Wednesday, January 13, 2010

[Annyeong Bada] Interview

In an interview from 24th December 2009 (that I got to translate just now u_u) it turns out that 'Annyeong Bada' or 'ByeBye Sea' is not the full name of the band but 'I cross with you the sea' (난 그대와 바다를 가르네) and was shortened for an easy use.

They also reveal a little story behind this huge balloon.

In a part that was not interesting enough to be translated, the journalist mentions that ByeBye Sea will start to work on a full length album that is supposed to come out this year(2010).

To read the interview click 'Read more'



ByeBye Sea, “will become the bridge between Indie and Mainstream music” (Interview)


The band consisting of Namu(Vocal, Guitar), MyungJae(Bass), JoonHyuk(Drum) and DaeHyun(Programming, Keyboard) is drawing huge interest from a fan base on the Hongdae stage and receives recognition as a ‘talented band’.

With releasing their first mini album ‘Boy’s Universe’ under their name, they push off the name ‘the band specialized for openings’ for performances of many singers like Lee Seung Hwan, Sisters Barbershop etc., and reveal their hidden image.

Building their position on the stage of Hongdae without an album that time, they declare this time a transfer to the world of mainstream music.


NamuNamu (Vocal)
-After changing to Fluxus, it’s your first album; please think back of some memories.

At the stages of Hongdae we gained relative lot of recognition and popularity. We didn’t have an album released, but we performed with the songs we worked on a lot and had self-confidence like that. Then we got the offer to work together at Fluxus Music. When we first came into Fluxus, how to say it, we became a bit arrogant. Haha. But right after coming in, we got discouraged. We couldn’t help but become small in front of the outstanding Sunbaes that were much more famous than us. After 2 years at this place we released our album, it brings memories back. We think that our abilities are still lacking, we’re working hard to mature. (Namu)

-The nickname ‘the band specialized for openings’ followed you. Didn’t you hate it when you stood on the stage of others?

We didn’t hate it at all. Even if it was just that, being at the performance of the Seonbaes we liked and respected, we felt good doing the opening performance. It was a feeling as if I could approach the people I dreamt of and was longing for during that time. (Namu)

After they pondered the last 2 years, the album they released, is filled with a refined feeling, adding an electronic sound to the 5 songs like ‘내 맘이 말을 해’, ‘별빛이 내린다’ and ‘SOON’.

Especially the title song ‘별빛이 내린다’ with its star pouring sound that gets stuck in the ear, is a song made when Namu thought about the time he spend as a child at his hometown and stands out with its refined electronic sound.

JoonHyukJoonHyuk (Drums)
-Your band name is special. How did you come to the name ‘ByeBye Sea’?

Our whole name is ‘I cross with you the sea’. We were making relations with business cards, but other people were saying that it’s difficult. It’s also a lot of characters… While changing the label, we kept ‘sea’ and made a new name with an average expression. There is the meaning of the wide sea for ‘바다(bada, sea)’, but it can also mean to ‘accept’ everything (받아들이다 badadeurida). So it’s not that we changed the name. ‘ByeBye Sea’ is the name made to approach the mass more easily. Haha. (JoonHyuk)

-We’re curious of the reason why the members came together. How did you meet?

At first I did performances on the street. That time JoonHyuk came as audience sometimes. So one day he came to me and offered “I am playing drums, let’s try to make a band.” While doing so, he bought me a potato stew. After performing I was so hungry, so I ate the potato stew and promised to make a band. And when I lived in Hongdae, away from my parents, MyungJae lived next to me. He was a close neighbor. We drunk together and became close, then he participated as our bassist. DaeHyun, who plays the keyboard and makes the programming, is a classmate from High School times in Jeonju. (Namu)

Their first official debut stage was the Ssamji Sound Festival 2007. ‘ByeBye Sea’ received last year(2008) at the same festival the price, being selected for ’Best Group’.

“Since we performed in front of thousands of people, we were really nervous. We wanted to try to make a quite extraordinary event, so we took the money together from every member and bought a huge ad-balloon. But actually we didn’t have the money for the gas to fill the balloon with. In a hurry we started the engine of a car on the parking lot and filled the balloon with the waste gas. When it was brought up at the performance, it was thrown at the audience and they caught and picked the balloon. Thank god it didn’t rip; what if it had… I don’t want to even think about it. Haha.” (DaeHyun)

MyungJaeMyungJae (Bass)
-These days, it is difficult to find a band in the world of singers. Don’t you feel a burden about the popularity?

The truth is, it’s a big burden. But still, we think we’re different from Idols. Unexpectedly there are also people who want a different kind of music. We’re thinking of promising them that. In some way the masses can also get fed up from dance music or music that is lead by Idols, you know. We’re going onto a bigger stage, but we’re full of confidence. (DaeHyun)

We changed the label and the masses turn their eyes on us. We worked hard to exclude the sounds the people don’t like and carefully select the best. That time we worried a lot about making our music smoothly with the sound we went through. Now we want to lay the focus on a sound the masses like. (Namu)

-What is the so called ‘modern pop’, ‘ByeBye Sea’ makes?

In our music now, rockish elements do clearly exist. The genre to approach the masses better? We want to be a band that is able to get familiar with the masses. Even when we open our hearts and show from then on step by step what is really inside us, I don’t think it’s too late. (MyungJae)
Music critic Mr. Kim once commented that “’ByeBye Sea’ can take the role of a bridge between Indie music and Mainstream music.” Of course there are a lot of great artists, but it’s often that the masses don’t know the music. We want to try that role of standing in between and connecting Indie music and Mainstream music. (JoonHyuk)

DaeHyunDaeHyun (Programming, Keyboard)
-The expectation and sight of your surroundings is big. How is it?

That time it was just our world. Members were friends and lovers. Because we have released an album now, we get the sights and expectations of the people around us and that makes us nervous. Standing in front of those people is as if we would get into a new world and so our anticipation is also big. (Namu)

We were always curious. We didn’t release an album. We had a lot of anticipation how will we look for the audience that came just to the performance places that time. Well, can we do more than doing well. Haha. (MyungJae)

1 comment:

Mr. Tripster said...

Bye Bye Sea performed here in Florence, Italy. I'm not sure if this is their first concert in Europe. But it was a blast!

I was just curious and i thought of coming to the concert just to see how they perform. i was quite skeptical because i wouldn't be able to understand the lyrics.

But they were simply great! The Italian audience and even us Filipinos who were there, we were awestruck! They were awesome and they really know what rock is!

Love them so much! Actually right now, i'm trying to learn to play in my guitar the song Fading Starlight. I can't sing the song though. But no worries, this summer i'm gonna study korean!