So, I kept this a secret, but…interview! People and People are a duo from Magic Strawberry Sound consisting of members Kun Hoon and So Im.
They recently released their latest single, “The Universe,” and I was lucky enough to interview these two lovely people.
Thank you two for your time and effort as well as Maro for correspondence.
Enjoy the interview below:
Is there anything in particular that inspired your name? What does your name mean to you?
So Im: We, People and People, used to perform in Daegu for a quite long period of time as ‘Mr. Kun Hoon‘. We moved to Seoul and thought of changing the name because ‘Mr. Kun Hoon’ may sound like a one-man band’s. At last, we came up with an idea of using ‘People and People’ as the name which is one of our songs released in 2012. So here we are, People and People!
To speak of the difference between the two, the music of ‘Mr. Kun Hoon’ come from the personal stories, while ‘People and People’ aims to express something beyond the individual matters encountering as a person. We thought this name(People and People) also goes well with a duo too.
What sort of feeling do you wish to convey to your audience with your music?
Kun Hoon: Simplicity, but also richness in sounds. I would be pleased to see many of them minding the lyrics while listening to the music. I prefer warmth to chilliness and moderation to extravagance in texture of music. Hope the listeners could spot that while listening.
So Im: I imagine lots of things while singing. Sometimes I make characters in a song or put myself as one, but that’s what I expect the audience to do as well. Maybe that will help all of us to share each other’s feelings and empathize together while listening to our music. I am so glad to see the people enjoying our music!
Who or what do you take inspiration from for your music?
Kun Hoon: Personally, I used to love the funk bands from 80-90s. The tones in music they have are completely different from that of ours, but they have definitely inspired me in the way of writing songs. Other than that, not inspired in particular.
So Im: Way too many to pick! Anything that happens to me/things I come across.
Who or what inspired you to become musicians?
Kun Hoon: I had started performing in music since I was 20 years old, but did not think becoming a musician with profession. But whenever I had to make a choice or decisions so far, music was all-time-priority. There is no particular musician I feel being inspired.
So Im: I love Velvet Underground and Sanwoolim. I used to copy them when I was in bands and enjoyed it very much long ago, but never made decisions to become a musician. But now, I know the fun points in writing songs and music, which I hope it to lead me in becoming a musician. For now, I just enjoy singing, making people glad and happy with our music.
What would you say is your strongest attribute as a performer?
Kun Hoon: We do not (and also our music does not) fantasize or long for a particular life. What we focus on are just some ordinary things which could also belong to you.
So Im: Um… I don’t know. Not sure yet.
What does the song ‘The Universe’ mean to you?
Kun Hoon: It means the ‘end of year’ to us. There were a lot of twists and turns in all procedures which were challenging but also giving myself many tries. I personally have a special attachment to ‘The Universe’.
So Im: When ‘The Universe’ was first released, I could not express my feeling but was overwhelmed by indefinable feelings. I worried a lot about conveying my emotions to the audience, but maybe no more than that. I love ‘The Universe’ just like other songs of ‘Mr. Kun Hoon’ and ‘People and People’.
Where would you like to perform the most? (venue, festival, etc)
Kun Hoon: Glastonbury! But to be honest, we’ve never had any performance overseas so it doesn’t really matter where it is.
So Im: Performing in the new places is always exciting and amusing. Well, I don’t really have ideas about that. Any suggestions? 🙂
What is your dream collaboration? Who do you want to work with?
Kun Hoon: Sun Kill Moon, who I’ve been recently listening to.
So Im: Anyone with some video works that go well with our music. I realized that our music is more well-conveyed with videos. And Yo La Tengo!
Is there anything else you dreamed of doing when you grew up? What sort of job did you think you would have, or have you always been focused on a career in music?
Kun Hoon: I have been focusing on a career in music but it was never easy. If I didn’t have a career in music, I would have worked in school since my major is related to the special education. Actually, I have a work experience in a special school as a teacher too.
So Im: I had a lot of dreams! An athlete, art teacher, the owner of a gift shop… and last but not least, a rock star! It may sound a bit random, but actually, I had been web-designing for a quite long period of time. If I didn’t have my career in music, I would have probably carried on working on web-designing. Or maybe became a croquette seller…
What would you say is the strangest and/or funniest thing that has happened during a performance?
Kun Hoon: Once, we were having an outdoor performance and this old drunk man just suddenly came up on the stage for an autograph.
So Im: There is a song called ‘Loser‘ from our album released in 2012. Its lyrics says ‘let’s all die’ three times in the song. Once, all the audience sang that together with us. People were shouting out ‘Let’s all die’ too cheerfully, which made me laugh hard while singing. Didn’t expect that song to be so chirpy like that. I wish there was a video of it. Anyway, I want to shout out with people again. Let’s all die!!!
Is there anything else in the works for the near future?
Kun Hoon: We are preparing some regular concerts in Korea and there is our first regular album coming in March.
Is there anything you would like to say to your international fans?
Kun Hoon: So happy to see our fans overseas! We will always be singing at the right opposite side of this planet with you! When we get to meet each other one day, let’s sing together.
So Im: Nice to see you! I already feel so close with our fans just by saying hi to them. And thank you! It definitely makes me feel excited that someone out there listen to our music. I really hope to see them one day. Thank you so much for your love and support, and please enjoy our music 🙂 Love you all!
Once again, thank you to Kun Hoon and So Im of People and People, Maro, and Magic Strawberry Sound!
Check out their latest track, “The Universe,” below:
Like the song? Buy it on iTunes!
Like People and People? Follow them on their SNS:
Ms. ThugBear 