An exciting new chapter has unfolded in the vibrant landscape of South Korean music with the debut of Catch The Young, an alternative pop-rock band that has swiftly captured hearts with their distinctive sound and poignant lyrics. Comprising five talented members—Sani on bass and sub vocals, Kihoon on guitar, Namhyun as the main vocalist, Junyong on keyboard and vocals, and Jungmo on drums—the band has coined the term “youth pop rock” to encapsulate the essence of their music, which beautifully articulates the highs and lows of the youthful experience.
Catch The Young officially stepped into the limelight on November 1, 2023, marking the beginning of a promising musical journey that resonates with the energy and vitality of youth. The band’s debut mini-album, aptly titled “Catch The Young: Fragments of Youth,” is a sonic canvas where they paint the vivid tapestry of young emotions.
At the core of Catch The Young’s artistic expression is a genuine attempt to encapsulate the enormity of the youth experience. Their music delves into the most brilliant moments of youth, crafting narratives that navigate the emotions encountered during this transformative phase of life. From the euphoria of first love to the reflective moments of self-discovery, Catch The Young fearlessly explores the multifaceted dimensions of youth in their debut release.
The seven tracks that compose “Catch The Young: Fragments of Youth” are a testament to the band’s commitment to authenticity. Each song is a carefully crafted piece that reflects the personal and collective experiences of the members. Notably, all tracks were either written or co-written by the band, showcasing their dedication to infusing their music with a genuine, heartfelt touch.
As listeners embark on a musical journey with Catch The Young, they immerse themselves in a sonic landscape that resonates with relatable stories and emotions. The band’s ability to articulate the complexities of youth through their music has garnered them widespread acclaim, establishing Catch The Young as a refreshing voice in the ever-evolving world of alternative pop-rock.
Catch The Young emerges not only as a musical ensemble but also as storytellers of the youth experience. Their debut mini-album stands as a first testament to their artistry, weaving together a captivating narrative that invites listeners to connect with the vibrant tapestry of emotions that define the essence of youth.
Panorama.it spoke with them.
Nice to meet you, boys. Can you please introduce yourself to our readers?
Two, three! Hello, we are Catch The Young! We are a brand-new band that debuted in November.
We have five members: Kihoon, guitar and vocal, Sani, bass and vocal, Namhyun, lead vocalist, Junyong, keyboard and vocal, and Jungmo, drums and percussion. You might have not heard of us, but we play music in a genre we call Youth Pop Rock to share the energy of youth to all of you.
How does it feel to debut finally?
Sani: Since I was anticipating this moment for such a long time, it feels sort of unreal to me and makes me a little nervous. However, we have practiced for a long time and therefore believe that we must do our best. We will continue to work and show an improved version of ourselves.
Kihoon: Because I was a trainee for a long time, I am both excited and nervous at the same time. I like to thank our management and members for trusting me and enduring the hard times with me. I will continue to work hard to share youthful energy with many people, as our band name Catch The Young suggests.
Namhyun: Firstly, I want to thank our members who went through a long trainee period with me. I’d like to continue enjoying our work and show only the good side of us.
Junyong: Since I waited for this debut so much, I am both excited and nervous at the same time. Because I joined the band last, I thank our members for enduring the hard times. I will promise to follow them and learn from them. I will also work hard to enjoy our stage as a team.
Jungmo: I am grateful for our members and many people in our management who have made it possible for me to debut. We’ve gone through numerous obstacles and challenges together to be here. We will work hard to show you our good side and all the things that we have prepared for.
Let’s start with your name: why did you choose it?
Kihoon: Our name, Catch The Young, means to deliver the energy of and stories related to youth. It shows how determined we are to share the empathy and energy of youth with people regardless of their age.
You are an alternative pop rock band but you prefer to describe your sound as “Youth Pop Rock”. Can you tell us more about your sound?
Namhyun: Youth Pop Rock is a genre that only Catch The Young can handle. Unlike other genres, it traverses between pop and rock, delivering the energy of youth in our unique style. Our music is Youth Pop Rock, this is the definition of our musical essence. We’ll continue creating new musical realms and that would be Youth Pop Rock.
Your mini album “Catch The Young: Fragments of Youth” opens the first chapter of your story as a band. You all worked on this and its tracks. How was the process of creating the album?
Sani: All of our members participated in the production of this album by writing songs, and we will continue to work together. Although the process of writing songs may vary from individual to individual, we tend to revise songs together, after one person comes up with the general melodies and rhythm. So, we try many different methods while we rehearse. Since we have a recording studio at our management company, we have easy access to rearrangement or revision of our previous recordings, which also made us repeat the process quite a lot of the time. If I give you an example, when we record the guitar sound, the sound varies depending on which guitar you play. We try to experiment with such things.
Which was the most fun part?
Kihoon: The fact that we were able to write songs that contain the message we wanted to share for this album was the most fun part. I also enjoyed practicing in order to let you hear the music we made.
And the most challenging one?
Sani: The difficult part was the numerous times we had to revise the songs to find what would work best for each track. We understand that there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to songwriting, so we had to try again and again to make them as perfect as possible.
Namhyun: It was also difficult to share our songs with the listeners for the first time. While we had our company’s staff to help us and discuss what to do, it was still challenging. Practice itself wasn’t that hard since we were already doing it every day anyway, but since we had to show everything we had prepared in that short moment on stage, figuring out what to do and what we had to practice to leave an impression was rather difficult. We thought about how to make the viewers feel our energy and ended up preparing a dance performance. However, I am not a dancer, so I had difficulties at the beginning. After a lot of practice, I was able to have fun on stage, so it was nice.
The title track is called “YOUTH!!!” in caps with three exclamation points. What kind of song is it?
Kihoon: “YOUTH!!!” is a song that represents Catch The Young’s unique genre, Youth Pop Rock.
It talks about the story that everyone has probably experienced during their youth and conveys a message that challenges in youth shall pass and become a great memory in the future as we overcome those with the energy of youth. On this song, we used exciting rhythms and synth sounds, which will remind some listeners of synth pop that they heard in the past and give fresh vibes to those who has never heard such music before.
Seven tracks, all of them are either written or co-writter by you members. Which is your favorite and why?
Kihoon: For me, it’s “YOUTH!!!”. It’s a song that marks the beginning of our fearless and audacious journey, which I believe could give strength to people to tackle their challenges while listening to our music. That is why I like this song!
Sani: For me, it’s “Cactus Boy.” I had no major difficulty while working on this song, thinking that it was going to be a song based on my experiences. So, I was able to finish this song smoothly. Even now, I occasionally listen to different versions of it and recall my memories.
Namhyun: I believe “Cactus Boy” allows me to immerse myself the most in this album, and I particularly love the guitar solo part.
Jungmo: My favorite song is “The Way to You.” The reason I love this song is simple: going to meet someone always makes you excited.
Junyong: My favorite is “My Own Way.” I love it because the title and lyrics correspond with my values of living life my own way!
Do you guys have any role models in the industry? If so, who are they?
Sani: I discovered a Japanese rock band, ONE OK ROCK, when I was 14 years old. They became my first love as soon as I saw them performing. After I started playing instruments, I fell in love with Red Hot Chilli Peppers and THE CHARM PARK. I really like them all and respect them, and they’ve had quite an influence on me.
Namhyun: The reason I started singing was due to Park Hyo-shin and his songs. His songs comforted me and I started thinking that I wanted to give this comfort to other people by singing. I still think of this when I sing.
Junyong: My role model is Crush. I loved how he can dominate the stage, all by himself. I wanted to be like him while I watched his performance.
Kihoon: I got into John Mayer when I started playing instruments. However, my current role model is Richie Kotzen.
Jungmo: Since I am a drummer, I was most influenced by Larnell Lewis and Aaron Spears.
If you had to describe yourself in one word, without overthinking it, which would it be?
Junyong: If I were to describe us in one word, that would be “YOUTH!!!” Not because it is our debut title track, but also because we believe we, Catch The Young, are in our youth era as we anticipate the future and deliver the energy of youth that can tackle all the challenges in front of us.
Who are Catch The Young?
We are Catch The Young.
We, Catch The Young, will always sing about youth and energy and will become a band that brings energy to you just by thinking of us.
Please remember us, Catch The Young, who write music with the energy of youth, and look forward to our future releases! We will try our best to meet your anticipation with our music!