Known for their intricate storytelling and appeal to young, hopeless daydreamers, K-indie band, Lacuna, made up of Kyungmin, Ho, Minhyuk, and Isaac recently released the playful, coming-of-age like album, Summer Tales. After a year-long break, Kyungmin, Ho, Minhyuk, and Isaac returned with an evolved sound and forward lyrics on five tracks, showcasing the band’s ability to take fans through the emotional journey of love in a non-traditional way. This new era of music emphasizes playfulness and laid-back humor to highlight the band’s boyish charm.
Lacuna made their debut back in 2018 with the release of their EP Incompleteness Dream, revealing their imaginative, dreamy sound and desire to convey somewhat surreal stories through their music. Since then the band has taken steps to broaden their reach by participating in the Mint Paper’s bright #8 compilation album and performing at the Grand Mint Festival 2019. Coining themselves as artists unafraid of releasing bold art that challenges the psyche, they aim to lure fans into an inescapable labyrinth.
The Kpopconcerts team recently had the opportunity to speak with Lacuna to discuss their essence, Summer Tales, favorite parts of the creative process, and more!
KPC: For our readers that are still getting to know you, can you share a little about yourselves?
Lacuna: Hello, Kpopconcerts readers! We are Lacuna, a 4-member band consisting of four best friends. We aspire to make dreamy, yet powerful rock music, which we often describe as ‘fairytale-like.’ Our 4th EP Summer Tales just came out, and we just finished our EP release concert of the same name last week.
KPC: It’s been said that you knew each other before becoming a band. When did you know you wanted to pursue music together? How did the idea come to be?
Kyungmin: Minhyuk, Isaac, and I met through a Facebook jam session group, and it was my idea to form a band at first. Then Isaac and I went to college and met Ho. He was so good we just had to recruit him! After meeting up and sharing our music with each other a few times, we realized we got along not only musically but really great as friends as well.
KPC: How did you land on the name Lacuna? If you don’t mind sharing, were there any other options you considered? If so, can you name a few?
Ho: Our initial name was “Unplugged Studio” simply because it was the name of the studio we used to practice in. Obviously our musical goals were far from “unplugged,” and through the course of finding a suitable band name we settled on “Lacuna.” It’s taken from Lacuna Inc., the name of the company that erases memories in the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
KPC: What were you doing prior to the formation of the band?
Minhyuk: We were all working hard to go to college and major in our respective instruments.
KPC: Your latest EP Summer Tales has such an enchanting and dreamy sound, can you explain the creative process and what this album means to you?
Kyungmin: I start out with sketching out a demo and share it with my bandmates. Then all four of us get together to discuss musical arrangements, refining each instrument’s sound, etc. So even though I provide the initial big picture, the entirety of Lacuna gets involved throughout the way. The album is a collection of love stories with a more rock-oriented soundscape, ultimately signifying which direction we wanted to take our music in.
KPC: How did the production and creation of Summer Tales differ from that of your previous releases?
Minhyuk: The biggest difference we felt was the recording process. Due to a few reasons we were able to take our time with the production. We went through a lot of takes to experiment with various recording techniques until we were satisfied.
KPC: What are your favorite parts about the creative process?
Ho: Trying out unprecedented things, such as the bass solo in our fifth track “Moonshower.” We thought a bass solo instead of the usual guitar solo would come across as a surprise to our listeners. On top of that, I tweaked with the sound effects a little to produce a synthesizer-esque sound.
KPC: It has been mentioned that Summer Tales discusses awkward, but honest confessions of love. Do you have any real life experiences that you can relate to the EP? If comfortable, can you share any?
Kyungmin:We all do, haha. Although we can’t get into much detail, I’ll just say that sometimes a love story in real life is more like a movie than an actual movie.
KPC: What are each of your favorite tracks on the album and why?
Kyungmin: My favorite would be the 5th track “Moonshower” because it shows a side of Lacuna that’s strikingly different from before.
Minhyuk: “Always Summer.” When I listen to this track, it’s like summer’s never going to end.
Ho: I also like “Moonshower” the best. Like Kyungmin said, Lacuna’s rock-band strengths are emphasized the most in this track.
Isaac: I like “YOU” the best because the lyrics are honest and creative at the same time.
KPC: If no dream was too big, what do you want to accomplish as a band?
Kyungmin: To be very honest, I’d want nothing more than to continue making music as Lacuna, with all three of my members.
Minhyuk: Yes. Even when we’re very old.
KPC: How would you describe Lacuna’s sound to someone that wants to listen to your discography for the first time?
Kyungmin: We seek to create a dreamy, mysterious sound while employing elements of hard rock and Britpop. Also, our lyrics are one of the many characteristics that set us apart from other bands. We are a continuously evolving band, so please keep up with our latest music!
KPC: What is next for Lacuna?
Isaac: There are more gigs and more music coming this year. For the time being we’ll focus on perfecting our live performances and writing new songs! Someday, we hope we can go on international tours too.
KPC: Lastly, is there anything you want to say to your fans?
Lacuna– Like Isaac said, we’ll be working hard throughout this year and beyond so stay tuned. Thank you so much for supporting us and listening to our music! We hope to meet you in person again, very soon.
Thank you to Lacuna and MPMG for this interview opportunity! Make sure to stream Summer Tales on all streaming platforms!