Ahead of their show at the Esplanade, Korean Indie band ADOY speak to AsiaLive365 about their latest album ‘Vivid’, their past memories at the Esplanade and what to expect at their show in March.
The band were last in Singapore in 2018, where they performed at the Esplanade Annexe Studio as part of Esplanade’s Mosaic Music Series.
Now back in the region, the band have a new album up their sleeves, which includes a stunning tracklist and a collaboration with artiste Woo.
‘Vivid’ released in November last year, features hits like ‘Pool’ and ‘Porter’.
Read our interview with the band below to find out more about this eclectic Korean band.
ASL365: Hi ADOY, Vanessa here from AsiaLive365. Welcome back to Singapore and to the Esplanade! You guys were last here in November 2018 for a gig at the Annexe Studio. What memories do you have of that show and what do you most look forward to, being back in Singapore?
ADOY: Amazing experience! The show, city, food, all that stuff. It was actually one of our first gigs outside of Korea, so before the trip we were a bit worried on how the city would take us, but the fans made us real comfortable from the start. We’re stoked to make a return, with a brand new album.
ASL365: Congratulations on the new album ‘Vivid’. What has been the highlight of its recording process?
ADOY: Probably working with Woo, for the track ‘Porter.’ We have not ever worked with a rapper before, so it was quite a challenge to figure out how to make this collaboration work. But it did force us to think outside the box, and we feel like we grew musically from the experience. Other than that, we also made some songs with Dayoung, our bassist, as the lead vocals, which was another fresh experience in the recording booth and studio. We’re really pleased with the results.
ASL365: In terms of colours, how would you say this album is different from your previous EPs?
ADOY: We’re not sure about the colors, they probably depend a lot on the listeners and their personal situations and preferences. This is because [VIVID] tries to look at things from a more personal level – ‘Moondance’ might sound very soothing to some but ominous to others. Overall though, there are definitely some darker elements in the new album.
ASL365: The start of the song ‘Porter’ reminds me a lot of ‘Owl City’ – very indie pop! But then the beat kicks in and as a listener, you’re like wow! Cause it starts to have a very dance and house vibe. I am suddenly reminded of music from artistes such as Hermitude, and Breakbot & Irfane. What was it like collaborating with Woo on this piece, and what inspired the transition of sounds in the song?
ADOY: The chorus section of the song – the house section – was created first, and afterwards came the experiments for the verse section. We were still unsure how to stylize the verse until we saw Woo’s chorus lyrics and were happy with it. So in effect, this track is two separate tracks that have been stitched into one. This is why the transition from section to section seem very big – and we actually really liked the effect.
ASL365: Do you guys have a dream artiste or band that you would love to collaborate with in the future?
ADOY: Before in interviews, when we got this question we would name a list of artists we admire. But now we’ve become a bit more realistic and not name specific acts. We would love to do something with an international musician, though. It’d be cool to make something over the Internet.
ASL365: There’s a song called ‘Ever’ on the new album and it has Korean lyrics. Your first! Since you all usually sing in English. Do you sing this song on tour and if so, what does it feel like having the non-Korean audience sing the lyrics back to you?
ADOY: Actually, ‘Ever’ is one of the first song we wrote as ADOY. At the time we felt that Korean fit the track more than English, and we stuck with it in this album. We’ve been playing the song live for quite some time, but we’ve never had an audience sing this song back, even in Korea. Probably because it’s a very chill, ambience song.
ASL365: If you could pick a favourite song from the new album, what would it be, and why?
ADOY: As a group, we couldn’t pick just one song, all the tracks are important to us. We.guess if we were forced to pick one, it would be ‘Lemon,’ because that was our choice in choosing a title track.
ASL365: We love the cover illustration on the new album as well as on your previous EPs, which was done by artist Aokizy. Firstly, what were these designs inspired by and how did the partnership between ADOY and Aokizy start?
ADOY: When we were making our first album [CATNIP], we had no idea what to do with the album cover. We tried a few things like using photography or drawing our own illustrations, but nothing was good enough. Then we found out that one of Juhwan’s past guitar students was in the early stage of his career in art, and that was Aokizy. We saw his portfolio, and knew right away that his style would be a great representation of our sound. So far, it has been a great relationship with him and we’ve built a distinct identity, thanks to it. He’s really a great artist and mind.
ASL365: Korea has some great fashion and you guys always look great. You’ve even appeared in a Levi’s® ad. We’re loving your outfits and look. Who would say has the best fashion sense in the band?
ADOY: Dayoung. This is a really easy question to answer.
ASL365: I’ve heard that Chaeyoung from Twice is a fan of Adoy. What sort of music do you guys listen to and who are you guys a fan of?
ADOY: Strangely, our members all have different taste in music, but some artists we collectively respect include acts like Coldplay, Tame Impala, The XX, etc.
ASL365: There have always been interesting names of fans of artistes and bands. For instance, fans of Ed Sheeran are called Sheerios, Imagine Dragon fans are called Firebreathers, BTS and Shawn Mendes fans are called BTS Army or Mendes Army. What do you think Adoy fans “should be called”?
ADOY: Hmm. ‘Yodas’?
ASL365: Any shoutout to these ADOY fans?
ADOY: If you somehow came across ADOY in your life, we would like to say thank you. We do this for the communication of our short life experiences and to share love, and being able to do that with international audiences is something we only dreamed of, so thanks for making that possible.
ASL365: What can we expect at your show on March 7, 2020?
ADOY: New songs! We’re still not sure which songs we’ll choose to play, but you can definitely expect some songs from the new album, and some stuff from the old albums. As this is our second time in Singapore, we’re sure it’s going to be an even better experience than the last. Can’t wait!
ASL365: Thank you ADOY and we look forward to seeing you in March!
ADOY will perform at the Esplanade Annexe Studio on 7 March 2020. The band are set to bring their new songs and a new experience over for this concert!
