2023 has been a fantastic year for Korean entertainment, with several prestigious accolades brought to the nation by K-Pop artists. At the same time, we also saw the rise of a new era of passionate and gifted idols, with the emergence of the 5th generation of K-Pop. Catch The Young is one such K-Pop boy band that debuted this year, impressing fans all over the world.

Signed to Evermore Entertainment, the 5-member band Catch The Young with JungMo on the drums, guitarist KiHoon, bassist/sub-vocalist Sani, main vocalist NamHyun, and keyboardist/vocalist JunYong, may have flown below your K-Pop radar, but their talent simply cannot be ignored. With a self-produced debut album as refined as a comeback, Catch The Young is kicking off their career with a strong statement - they know their artistic purpose, and it is not something that can be compromised.

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The aforementioned debut EP is called "Catch The Young : Fragments Of Youth", with the title track 'YOUTH!!!', which is a wonderful representation of the members' dedication - be that to their careers, their audience, or their message. In a subtle yet profound manner, the song also appears to encapsulate Catch The Young's personal promise to themselves and each other - a promise to shine on, and when artists infuse such conviction in their music, the emotional resonance is bound to captivate and move us as well.

Describing their signature style as "youth pop rock", Catch The Young's music is as versatile and colorful as the hues of youth. It is multi-dimensional, touching on the pains and pleasures, dreams and despairs, the fantasy and reality of it all.

So, it is no wonder that the EP is also complete with a range of genres, such as alternative pop rock, rock ballad, retro, synth rock, and more. What is unique about the tracklist is that each song melts effortlessly into the next, painting a vivid picture of youth that we can all relate to. Delivering such versatility right off the bat is commendable, and we cannot help but be excited for their future.

In light of this fantastic debut, Kpopmap had the chance to catch up with Catch The Young, diving deep into their musical journeys, how they came together, and how it's going. So, keep reading to get to know more about Catch The Young, on Kpopmap's "Debut Diaries".

A very warm welcome to Kpopmap, Catch The Young, and congratulations on your wonderful debut! Before anything else, we have to ask. How does it feel? If you had to use an emoji to express your emotions right now, which emoji would it be?

I think it might be something like 🤪. It's a state that's a bit chaotic and nervous, but happy at the same time.
Sani
☀, because it is as bright as the sun at dawn.
KiHoon
🤪 Since we debuted, I thought we had to show various facial expressions to people.
NamHyun
😳 Surprise, excitement, and worry all in one expression.
JungMo
🙃
JunYong

Your debut mini-album "Catch The Young : Fragments of Youth" is a beautiful declaration of your artistic purpose to celebrate the beauty of youth, complete with the growing pains and the glowing moments. What kind of impact do you hope this album will make on listeners?

We wanted to convey Catch The Young's musical energy through this mini album. It would be great if a lot of people could recognize the stories and messages within each song, but more than that, we tried to show what energy we would like to share with our fans and how we share it with our fans. It might be too early to say things like this with our debut album, but we hope you can understand and enjoy the story and the energy that Catch The Young wants to share and convey. We are looking forward to the things that only we can do with the songs that only we can play and convey the message and various other things.
Catch The Young

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Being promising young men yourselves, which song on the album do you resonate with the most and why?

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!
KiHoon
For me, it's 'Cactus Boy'. I had no major difficulty while working on this particular song, since it was based on my experiences. So, I was able to finish this track smoothly. Even now, I occasionally listen to different versions of it and recall my memories.
Sani
I believe 'Cactus Boy' allows me to immerse myself the most in this album when I sing, and I particularly love the guitar solo.
NamHyun
My favorite song is 'The Way To You'. The reason I love this song is simple: going to meet someone always makes you excited.
JungMo
My favorite is 'My Own Way'. I love it because the title and lyrics correspond with my values of living life my own way!
JunYong

All the songs on the album "Catch The Young : Fragments of Youth" were written or co-written by the members. I'm curious about each of your songwriting styles.

I usually get inspired by my daily life. This is why our songs can be described by the keyword "relatable." This is what we have tried to emphasize with our music. As far as I know, many people come up with the content first and start writing songs. However, we often just write down what popped into our heads and try to reshape it as we practice and reach the perfect version of it. Because of this approach, we share the basic concept of the song and general guidelines with our members, and go through revisions together.
KiHoon
It is important to reflect the opinions of all our members, which sometimes takes time. The album production process took a long time. Instead, it involved merging and fine-tuning songs we worked on for a while, adjusting sounds, and harmonizing our diverse opinions. Furthermore, we did not set a time limit to complete one song, so it was a continuous process of playing, singing, discussing, and revising.
Sani
It varies song by song. Except "YOUTH!!!," most of the songs were written in the past and underwent multiple revisions to improve the quality. Since there cannot be a right or wrong answer when it comes to the final result, we had to keep revising the songs to achieve a better outcome every time. These numerous revisions required numerous rehearsals which made it a little difficult for all of us.
NamHyun
The process of improving the quality of the song may include modifications or rearrangement. However, because we are a band group, we focused on harmonizing how our instruments sound and the songs themselves. So, we rehearsed together a lot. That is how the versions of the songs that ended up on this album were created. And because all our members participated in that process and gave their opinions, we can proudly say that we all composed the songs together.
JungMo
To achieve the sound and make music that we wanted, we revised the songs numerous times. We also put a lot of effort into finding the best sound for each of us. Those were the difficult parts. For me, I found it difficult to research what voice suits my piano the most.
JunYong

"Catch The Young : Fragments of Youth" explores several genres and musical influences. What is your favorite era in music?

I love music from the '70s to '80s, an era I consider the golden age of band music. It's a time when numerous masterpieces were created, showcasing the creativity and genius of artists.
Sani
Music from the 1960s to 1990s is my favorite. That era witnessed the peak of band music internationally, producing diverse performances and songs, making it my favorite era.
KiHoon
I prefer the 2010s. During my school days, I listened to a lot of music, and those memories are embedded in the songs, making that time special for me.
NamHyun
My affection for 1990s Korean music grew naturally since my father loves it.
JunYong
I'm into music that is released nowadays. While I appreciate older songs, I also find today's music very appealing.
JungMo

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Many listeners are pleasantly surprised at Catch The Young's refined and mature sound, especially considering that you have just debuted. So, let's talk a little bit about how you got here. What is your earliest memory with music and how did you fall in love with it?

I discovered ONE OK ROCK when I was 14 years old. They became my first love as soon as I saw them performing. A few years later, I started playing instruments as well.
Sani
I enjoyed watching shows revolving around music when I was young and from then on I started to get interested in band music. After that, I started listening to music more and then started playing instruments.
KiHoon
The reason I started singing was due to Park HyoShin and his songs. I gained so much comfort by listening to his songs and started thinking that I wanted to give the same comfort I received from listening to him to other people by singing.
NamHyun
I started taking piano lessons when I was little. That was my first encounter with music. Then I started playing music by going to children's song contests with my friends.
JunYong
I loved music before I started playing instruments but I fell more in love with it when I started playing.
JungMo

What inspired you to pursue music as a career? Did you receive a lot of support for it or were there any obstacles on the way?

Many people I know supported me. My family and friends trusted me and helped me a lot as I played music and instruments.
Sani
I had a tough start. I used to play sports but started playing instruments when I quit sports, which made people around me worry about my future.
KiHoon
Because my dream was to give comfort like Park HyoShin, my family supported me when I decided to major in Applied Music in college.
NamHyun
Ever since I got interested in music, I played instruments and went to schools that specialized in music studies. Then I joined Catch The Young. I am thankful to my parents who have supported me through that process.
JunYong
I started playing instruments later compared to our members. My motto was to enjoy playing, and it got me to this stage. I am thankful to the people around me for supporting me and trusting me to do music.
JungMo

How did you come to join EVERMORE Entertainment? Please tell us a little bit about your early trainee days. Was it easy for you to adapt to a new environment or did you face any challenges?

We might differ from other bands. Each of us was doing our own music, got in touch with our company, and had an audition. We've gone through a trainee period and became Catch The Young. I found it difficult to adapt to the new environment.
Sani
I was the first to join. Then Sani joined 3 years later and became a trainee. I also found it difficult to adapt to new things.
KiHoon
Then I auditioned and joined the team. Back then, our band name was EVERMORE THE YOUNG, instead of Catch The Young. It was easier for me since Sani and KiHoon were there for me.
NamHyun
I joined the group right before the first concert after they changed the band name. I started rehearsing for the concert as soon as I joined the band and since they already had a catalog of songs it made it easier to fit in.
JungMo
And I was there, at that concert, as an audience member and became the last member of our group. I was worried about the age gap between our members and me, but I was able to fit into our group without any problem.
JunYong

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Being a band, each member's training must have been different. Did you have any struggles particular to your positions? Similarly, what is your favorite part about your position?

I don't think there is a major difficulty related to my position. However, the bass is there to control the rhythm and melody, which is the reason why I like it, and I always focus on that while we play.
Sani
I love guitar. There are so many charms that only the guitar has, including cool solos. There are some difficulties, I would say, since I have to prepare diverse performances and hone various skills to achieve that.
KiHoon
I think I was born to be a vocalist. I do occasionally play instruments but I think singing is a better fit for me. I believe my voice compliments the colors of our team and I enjoy singing with our members every time I get to do this. I try to focus on what kind of voice I should make since it is important to express the emotion that suits the vibe of the song.
NamHyun
I like the keyboards as my position. While my ability to move is limited, I like singing while standing and I still can contribute to the performance.
JunYong
Since I'm a drummer, I try my best to make a perfect tempo. I am very well aware of my responsibilities since my mistake can mess up the tempo for everyone on stage. However, that is the importance of drums and this is why I like my position. Rhythm is the base of the band.
JungMo

Did the members get along well from the beginning? What were some defining moments that helped you grow closer to each other?

We didn't bond together at first sight, but got along very quickly as soon as we started playing together and talked about things.
Sani
I, too, was a little embarrassed to approach when Sani joined our management. We got quite close to each other by the time NamHyun joined us.
KiHoon
At first, KiHoon left a strong impression on me and made me worry a little. However, I quickly figured out that he wasn't like that and that he is a very good person.
NamHyun
It was rather easier for me to join the members since they were already close enough to each other.
JunYong
I had a special opportunity to become closer to our members. I joined the band about a month before the Rolling Hall concert. And because we had so many songs to perform for that concert, including our songs and the cover songs, we were able to bond quickly.
JungMo

Debuting is a dream come true for many aspiring musicians. Can you tell us about the emotions and thoughts that ran through your minds on the day you found out you were going to debut?

Since I waited for this moment for such a long time, it was hard for me to believe that we are finally debuting at first. Also, we had talked about our debut album numerous times previously, so I felt quite numb when we first debuted. After that, I thought “Okay, we debuted, but what should I do?”
Sani
I was happy to debut after being a trainee for such a long time, but also nervous and worried at the same time.
KiHoon
"Finally!" was the first word that came to my mind. Since it took quite a long time as a band trainee, I was excited for our debut. Then I also thought "What should I do from now?" and became worried.
NamHyun
At first, I was excited and happy. Then I realized how I joined the team at last and felt thankful for our members who endured the hard times. I also thought that I would never be a burden to our team.
JunYong
At first, I was like "Am I really debuting?" and then I talked with our members thinking "What do I have to do to debut?", "What do we need?"
JungMo

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Now that you have debuted, what is the signature style or trend that you want to set in the K-Pop industry?

We would like to say that "Youth" and the energy that we'd like to share through our music and pursue is the signature of Catch The Young. Also, Youth Pop Rock is our unique genre that shows the style that only we can do. Therefore we could say that the genre itself is also our signature. We'd also love to bring the revival of band music.
Catch The Young

If your debut journey were to be made into a movie, what would the title be, and what genre would it belong to?

I want to call it "Journey". The genre would be a biography.
Sani
It would be "To Shining You", and it would be a fantasy.
KiHoon
My movie title is going to be "Bloody Wind Blows" and it will be a comedy.
NamHyun
The movie title will be "Child actor" and the genre will be drama based on a true story.
JunYong
My movie title is going to be "Will it go as planned?" and it will be a thriller and a horror movie.
JungMo

Looking back at the process leading up to your debut, what piece of advice would you give to aspiring K-Pop trainees and musicians who are on a similar path?

It feels a bit early for us to offer advice, considering it's only been about a month since our debut. Rather than just saying 'Work hard', it would be great if you could think about what you need and go through the process of trying and doing it yourself at least once. Knowing what I'm good at and where I lack is important; striving to improve those areas will surely lead to growth. And most importantly, our songs could give you strength to do so.
Catch The Young

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Finally, do you have anything you'd like to say to fans all over the world who are looking forward to Catch The Young's future?

Hello. We are Catch The Young. We are a band that sings about "youth" that all of you can relate to and shares exciting energy.
Sani
We are trying our best to make music that all of you can relate to and enjoy. We will also continue to work hard to bring you a new album or have concerts more often.
KiHoon
Please listen to our songs since they offer a wide range of moods, from excitement to consolation.
NamHyun
Please give a lot of love and support to us since we plan to have concerts all over the world.
JunYong
We will prepare an amazing stage that can fulfill your expectations and offer you support! Thank you.
JungMo

Want more of Catch The Young? Follow the band on Instagram!

Also, Catch The Young is currently preparing for their first Christmas concert "Santa The Young", happening on December 24. Tickets are now available on Interpark.