Korean alternative pop-rock band Catch The Young encapsulate the topic of "youth" on their first full-length album EVOLVE, an expansive 14-track collection rooted in their signature 'youth pop-rock' genre.
Spanning diverse soundscapes and relatable tales of youth including themes of emotional wounds, anxiety, growth, and hope, Catch The Young establish themselves as a charming yet mature representation of today's youth and the various facets of their life. From debuting in 2023 to cementing their place as a K-rock band to keep on your radar, Catch The Young keep up their creative momentum as they win hearts both in and beyond Korea.
Speaking to Earmilk, the band chat about the album and its inspiration, how they personally describe "youth" and the most memorable moments of their career so far.
Take me through the creative process behind EVOLVE? What sparked the inspiration for it?
Sani: At first, I wasn’t necessarily inspired to include all 14 songs in the full-length album. Each song actually had its own separate working process and direction, so in the end, it was more like selecting and filling the tracklist with songs that best matched the concept and spirit of EVOLVE.
Kihoon: Compared to when Catch The Young first debuted, I felt that we had grown a lot in many aspects, including our mindset and our playing skills. So while working on the album, we tried to naturally reflect that change and growth within the music.
Namhyun: Rather than the first inspiration coming from a specific place, this album came about naturally as we continued releasing music and growing as a band. As our self-written songs accumulated over time, we eventually found ourselves looking back at how much we had grown, and that process ultimately led to the creation of this full-length album.
Junyong: Some of the songs were written before our debut, while others were completed just a month before the album was released, so these are songs we have been preparing and working on for a very long time. Among the many self-written tracks we had, we selected the ones that best matched the message we wanted to convey at this time.
How would you say your sound has evolved over time and where do you see it going from here?
Sani: We are always trying to create a sound that belongs uniquely to Catch The Young. It is important for us to build a distinctive sound that people will never forget, even if they are hearing our music for the first time. Compared to our first album, our overall abilities have improved a lot, including our instrumental performance and vocals. It is difficult to explain exactly how the sound itself has changed, but I think our band's sound comes from the combination of elements such as our distinctive guitar tone, the groove from the drums and bass, the high-frequency harmonics of the synthesizer, and the jazz harmonies in the backing vocals.
Kihoon: If I look at it from the perspective of the guitar player, in the early days of our debut, there was a fresh but slightly rough and inexperienced tone and nuance. Now, I feel that it has developed into a much deeper style of playing with a clearer tone and stronger character.
Namhyun: While performing and rehearsing together, we realized that we no longer have to try to fill up the sound forcefully. Our sound naturally feels fuller than before, and if something is lacking, we can now identify exactly what needs to be worked on more accurately. As we continue to grow, I think our sound will become even more refined and richer.
Jungmo: In the beginning, we mainly expressed the styles that we personally liked. Now, however, I think we are gradually changing as we search for and develop our own unique color within those influences.
Junyong: As time passes, our teamwork continues to improve, and I feel that our own team sound is becoming stronger and more solid. With more experience, we are also gradually understanding better which parts of our music listeners connect with and respond to.
The album dives into a core topic of “youth.” To you personally what does “youth” mean and what traits or experiences encapsulate a sense of youth according to you?
Sani: I think everyone has different memories of youth. Rather than referring to a specific time period, I believe youth is the moment in someone’s life that shines the brightest. To be honest, I am not entirely sure what it means for me yet, but I believe the future ahead will be brighter.
Kihoon: I think youth is a time that will later be remembered as memories when we look back, but if you think about it in the present moment, it is something that will never return again. Even when you face extremely difficult moments that feel overwhelming, once you overcome a big challenge, you realize, “It was actually manageable after all.” As those experiences accumulate, you become able to overcome the next big challenge with greater wisdom.
Namhyun: I think youth is simply the present moment in which we are living our lives right now. Whether they are good or difficult memories, all the experiences that have helped us grow are part of our youth.
Jungmo: Personally, I think youth is not a completed stage of life but rather a period of constantly facing challenges and uncertainties while still moving forward. For that reason, I would define youth as the courage to keep taking one step forward at a time.
Junyong: I think youth is this very moment right now. Even one second ago has already become the past, so living in and enjoying the present moment is what youth means to me.
Of the 14 tracks, which one would you say is your personal favourite and why?
Sani: My favorite is “28 Hours.” The lyrics contain autobiographical elements, and personally, I find the performance and playing in the song very enjoyable.
Kihoon: I’d choose “Alive” because it captures the story and the reasons that have allowed me to stand on stage from before our debut until now.
Namhyun: Right after the album was released, “Alive” was my favorite, but recently, when I listen to the album, I find myself listening to “From Now On” the most. The part in the chorus where the vocals and guitar alternate is especially appealing, and I really like the guitar tone in that section, so I tend to listen to it often.
Jungmo: My choice is “Hurricane.” There is a lyric that says, “Even if someone keeps trying to stop me…,” and I think it expresses the message that nothing standing in my way can truly stop me, which is why I like this song.
Junyong: The song I like most is “Better Days.” It is a fast and lively track, but the lyrics contain the desire to do better and grow more, which makes it personally meaningful to me.
Who inspires you both professionally and on a personal level?
Sani: It is hard to choose just one… Musically, the artists who have given me the greatest inspiration would probably be The Charm Park and Tatsuro Yamashita. As for bands, I would say Bump of Chicken, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Asian Kung-Fu Generation.
Kihoon: These days, I have been drawing inspiration from many legendary bands from a certain era, including Mötley Crüe. I am fascinated by the contrast where they might seem mischievous or rebellious off stage, but once they step onto the stage, they transform into a powerful and flawless presence.
Jungmo: For me, it’s my members. When I spend time with them, I experience many different emotions and situations, and through those moments and our musical exchanges together, I often find myself naturally gaining inspiration.
If you could experiment with any concept or genre in the future, what would you be most keen to try?
Sani: Musically, I want to try things that we have not attempted before. Recently, I have been listening to a lot of music from the American indie bands, and the distinctive garage rock feeling sounds both familiar and comfortable to me. I would like to reduce the number of tracks and emphasize the presence of each instrument more, creating music that is minimal but still engaging.
Kihoon: In the future, I would like to create music that is deeper in emotion, as well as songs in faster and more intense genres.
Namhyun: I would like to try more songs that are more hard-hitting and faster. I want to write songs that can really lift the atmosphere at festivals and concerts, and songs that make the audience excited and able to jump and enjoy during the performance.
Jungmo: I want to try a concept that is fully hard rock, almost close to metal, even including growling-style vocals.
What’s been the most rewarding moment of your musical journey so far? What’s on your bucket list?
Sani: I think the moments that felt the most rewarding were performing at the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival and releasing our full-length album. It made me feel like we had become quite remarkable artists, even though we are not quite there yet. One of the things on my bucket list is to someday see people who start dreaming of becoming part of a band after watching Catch The Young.
Kihoon: Every moment has felt rewarding, proud, and happy. We have created so many meaningful memories with our fans, Catchers, who support and love us. In the future, I would like us to perform more often on international stages so we can also share our energy with international Catchers. And one day, I hope we can stand on stages like Lollapalooza or Coachella.
Namhyun: Among all the moments so far, the one that felt the most rewarding was listening to the entire album after our full-length release. I remember feeling proud that Catch The Young had written, composed, and arranged all 14 tracks ourselves and successfully released them. As for my bucket list, I want our music to be recognized by even more people and to travel around the world performing.
Jungmo: One of my goals had been to proudly appear in the lineup for the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, which is a major festival in Korea, and fortunately, we achieved that goal. Now I think it is time to move toward even bigger stages, so my next goal is to perform at a festival like Lollapalooza.
Junyong: I am very proud that we were able to perform on the stage of the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival. In the future, I would like to showcase our music and performances on more international stages as well.
If you had to describe your current sound in three words what would they be and why?
Sani: Youth, Brilliant, Calculate. I think Catch The Young’s music resembles the idea of mathematically calculating and placing the brilliant sound of youth exactly where it belongs.
Kihoon: Youth, Emotion, Energy. Through our music, people can recall their own memories or create new ones, and we are a band that hopes to share emotional moments and positive energy with listeners.
Namhyun: Addictive, Nostalgia, Brightness. When people listen to our songs, they often find themselves naturally singing along because of the addictive quality. I have also heard comments that our songs evoke familiar emotions or a sense of nostalgia. In addition, my vocal style and our music overall carry the positive energy of youth, which is why I chose these three words.
Jungmo: Youth, Instability, Harmony. We create the sound of youth, and I think our music resembles the way youth can feel unstable sometimes, yet still find harmony within that instability.
Junyong: Youth, Pop, Rock. I think these words describe our music well because we express the theme of youth through trendy pop elements combined with powerful rock sounds.
Connect with Catch The Young : Instagram
