KoME had a chance to hear from Korea Rocks acts Galaxy Express, Apollo 18, Goonam and Gate Flowers in the middle of their tour.
Can you please introduce your band?
Yeom Seungshik (Gate Flowers): We’re a four piece that plays rock ‘n’ roll music called Gate Flowers.
Joh Ung (Goonam): We’re from South Korea and our name is Goonam. Our music is a mix of all the different things we like. People have a hard time classifying it. We do, too!
Lee Juhyun (Galaxy Express): We’re Galaxy Express from Seoul! We play wild and noisy rock ‘n’ roll.
Choi Hyunseok (Apollo 18): We’re Apollo 18. We like to play loud!
What are your thoughts about your upcoming UK tour?
Yeom Seungshik (Gate Flowers): This is our first international tour. We’re really excited that it will take place in the UK, a place that has created some of the greatest rock bands of all time.
Joh Ung (Goonam): We’re happy to be able to share our music with people in the UK. We hope we can make many friends there.
Lee Juhyun (Galaxy Express): This tour is going to be a lot of fun. We’re thankful we can be a part of it.
Choi Hyunseok (Apollo 18): All the bands on the tour are really good. It’s an honour to be able to tour the UK together with all of them.
Have you planned anything special for the tour, or are you planning to rely on your experience and stage charisma?
Yeom Seungshik (Gate Flowers): We feel like we're going back to our very first days when we were all excited to be onstage, nervous but anxious, trying to show the best of what we've got. We're going to deliver the best music we can at each of the gigs.
Joh Ung (Goonam): We don’t have any special plans. We’re just going to enjoy being on stage and having fun with the audience.
Lee Juhyun (Galaxy Express): We’re going to play the same high-energy show that we always do. We don’t have anything specifically planned. But our gigs can get pretty wild, which can often lead to surprises for both the audience and us!
Choi Hyunseok (Apollo 18): Like everyone else, we don’t have anything specifically planned. We’re going to go out and play our music and have lots of fun. Whatever happens at the gigs will come about naturally.
What's the best part in performing and delivering your music to your audience?
Yeom Seungshik (Gate Flowers): Nothing feels better than sharing the emotions and feelings that we feel with the audience.
Joh Ung (Goonam): Sharing our rock ‘n’ roll rhythms and grooves onstage with different people is always a special experience to us.
Lee Juhyun (Galaxy Express): Having people get wild and crazy with us is always so much fun.
Choi Hyunseok (Apollo 18): Feeling the energy from the crowd.
What are your band’s strongest points?
Yeom Seungshik (Gate Flowers): We’re tight, but flexible and very good at what we do.
Joh Ung (Goonam): We have a lot of fun onstage and are good at getting other people to have fun with us.
Lee Juhyun (Galaxy Express): We have a pretty high-energy live show and we’re good at getting crowds riled up.
Choi Hyunseok (Apollo 18): Our music is very dynamic. It’s best experienced at loud volumes. Good thing that’s how we always play!
Who was the mastermind behind the UK tour idea? How did everyone get involved?
Hyunseok Choi (Apollo 18): The tour is being funded by the Korean company Hyundai Card Music. Hyundai Card Music has issued two digital compilations of indie music called It Tracks Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. Two bands were chosen from each compilation to be on the tour.
Yeom Seungshik (Gate Flowers): I’m happy with whoever came up with this idea because it’s helping Korean music!
What are your favorite English bands (past and present) that inspire you with their music?
Yeom Seungshik (Gate Flowers): There are too many to list. But some of them are The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Cream, The Smiths, and Black Sabbath.
Joh Ung (Goonam): We like David Bowie and The Stone Roses.
Lee Juhyun (Galaxy Express): Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Rolling Stones, and Black Sabbath are all really cool bands.
Choi Hyunseok (Apollo 18): We like Pink Floyd and Radiohead. I don’t know if they’ve had any direct influence on Apollo 18’s music, but they are definitely great acts.
Do you have a message you would like to share with our readers?
Yeom Seungshik (Gate Flowers): Please come to the Korea Rocks shows. You’ll definitely have a memorable experience that will be long lasting in your heart and soul.
Joh Ung (Goonam): We hope we can you meet you at one of our UK shows and dance and have fun together.
KoME would like to thank Shawn Despres for making this interview possible.
