[HT Interview] Twelve Years Captured in 17 Songs…ONEWE Releases 3rd Full-Length Album Today (19th) (Comprehensive)

[Hanteo News = Reporter KANG SUYOUNG] An interview with a band in its 12th year together felt different. They call one another “oppa,” someone suddenly does a handstand, and their trends change every day. ONEWE laughed, saying, “When we are together, we become fools,” but when they talked about their 17-track full-length album, they were more serious than anyone.

ONEWE met with Hanteo News at a cafe in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, on the 18th and talked about its 3rd full-length album ‘面 : Unknown Atlas.’ Ahead of a full-length album in a long time, and a major work packed with 17 tracks, the members’ expressions showed both excitement and pride.

“It has been a while since we released a full-length album, so I am really excited. These days, full-length albums are not released often. It was difficult because we included so many songs, but because of that, it is an album we put even more sincerity into, and more than anything, I am looking forward to it because I think fans will like it.” (YONGHOON)

The massive scale of 17 songs was planned from the beginning. Since all the members write songs, even if each person wrote only three songs, that would already make 15 tracks, and each member’s desired songs were added on top of that. Most of all, this album does not stand alone. It is the final installment of a trilogy that continues from point, to line, to plane.

“When we first planned this album, we conceived three albums as the point-line-plane series. We thought that for the final plane album, we should release it by tying together the single album and digital single that came before.” (KANGHYUN)

“We felt that the full-length album would only feel complete if we included all the songs we had released in advance.” (YONGHOON)

“Personally, I like full-length albums because the power of a full-length album is different. Personally, I think we are on an upward trajectory, and we started preparing this from last year because we thought that if we showed sincerity with 17 songs, many members of the public and WEVE, the fandom name, might recognize it. That is how important we thought this album was.” (GIUK)

It is the first time in seven years since debut that the group planned three albums in succession like this. They started meetings and preparations last November, but the recording period was tight, lasting only about a month and a half. Nevertheless, they were able to complete it thanks to the unity they showed in the face of a crisis. The members joked, “Our teamwork is not good,” but even that comment seemed to come from the ease of a team that has spent a long time together.

“When we heard that 17 songs would be included, all five of us simultaneously knew, ‘This is really going to be tight.’ So we talked quickly, and it did not just end with talking. If someone said, ‘Do you want to record at this time?’ we went in right away, and if someone’s throat was not in good condition, we immediately scheduled the next day. We thought, ‘At this rate, we might not even be able to put in 10 songs,’ so everyone individually realized that we were in big trouble, and our teamwork came together well.” (YONGHOON)

The concept that runs through the entire album is “fairy tales.” However, these are not the pure and bright fairy tales people commonly think of, but closer to dark fairy tales reinterpreted through ONEWE’s own perspective. They brought in familiar materials such as Pinocchio, Laputa, and Lilliput, but completely overturned the meanings within them.

“Among the tracks, ‘Bloodstained Pinocchio’ is about Pinocchio being afraid to become an adult, lying, and fearing maturity even to the point of breaking his nose. It is an album where we changed and reinterpreted fairy tales everyone knows.” (GIUK)

“Rather than making it purely and brightly just because it is a fairy tale, we expressed it exactly as we felt and interpreted it, so I think the mood came out that way.” (KANGHYUN)

During the album preparation process, they spent particularly long hours thinking about the title track selection. Opinions differed among the members and within the company. After listening for a long time and choosing carefully, ‘Scenario,’ the brightest song with the strongest fairy-tale elements, was selected.

“Because there were so many songs, choosing the title track was the biggest assignment. We did not choose it impulsively. We listened more, longer, and more carefully, and decided on ‘Scenario.’ In the end, the members, the company, and our acquaintances all agreed.” (YONGHOON)

At this point, the question of identity naturally came up. Now that the band boom is rising, how does ONEWE define itself? The answer was honest and clear.

“We are not a team that the company cast as five members and debuted. We each attended academies and universities, met at competitions, and naturally came to form a band, so if you only look at that, you could say we are not idols. But now, all of us think of ourselves as an idol band. Being an idol band is not a bad thing. We think of it as, ‘We play well, sing well, write songs, and have good stages, and we are also skilled.’ To be honest, it is true that when we were young, we had some resistance to it, but now we are acting more like idols than anyone. Look at this.” (YONGHOON, pointing to GIUK’s pink-dyed hair)

“When we were in our 20s, we worried a lot about whether it was okay to be perceived as an idol band, but these days, I think we would be grateful if people still called us that even when we are in our 30s, 40s, and 50s. Even if we have a lot of wrinkles, I think I would feel happy if people called us an idol band.” (GIUK)

“I think it is a difference in terminology. We are a band, but we are also different from an indie band. Independent bands are really active on their own without a company, but for us, the way we do promotions, publicity, fan marketing, and things like that follows the methods companies use for existing idols. If, far in the future, we do not have a company or we do not promote in this way, then at that time, we would just be a band. I do not think one is better or worse, and I think we would be grateful if people call us according to the direction we are active in.” (DONGMYEONG)

“Whatever it is, there is definitely a belief that you have to be skilled. To put it another way, it means you have to keep making efforts every single day. Even if the years build up and time passes, and a certain framework is established, I think we still have to keep making efforts. Since all of us write our own songs, we also have the belief that we should write our music ourselves, so we are trying to uphold that as much as possible.” (KANGHYUN)

This ease and belief were created by 12 years of time. The five members have now been together for 12 years, and during that time, they went through major and minor crises, including redebut and contract renewal. This year in particular was one the members unanimously chose as “the hardest year.” However, that crisis made the team even stronger.

“We had concerns during contract renewal, and there were times when it was physically difficult too. But whenever that happened, we actually gathered together more, talked more, and spent more time together, so I think every time a big crisis came, we became a little closer. That does not mean I want things like that to keep happening, but I do not think they were only negative.” (DONGMYEONG)

“We fight often, talk often, laugh often, and do strange things often. I think those things are our team’s closeness and the secret to being able to continue for a long time. When we are together, we become fools.” (YONGHOON)

The fact that the five of them have fully protected their team for 12 years. That in itself is their greatest pride.

“In the past, I looked forward a lot to five years later and 10 years later, but now, as we kept going, it became 12 years. Personally, I take pride in the fact that none of us got hurt and that the five of us truly and fully did this together for 12 years. Wouldn’t the next five or 10 years be like that too?” (YONGHOON)

Their future goal is an even bigger stage. This year, they hope to become festival headliners, and someday, to stand one by one on large venues with good sound. The members, who recently felt overwhelmed when they performed right before YB at a festival, are now moving forward step by step toward their next scenario.

“Our goal is to continue holding concerts on bigger stages and let more people hear our music, just like we are doing now.” (DONGMYEONG)

ONEWE’s 3rd full-length album ‘面 : Unknown Atlas’ will be released today (19th) at 6 PM. From point to line, and from line to plane. On the picture the five members have completed over 12 years, anticipation is building for the next scenario they will write.

grace@hanteo.com

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