[TF Interview] Dragon Pony's Flexible Musical Expansion 'Calling Back'

New single 'Calling back' released on the 5thAlternative ballad with a more popular soundKwon Se-hyeok, Ahn Tae-gyu, and Go Kang-hoon (from left) of band Dragon Pony released their new single 'Calling back' on the 5th. / Antenna[THE FACT|Reporter Choi Hyun-jung] 'Rock' is a music with a considerable history, tracing its origins back to the 1930s.Even if we consider the period when rock became an independent genre, it started with Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley, who made decisive contributions to the birth of rock and roll in the 1950s, Buddy Holly and the Crickets in the 1950s, who presented the prototype of modern bands, and The Beatles in the 1960s, who established the concept of modern rock sound. It is considered one of the genres with the deepest roots in popular music.Also, rock is a genre that has been highly specialized, as much as its long history. Therefore, rock is a popular music genre that has a lot of derivative genres and numerous subgenres.There is also interesting data that allows us to feel how much rock has been specialized by genre. 'Every Noise at Once,' a site that attempts to classify and record all genres of popular music, counted 6,291 popular music genres in 2023.Of these, the number of genres corresponding to 'rock' is estimated to be around 1,800. This accounts for about 29% of the total, showing how large the proportion of rock is in popular music in terms of genre.The reason for suddenly looking for the history and genres of rock is that I want to say that rock and bands are originally this kind of music, and that the music created by musicians is also diverse.There is no need to confine any band or rock musician to a specific genre, and conversely, there is no reason to devalue a band that specializes in a specific genre.Of course, for the convenience of listeners, there may be a main genre advertised as a banner, or there may be preferences for certain genres. However, this is just a difference in taste and cannot be said to be good or bad.Although I have elaborated extensively, the point I want to make is simple. It is not particularly strange for any band to play any kind of music.Dragon Pony presented an alternative rock ballad with a more popular melody in their title track 'Calling back.' / AntennaThe new single 'Calling back' released by band Dragon Pony on the 5th also made me think this way. Perhaps because of the subtle punk rock feel that has continued since their debut album 'POP UP,' it was expected that this new song would not deviate much from that style.However, contrary to expectations, the title track 'Calling back' of 'Calling back' is an alternative rock-based power ballad that emphasizes a lyrical melody, and the B-side track 'Back when we were young' features a British rock sound from the 1990s-2000s.And these genres are characterized by sounds commonly called 'popular.' When asked about the reason for choosing a popular sound, Kwon Se-hyeok explained, "Rather than a change in direction, we worked with a focus on the vocalist's emotional line. So, this time, we used a lot of K-pop-like composition methods," and added, "We considered the sense of season and the feeling that suits the current atmosphere."In fact, it is natural for musicians to create music based on the emotions, inspirations, and moods they feel at the moment. met with Ahn Tae-gyu, Kwon Se-hyeok, and Go Kang-hoon of Dragon Pony at their office in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 5th to hear about that 'natural story.'As Kwon Se-hyeok mentioned earlier, 'Calling back' is a song that focuses on the vocalist's emotional line. Ahn Tae-gyu said, "The title track 'Calling back' is a song written about parting. It's a song that captures the desperate emotion of wanting to call out one more time, even though the time when we promised eternity has passed," and added, "We paid a lot of attention to capturing the vocalist's emotional line and appeal during recording. I hope you listen to that part with focus."On the other hand, the B-side track 'Back when we were young' is a song created with a more primal sensibility. Go Kang-hoon said, "It's a song written while jamming," and added, "In the past, we used to play our parts while jamming and combine the good parts to create a song. We worked in that way for the first time in a while, and it fit well. It's also close to the 90s British rock sound style, so we set the theme of the song while recalling when we had our first jam session."What's noteworthy here is flexibility. In fact, most bands active these days are crossing over various genres to the extent that classifying genres according to traditional interpretations is of little significance, and Dragon Pony also shows this tendency.Go Kang-hoon, Kwon Se-hyeok, and Ahn Tae-gyu of Dragon Pony (from left) revealed that they listened to the music of many bands and were influenced by them. This forms the basis of their flexible musicality. / AntennaGo Kang-hoon said, "I don't really set any specific plans. Basically, while maintaining the foundation of a rock sound, we try various genres that suit the situation and emotions at the time," and added, "The emotions felt at that time and the resulting output are different."The influence of various musicians they grew up listening to cannot be ignored in their flexible approach. When asked if there were any artists who influenced them, they mentioned a wide range of musicians from the domestic indie scene to alternative rock, LA metal, and J-rock, including Phoenix, Jannabi, Silica Gel, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Metallica, The Strokes, Oasis, Bongje Ingan, Jaurim, YB, ONE OK ROCK, Mrs. Green Apple, BounD, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, Skid Row, Aerosmith, and Alter Bridge.Ahn Tae-gyu explained the source of their flexibility by saying, "I try to listen to as much music as possible and sing along to it a lot. It seems that we are naturally influenced because it is music that we like. Also, the feeling or reference point differs for each song, so I listen to more music."As a side note, when asked if Ahn Tae-gyu could also cover high-pitched shouts like those of Skid Row or Aerosmith, Go Kang-hoon preempted him by giving a thumbs-up and saying, "It's amazing." However, Ahn Tae-gyu himself awkwardly replied, "I'll try covering it if I get the chance later," with a sheepish smile.With that said, Dragon Pony has two main goals as they steadily broaden their spectrum. The first is to successfully complete their solo concert scheduled to be held on December 5th and 6th at the Our WON Banking Hall, Bluesquare, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and the second is to release their first full-length album.Both are of great significance to them as they are 'firsts.' Kwon Se-hyeok said, "This is our first solo concert at Our WON Banking Hall, Bluesquare," and added, "The most important thing for us in this concert is to 'have an amazing time.' We plan to show a new stage that cannot be experienced at existing festivals or solo concerts, so please look forward to it."He added, "I don't know if the next album will be a full-length album, but I will work hard to make it happen after successfully finishing the solo concert."This concert is also the first solo concert to be held after bassist Pyeong Seong-hyeon left the team due to health issues. Go Kang-hoon said, "We are currently using a session bassist. We have no plans to recruit a regular member yet."In fact, all members of Dragon Pony can play the bass to some extent. When asked if Ahn Tae-gyu would consider doubling as vocalist and bassist, he awkwardly replied, "I'll try practicing it once," eliciting laughter.Dragon Pony will hold a solo concert on December 5th and 6th at Our WON Banking Hall, Bluesquare, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. / AntennaAlthough Dragon Pony is burning with enthusiasm for their solo concert, they currently plan to focus on activities for 'Calling back.'Ahn Tae-gyu said, "We have music broadcast activities scheduled, and we hope this single reaches more people. Therefore, our goal for this activity is to enter the TOP100 of the music charts."In addition, Go Kang-hoon expressed his ambition, saying, "I hope you listen to this single a lot. By steadily making our name known like that, we want to become a band that represents Korea. Therefore, I hope Dragon Pony itself is remembered by many people."laugardagr@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]