Singing the right tune

The boys of F.T. Island are comfortable with their music direction.

AT a studio in Samseongdong, southern Seoul, South Korea, only three of the five members of F.T. Island were present for the interview as the other two were having a health check-up for fatigue.

Bassist Lee Jae-jin looked at the interviewer with a curious smile while Choi Jong-hoon (leader, guitarist and keyboardist) and vocalist Hong-ki were enjoying their “time off” jamming on an acoustic guitar and having their make-up applied.

They are stars, though their faces were mostly inexpressive. Or maybe they were just tired from their 20-hour-a-day routine with the release of their EP earlier this month.

When the trio were joined by Choi Min-hwan (drummer) and Song Seung-hyun (guitarist and vocalist) for the interview, they became a playful bunch, cracking jokes about each other’s pet peeves or latest love interests.

“Our range of music is expanding. As a band, we’ve reached our comfort level.

“We are used to each other’s habits when we perform together,” Hong-ki, 21, said.

They said they have “Grown Up”, like the title of their latest disc. They constantly reassess themselves in a strikingly carefree, frank and joyful manner, only possible in the blossom of one’s youth.

F.T. Island has been around for five years and the guys are considered veterans in the fastchanging music industry.

They have achieved stardom with a string of No.1 hits and drama appearances, but they said they were still hungry for growth.

“When we were in Japan, we could see how much we were improving because we wrote the lyrics and composed the music. We sang what we really wanted to sing there,” said Lee.

“There were so many bands, so many opportunities, so many rehearsal studios.”

“In Korea, we have to worry about (songs’) appeal,” said Lee, 20, who also serves as back-up vocalist.

“Without that it’s hard to be noticed.”

“I want our band to be known overseas,” said Min-hwan, 19, adding that he wants recognition “not riding on Hallyu but independently”.

And F.T. Island can lay claim to that, albeit partially. At the height of their fame in their home country in 2007, also the year when they made their debut, the band moved outside their comfort zone to Japan, playing to 100-strong audiences in small venues there.

Their major success came with the Korean wave, though the band’s popularity was propelled by the hit Korean drama You’re Beautiful that starred Hong-ki. It led to a record deal with Warner Music Japan in 2010.

Despite the power of Korean idols and good looks making waves abroad, F.T. Island stays modest.

“The Japanese audiences were so quiet when we performed,” said the vocalist-cum-actor.

“We were scared (in the beginning). In Korea, everyone applauds as soon as you’re on stage.”

There have been lingering doubts about their musical depth, too, with critics and non-fans branding them as a fake band because of their boyish looks and the public’s attention on their styles.

“We ignore them (the critics) now,” said Jong-hoon, 21, decisively.

The group used to question themselves constantly over the definition of a real band at the beginning of their career, he said. But not anymore.

Regardless of the label, they find inspiration in new territories. Last September, they performed in Toronto, Canada, at a benefit concert for the victims of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

The members had a chance to interact with other participating bands and they experienced culture shock.

“There was a European band where every member was of a different nationality,” said Lee, who also wondered how they came together to form the band.

To the members of F.T. Island, who started playing music since their middle school years, the concept of garage bands seemed so enviable.

“They seemed to have so many people around them who share the passion for music. I was impressed,” said Hong-ki.

“As a normal school (student) band, it would be difficult to last.”

While they described the scene, about conversing through an interpreter and swatting mosquitoes together, the pace of their speech quickened and their eyes sparkled.

They were excited to discover the whole world ahead of them and at the same time, gushing about how a fellow singer they met in Canada looked like Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom.

Lack of ideas may not be a problem anytime soon. The band said they welcomed input from fans. They insisted that this reporter dedicated a few lines to the fan club, Prima Donna, for this reason. To the world fans, they simply said “thank you”.

“We just want to make awesome music. We don’t want to think of it as complicated,” said Hong-ki, responding to the question of their future direction and adding that his favourite genre at the moment was punk rock.

“We want to do the type of music that suits our age, not sticking to one style or genre. We want to go with our feelings.” — The Korea Times and enewsworld

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