[TF Interview] Boy Seung, Today's Comfort Found in Old Music

Debut with double single 'Namuya' on October 28Musical roots in Korean folk and rock"I want to make music that offers comfort and touches the heart."Son Seung debuted on the 28th of last month with the double single 'Namuya'. He draws his musical roots from the sentiment of Korean folk and rock from the 1980s and 90s. /Lizim International[THE FACT | Reporter Jeong Byung-geun] One night, during arduous training while serving in the military, a young man looked up at the night sky alone after finishing his guard duty. The exceptionally bright moon and stars caught his tired eyes. His troubled mind found a moment of peace. The words that came to mind at that moment were 'Moon, Stars, and a Cigarette.' This was the beginning of the song that would later become his debut track.That young man is Son Seung (real name Son Hyun-seung), a 25-year-old singer-songwriter who debuted on the 28th of last month with the double single 'Namuya.' With the sentiment of Korean folk and rock from the 1980s and 90s as his musical roots, he sings about the emotions of an era he has not lived through. He is not simply trying to recreate the past. He wants to share the comfort he found in the music of that time with people living today."I'm not just trying to express the emotions of that era. It's important to borrow the emotions of that era to provide comfort to people living today. I believe that people's emotions are similar regardless of the era. I want to borrow the sentiment of that time to offer comfort to people now."Son Seung's music is as unique as the path he has walked. He didn't dream of being a musician from childhood, nor did he receive formal training. While studying physical education at Yongin University, he started making music in the military. He learned to play and wrote songs on an acoustic guitar in his unit. That's how he gradually became immersed in music.Then came a significant turning point. Before his promotion to sergeant, junior soldiers who were also musicians were assigned to the same platoon. He played them the songs he had written, and they enthusiastically agreed to make music together. He requested permission to form a band from the battalion commander and achieved good results in a competition by arranging the division anthem in a rock version. Afterward, he performed on various stages within the division."Friends who were into music joined as juniors. I was playing guitar and writing songs alone, and I played my songs for them. The song I played then was 'Moon, Stars, and a Cigarette.' We formed a band, entered competitions, and performed. We had a lot of fun making music."However, changing his career path immediately was not easy. After his discharge, he focused on his studies again. About a year later, the junior soldiers he made music with were discharged and contacted him. They proposed to properly complete the songs they had created in the military. So, he picked up his guitar again and nurtured his dream of becoming a musician by sending demo recordings he worked on with his colleagues to various places.The double single includes the title track 'Namuya,' based on blues rock, and 'Moon, Stars, and a Cigarette,' with a lyrical folk sensibility. Although they have different musical colors, they converge in their focus on the hearts of people living through difficult realities. /Lizim InternationalWhat he originally dreamed of was in the field of rehabilitation exercise. Having suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament, he knew well how difficult the process was for athletes to recover from injuries and return to their positions, which became a turning point in deciding his career path. Although the direction changed from helping the body recover to comforting the mind through music, the desire to be a source of strength for someone remains the same.Such musical sensibility was naturally formed from childhood. Influenced by his parents, who were traditional dancers, he was exposed to Korean art and sentiment from an early age, and his first instrument was an acoustic guitar. Above all, he enjoyed learning about eras he had not experienced. The music of the 1980s and 90s was a gateway for him to explore the emotions and lives of unfamiliar times."It was an era before I was born. I like learning about things I haven't experienced. I was curious about what the feelings and emotions of that time were like, and music was the best way to feel them. Listening to songs from that era greatly influenced my emotions, and I received a lot of comfort. The music of that time just resonated with my heart."The debut double single 'Namuya' is the first result of that sensibility. It includes the title track 'Namuya,' based on blues rock, and 'Moon, Stars, and a Cigarette,' with a lyrical folk sensibility. Although they have different musical colors, they converge in their focus on the hearts of people living through difficult realities.'Namuya' was born during his last training session before his discharge. On his way back to the encampment after training in the mid-summer heat, Son Seung looked at the mountain covered with lush leaves. At that moment, a peculiar thought struck him. Why do trees grow so many leaves in the hot summer and shed them all in the cold winter, standing bare?"I thought the tree was quite foolish. It grows leaves when it's hot and stands bare when it's cold. But when I applied that to people, it was the same for us. There are situations where we can't say what we want to say, and moments when we live foolishly. I expanded on that thought and completed the song."The question directed at the tree ultimately turns to himself and others. The image of a tree silently standing its ground while enduring wind, rain, heat, and cold resembles people living through difficult days. Son Seung expressed that image with a rough blues rock sound and a soulful voice.'Moon, Stars, and a Cigarette' soothes the heart in a slightly different way. This song also originates from his military experience. During the Homeland Defense training, which lasted about a month, Son Seung was exhausted both physically and mentally. The environment, where he had to sleep outdoors and could barely wash, combined with conflicts with his peers. One night, looking up at the sky alone provided a moment of solace.Son Seung sees two faces to the concept of 'boy.' One is a pure and beautiful aspect, and the other is a sensitive and sharp aspect. 'Namuya,' with its rough sound, and 'Moon, Stars, and a Cigarette,' with its delicate and lyrical feel, each represent these two sides. /Lizim International"While on guard duty, I was alone, smoking a cigarette and looking at the sky. There was the moon in the center, and the stars were twinkling brightly. At that moment, all my worries and anxieties were put aside for a while. My mind became calm. The phrase 'Moon, Stars, and a Cigarette' came to me right there. The initial keyword I thought of was isolation. It was the feeling that something was by my side in a lonely situation."The comfort offered in the two songs is not grand. It doesn't encourage overcoming life's hardships, nor does it promise that all problems will be solved. It simply sings about a moment of understanding the heart of someone living a difficult day and taking a brief rest. These two songs are the first songs Son Seung created and are his most cherished works."I didn't learn music, it wasn't my major, and I didn't know anything, but I started with just a guitar. I wrote melodies and added chords based on my intuition, so I had many doubts. But now I have confidence. I really love both songs and wanted to share them quickly. They also best represent the two genres I want to pursue."The contrasting moods of the two songs also align with the name Son Seung. Although it's an artist name derived from his real name Son Hyun-seung, the 'boy' he envisions has two faces. One is a pure and beautiful aspect, and the other is a sensitive and sharp aspect. 'Namuya,' with its rough sound, and 'Moon, Stars, and a Cigarette,' with its delicate and lyrical feel, each represent these two sides.The boy who loved music from an era he hadn't lived in has now begun to sing his own story. He plans to challenge himself with various genres beyond blues, folk, and rock. His goal is also to perform more live shows, improve his live performance skills, and connect closely with his audience. And above all, he aims to put sincerity into his music."I want to continue making music that offers comfort and touches the heart, just like I am now. And I want to be a familiar person. No matter how successful I become, I want to be someone people can comfortably greet if they see me on the street, rather than feeling like a celebrity. I want to approach people comfortably, like an older brother or younger sibling next door, or a neighborhood friend."kafka@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]