It is not every day you go to a rock concert and the first thing you see is a violin on stage. From the very beginning, Korean rock band Violet Tree desired to have a violinist in their band. After an extensive search, the band landed on their now-core member Hyunjin who helps express the group’s lyrical parts through her passionate violin solos. The band now consists of Jiwon (guitarist and vocalist), Hyunjin (violinist), Seowoo (bassist), and Wongyu (drummer). After their initial formation and debut in 2013, Violet Tree has released several projects like their EP LOOP as well as many YouTube rock covers of other K-Pop artists like “Fake Love” by BTS and “How You Like That” by Blackpink. The quartet has toured the world meeting VORA (their fans) and touched down on this side of the planet for their 2023 reset! European Tour.
Sunday, July 9 was the second time the band had played a gig in Budapest since their 2018 Last Night Part 1 world tour and they did not disappoint. Lively rock music filled Turbina as the band performed their original songs, including their latest release “Reset,”and got pleasantly surprised when a couple of fans already knew the lyrics and sang along. The four members are also known for their hard-hitting rock instrumentals when covering famous Korean songs. For this show they brought some of their most known covers like “Mic Drop” by BTS and “Cupid” by Fifty Fifty while adding newer releases like “Super” by SEVENTEEN that they have not uploaded onto the internet yet.
Kpopconcerts.com caught up with the band following the end of their reset! tour and they let us in on a couple of their favorite fan stories as well as what they miss the most while on tour.
KPC: Congratulations on your trip to Europe! This is not the first time Violet Tree has entered Europe, how was this tour?
Jiwon: Thank you very much. We are still very happy because we received more love than expected.
Wongyu: Of course, there are parts that are physically difficult for us. But after performing and meeting the fans, we thought the tour was really good.
Seowoo: At the end of the tour, it was so disappointing [that it was ending] that we wanted to perform a little more before going back.
KPC: What were you most looking forward to before starting this tour and what was the result?
Jiwon: Meeting VORA again was the most anticipated part. It was a tour after almost four years, but there were many people who did not forget and came to visit us.
Wongyu: There were many people who came to the concert after knowing us for the first time too.
Seowoo: We remembered each and every one of them over the past four years, and it was so nice to see VORA.
KPC: It’s not your first time visiting Hungary. Was there a memorable moment when you were here last time?
Jiwon: Of course, the performances with the people who came to see us are the most memorable. Even now, we look at the photos of that time and look back at the memories.
Seowoo: It was very late after the last performance. We went up to the fisherman’s bastion, and there were few people there. We were able to enjoy the night view of peaceful Budapest and that was very memorable.
KPC: Budapest is your fifth date and you must have been very tired because you performed in Croatia yesterday. Do you have any touring rituals to help you relax and prepare for the concert?
Jiwon: It wasn’t too hard because we had a good day’s rest after arriving in Budapest and we also ate delicious food. Hyunjin usually prays before a performance to gain peace of mind, and the rest of the members recharge their power by drinking energy drinks and beer. Other than that, we tend to prepare as comfortably as possible without having to do any special rituals.
KPC: What do you miss most about home while on tour?
Hyunjin: Being alone!
Wongyu: I missed my wife and 불닭볶음면 (Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen)
Seowoo: My puppy and sleep.
Jiwon: Grilled meat party in the yard.
KPC: Have you had any memorable fan experiences while on tour?
Hyunjin: A fan who drew us. Moreover, she drew me the best. Very satisfied!
Wongyu: I remember the fan who congratulated me on my marriage and even brought gifts for my wife. Thanks, I was able to become a wonderful husband!
Seowoo: It was impressive that people living in other countries came to the concert. Thank you so much for coming from such a distance to see our performance!
Jiwon: I remember the person who made a T-shirt with our faces and wore it. It was a short time that we met, but it was so nice that you didn’t forget and came back.
KPC: Let’s take it back to the start. It’s a band with a unique concept that includes violinist Hyunjin. How did you come up with this idea? How did the band meet?
Jiwon: We thought the violin was best for expressing our lyrical parts, and we like uniqueness. Of course, it is not easy to make music because of its uniqueness.
We should talk from the beginning though.
In 2013, Seowoo and I met through an introduction from D.log(an early member), and Seowoo suggested making a band together. I hadn’t tried music before, so the new challenge was interesting, I immediately said “ok” and the band was created. (Although the initial members were a little different from now).
We chose a violinist to find a unique member, and that’s how we met Hyunjin.
It was very difficult to find a violinist who wanted to play a rock band, but Hyunjin has a rock soul. After that, while looking for a new drummer, Wongyu (who was a friend of the director of the “Fake Love” cover video) joined.
As soon as we saw the sample video he sent, we thought “This person is a new member” and that’s how we became who we are today.
KPC: Do you each have a song that best describes the band?
Hyunjin: “Gloomy night.” It will be released soon. When our members get stressed, it feels just like the lyrics.
Wongyu: “After.” I think the melody and emotional feeling conveyed in the song is the song that expresses the band the most.
Seowoo: “Phantom.” I think the sad lyrics and the exciting music are well-mixed.
Jiwon: “You were my sun.” It’s so nice to be able to shout something together with the audience.
KPC: You covered a lot of songs throughout your band career. Is there a song on your current playlist that you would like Violet Tree to cover?
Hyunjin: “Maniac” by Stray Kids. I like the synth’s sound, so I want to cover it on my violin.
Wongyu: “Idol” by BTS. We tried to cover the song, but I couldn’t finish it because there was a difficult part in the arrangement. I’d like to try again if I can find an answer.
Seowoo: “Hype Boy” by NewJeans. I thought it was a really good song.
Jiwon: “Castle On The Hill” by Ed Sheeran. First of all, this is my favorite song haha I want to try arranging it according to our style.
KPC: What inspires you lately? Do you write songs while on tour?
Hyunjin: Nowadays, from VT’s members. They always give me lots of emotions.
Wongyu: Lately, I’ve been inspired by conversations with other artists.
Seowoo: These days, the memories with VORA. And our members. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough time to write songs, so I can’t write them, but I’m still working on the lyrics.
Jiwon: I am inspired by people who do not give up and live for their dreams.
KPC: What are your plans after the tour? What are your personal plans and plans as a band?
Jiwon: Our band is now working on an album for our next tour. We have prepared many songs during the COVID period and now, we plan to continue making albums through arrangements and recordings. Of course, we should also prepare a good music video haha. I also want to sleep for 3 days. And I want to experience a lot musically.
Seowoo: I want to travel a lot.
Hyunjin: In my personal plan, I want to practice playing the violin more. I always want to be better as a violinist.
Wongyu: My personal plan is to try more of the studio’s development and drum-related content.
Thank you to Violet Tree for the interview opportunity!