan-hyuk) fiddles with the guitar and a few hours later, he has a song. I used to think that was normal,” she said. “But I recently started learning songwriting, and sat in front of the piano for hours and I got nothing. That’s when I realized there was something special about my brother.
“I think he has a weird sense of curiosity which makes for a great ingredient in a song,” she said.
According to the siblings, the common theme of their music is “innocence” -- a quality they attribute to the wholesome education their parents provided.
“When kids are genuinely curious and ask honest questions, it doesn’t feel offensive to people. I think that’s how a lot of people view our music,” said Chan-hyuk.
“Our parents never swore or drank in front of us,” said Su-hyun. “Even now, we gather together as a family every morning and talk about how we’re going to spend the day.”
“I was very quiet in my adolescence,” said Chan-hyuk. “I didn’t have any goals, which made my dad frustrated. Then I first started writing songs when I was in ninth grade, and they spoke about my thoughts and about how sorry I felt toward my mom and dad. (My parents) started understanding all the things I couldn’t say, through my music. ... I liked expressing myself that way.”
Chan-hyuk said he plans to preserve his sense of youth as best as he can.
“I don’t drink or smoke at all,” he said. “When I came of age, nothing changed for me.
“Even when I fully become a grown up, I want to deliver messages for adults that come from an innocent perspective.”
At the same time, however, the duo are eager to showcase their mature sides to the public.
“There are more grown-up sides to our music, and we want to show that as soon as possible,” said Chan-hyuk. “But people still see us as kids and they like our innocence. That’s why the theme of our new album is ‘adolescence.’ We decided to show the process of growing up in this album. Maybe after that, we will talk about adulthood.”
By Rumy Doo (
doo@heraldcorp.com)