Exclusive Interview: Catch The Young On Fragments of Odyssey And Faker

We caught up with Catch The Young! The Honey POP has been championing this K-band since their debut, and our adoration for them isn’t slowing down any time soon! In the latest of our exclusive interviews with Catch The Young, we chat all things Fragments of Odyssey, their second mini album!

From Catch The Young’s fans, to the people that Catch The Young are fans of, there was nothing we didn’t discuss in this interview! The group was so open about their music process, their dreams, and so much more – it was a Catcher’s dream to gain all of this insight!

So. We won’t keep you hanging any longer…enjoy our catch-up with Sani, Jungmo, Kihoon, Namhyun, and Junyoung!

Catch The Young Exclusive Interview

Congratulations on your first comeback! How did you feel in the run-up to Fragments of Odyssey compared to the run-up to your debut?
Jungmo: The first album was indeed the ‘first’ and the ‘beginning’, which made it quite tough. However, for the second album, there certainly was pressure for us to surpass the previous album and show even more growth. This made the preparation a little more difficult, but I believe the effort paid off. I’m confident that we’ve prepared music and performances that will resonate deeply with our audience and provide them comfort.
Sani: The preparation for the second album was quite different from the first, mainly because the seasons were at the opposite ends of the spectrum. The first album was prepared during the summer, while the second was during the winter, and there were many new challenges we hadn’t encountered before, such as dealing with the cold weather. Additionally, the strong desire to improve upon our first album made it more difficult.

How has the journey been since your debut, and how does it feel to see your fanbase grow as more people discover Catch The Young?
Sani: Hearing our fans calling Catch The Young’s name and our songs being played in multiple places is quite surreal. While I had imagined it before, experiencing it firsthand makes me truly grateful and I will work harder to show our best.
Kihoon: It’s exciting to see our fanbase growing and more new faces showing up to support us. However, I sometimes worry about what will happen if they leave our side one day.
Namhyun: It’s amazing to see our fanbase growing with every music show, radio program, interview, and live performance. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who loves Catch The Young. Your support fuels my passion and keeps me motivated, creating a positive circle of energy.
Junyong: It’s indeed wonderful to debut, and it’s also true that I feel constantly excited! As our fanbase grows and the love for us increases, I feel the pressure to deliver new and better things. But thanks to our fans, Catchers, I gain energy and am working hard every day.
Jungmo: We are blessed to be busy, and while it can be exhausting, seeing our fanbase grow motivates me to work even harder. Therefore, rather than feeling tired, I always feel excited and grateful for every opportunity.

Creative Process

You guys have contributed to all of the songs on Fragments of Youth and Fragments of Odyssey. Which album was harder to prepare for, and why?
Sani: Working on our first album, Catch The Young: Fragments of Youth, was definitely more challenging. Since we had never released an album before and lacked experience in commercial music production, we relied on a lot of help from many people and learned much during the process. In contrast, creating our second album felt a bit smoother.
Namhyun: Personally, I found our second album, Catch The Young: Fragments of Odyssey, to be more difficult. We had more time to work on our debut album during our trainee days, but preparing for this comeback involved juggling recording, getting ready for live performances, practicing, album production, and promoting the first album, which made it harder to manage time and energy. Hopefully, as we continue releasing albums, we’ll develop better techniques to handle this.
Kihoon: Both our first and second albums were challenging but in different ways. The first album was difficult because it was our debut, while the second album was tough because we aimed to improve and showcase our growth and diversity. Despite the difficulties, the satisfaction of releasing both albums has been immense.

You’re so hands-on with your music, which we absolutely love to see! What genre or style would you like to try out that you haven’t yet?
Jungmo: Personally, I’d love to explore the Latin genre. I’ve watched Latin band performances, and they’re so stylish and far from old-fashioned! If we could incorporate Latin music into our shows, I think it would make our performances even more diverse.
Namhyun: I want to create music that gets everyone jumping and having fun together! There are so many festivals where bands can participate, and I’d love for Catch The Young to experience performing festival-style songs that the audience can enjoy with us.
Sani: I’m personally interested in trying jazz. I studied contrabass in college and performed at various jazz clubs before joining our company, so I think it would be exciting for Catch The Young to delve into jazz and see what we can create.

‘The Legend’

We love the references to Faker in ‘The Legend!’ Are you all big gamers? Who came up with that particular idea?
Sani: That would be me. I’ve been a huge fan of Faker since I first started playing League of
Legends back in 2013. Over the past decade, I’ve followed his journey, witnessing his highs and lows, and always wanted to capture his story in a song. His victory at the 2023 World Championship, winning again after seven years and overcoming continuous challenges to return to the top, was incredibly inspiring. That is why I immediately wrote ‘The Legend.’

‘The Legend’ has great pop-punk vibes, and so much confidence too! Who are some pop-punk artists that inspire you? Or that you look up to for their confidence?
Namhyun: Personally, I’ve been greatly influenced by ONE OK ROCK and The Rose. From ONE OK ROCK, I’ve learned to appreciate the explosive sound and dynamic performances, while The Rose has inspired me with their stage attitude and vibe.
Sani: Performance-wise, I draw a lot of inspiration from Red Hot Chili Peppers. Flea is one of my favorite bassists, and his energy on the stage is simply unmatched. In the K-pop scene, I often watch videos of DAY6’s Young K to study his motions and acting.
Jungmo: Regardless of genre, I’ve always learned a lot from watching Buzzcocks. I particularly admire drummer Danny Farrant, whose rhythms have significantly shaped my drumming style in Catch The Young.

And, of course, we have to talk about your fan song, ‘Light On Me (1101).’ What can you tell us about the writing process behind this track?
Kihoon: Actually, it’s a song that I wrote long before my debut. One day, after practicing, I looked at the sky, and the moon was shining brightly. There, I got inspiration and wrote this song. I hope our fans will receive a comforting message that “There’s someone who’s like light next to you” by watching our performance, and we hope to gain the same solace from them as well.

Nostalgia

Youth is a big part of your story, and Fragments of Odyssey feels very nostalgic in parts. Whether they’re big or small, what things make you feel nostalgic?
Namhyun: Growing up in the countryside, I often feel nostalgic when I see rural scenery or visit the beach. It reminds me of my childhood, watching Hometown Report and snacking on cabbage with my grandmother.
Junyoung: Even though I’m still young, certain songs or scents from my past evoke a strong sense of nostalgia. Hearing the songs or cartoon original soundtracks I used to sing with my friends as a child always warms my heart.
Jungmo: Honestly, I don’t really feel nostalgic yet. I believe it’s because I’m still in my youth, filled with various journeys, adventures, and challenges. Given my personality, I tend to only reflect on completed experiences. I think I’ll start feeling nostalgic once I reach my goals and look back on the path I’ve traveled. For now, I’m still busy moving forward rather than dwelling on the past.

What are some old-school songs that give you nostalgia?
Jungmo: If I had to pick just one, it would be ‘It’s My Life’ by Bon Jovi. My dad used to grab his guitar and sing it after having a beer when I was in school.
Namhyun: For me, it’s ‘On a Night Like Tonight’ by Park Jeong-un. My dad had it as his ringtone, and hearing it always brings back old memories. I still listen to it sometimes on my own.
Sani: ‘Wish’ by Vision of Freedom is a song I’ve listened to for as long as I can remember. It’s a beautiful track, both melodically and structurally, even though it has a religious theme. It always brings tears to my eyes. ‘Sparkle’ by Tatsuro Yamashita is another favorite. I discovered it during my college entrance exams. I initially practiced it to learn the guitar, but the instrumental arrangement and overall vibe were so beautiful that it captivated me. I still listen to it often.
Kihoon: The song ‘Hello, Myself’ by Choi Yegeun (YEGNY) evokes a lot of nostalgia for me.
Junyoung: The anthem of my elementary school brings back memories for me. I can still sing it without missing a word.

‘Voyager’

We love how vibrant and colorful the ‘Voyager’ music video is! What was that music video like to film?
Jungmo: In our latest music video, each member uses different equipment to gather sounds representing our inner thoughts and voices, combining them to create a beautiful song. While the title track ‘YOUTH!!!’ from our first album was filmed in the summer, the video for our second album was shot by the winter sea. It was so cold that we kept shivering during the filming, but the result was worth it! We hope our video’s message shows that despite our differences, we can come together to create something beautiful.
Namhyun: For the music video of the first album’s B-side track ‘Cactus Boy,’ we shot individual scenes in a studio. This time, we filmed a scene where we played instruments in a water tank in the same studio as then. It was fun to shoot in the same studio but with a completely different setup. The cold water made it challenging, but we tried not to show how cold it was on camera.
Kihoon: There’s a scene in the music video that I find particularly beautiful. It’s the one where all the members get into a camper van and set off on a journey to share our music. That scene really stands out in my memory.
Sani: We filmed in various locations, and the filming process took longer than usual because of that. The weather was freezing, and I remember eating food from the catering truck. Even though it was hot food, it quickly got cold in the cold wind. Despite the weather, the food was delicious. Special thanks to the catering truck owner! ☺
Junyoung: Since the music video had a storyline, we had a lot of acting scenes directed by our director. Most of the directions involved phrases like “Don’t show on your face that you’re cold,” since it was freezing on set. Despite the cold, many of the staff cheered each other on and worked hard to film so it was fun and left a vivid impression in my memory.

What made you decide that ‘Voyager’ should be Fragments of Odyssey’s title track?
Sani: I think the title track is the song that most suited the Fragments of Odyssey, the title of our second album. We chose it as the title track because it included multiple keywords such as adventure and voyage. At the same time, we thought that it was a song that many listeners could relate to.
Namhyun: This song not only best fits the theme of this album, but also contains the clearest message that Catch The Young wants to express through our music and deliver to the world, which is why it was chosen as the title track.
Jungmo: Also, rather than continuing the stories of youth from the first album, we wanted to express various emotions through the second album. Thus, we believed that ‘Voyager’ was the most suitable title track for this album.

The Future!

Which b-side, or b-sides, are you looking forward to performing the most?
Jungmo: What I’m most looking forward to is performing ‘The Legend,’ the third track on our second album, and ‘The Way to You’ from our first album joyfully with the audience.
Namhyun: ‘The Legend’ is a powerful song, so I think we can really enjoy jumping around energetically while performing.
Sani: I feel the same way about ‘The Legend.’ It’s so powerful and dynamic that I always look forward to performing it on stage.
Junyong: Please look forward to seeing more spectacular performances our rock song ‘The Legend’ will bring to various festival appearances and performances!
Kihoon: All of the songs in our two albums are charming so I look forward to performing all of them. However, personally, ‘Light On Me (1101)’ and ‘Stay By My Side’ are the ones I look forward to the most.

We’re still streaming Fragments of Odyssey on repeat, but what else can we look forward to from Catch The Young in 2024?
Jungmo: Just like a message in ‘Voyager,’ Catch The Young is a team that creates beautiful sounds when everyone comes together as one. But there’s one more thing that should come together; not just us, but also our Catchers who beautifully adorn our youth. For the rest of 2024, we hope to improve more and are preparing to show you our cool side through live stages as we have more content to show you! Please continue to cheer us on, love us, and stay tuned in for the future!
Sani: Please look forward to our new album, festivals, and our solo concert! Thank you.
Namhyun: Please look forward to our future performance that will be improved to another level at a major festival! Also, please stay tuned for our international performances that might happen in the future!

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