1/N Plan to Make Music for Life

1/N (pronounced “one over N”) discuss their band origin story, success in music competitions, and more!

Please introduce yourselves and describe your individual traits and skills!

All: Hello, glad to meet you! We are 1/N!

Kim Myung Su: [I play] bass [and do] CrossFit.

Shin Sung Kyu: [I do] vocals [and] boxing. 

So Soon Woo: [I play] drums [and do] jiu-jitsu.

Kim Ye Hyun: [I play] guitar, [do] videography, [and go] cycling.

Choi Hoon: [I play] guitar [and do] photography [and] videography.

For those who have not heard your music before, how would you describe it to them? How would you finish the sentence “1/N is ___” or “1/N’s music is ___”? 

“1/N’s music is our eyes and ears.” [It’s] how we see and hear our lives.

What is the story behind how you first became a band?

We were friends back when we were in Dongguk University. We started as a school band and began to make music more professionally after serving in the military.

What does your band name mean to you, and how long did it take you to officially choose it?

It took one day to [choose] our band's name; we all liked it [as soon as] we heard it. “One Over N” means “to share our roles, duties, [and] youth equally.”

Please describe your newest single, “SAY IT!”

[The message is,] “It's okay to get lost without knowing where to go. My destination is always you anyway. If you're the one holding my hand, the direction doesn't matter. Don't be scared if the chaos of the universe comes before you. If we don't let go, we will definitely [stay with] each other." Exciting and bright rock sounds fill the entire song. The lyrics [are] mournful [but] written with the hope that there will be strong, definite support from loved ones when [people] are struggling, amid wasted nights and time passing [with] cowardly excuses. [We] pray that those who listen to the song will not be too far away [from] offering a helping hand [to someone] in despair.

How similar or different is the 1/N of today from the 1/N of your early days? 

It's mostly the same but became more professional, since we are not students anymore and should be [more] responsible for what we do.

Who and/or what are the three biggest influences on your music?

Things we experience, [the] members, [and the] songs we listened to when we were young.

How do you decide on the cover artwork for your singles? 

We discuss it all the time. Sometimes we make it on our own, sometimes we look for an artist who can make our imaginations come true, [and] sometimes we look for someone who can make things that we couldn't have imagined.

What is a 1/N song that you associate with a very meaningful and specific memory?

Choi Hoon: Most of the songs that I write are very personal to me, but “Burn Out” comes to mind now. It's about when I had no hope [or] clue about my life, mostly [referring] to the time when we started 1/N. Thankfully, it's all good now.

What are some of the proudest moments of your career so far?

Very thankfully, we [have] won quite a lot of music competitions. Not only has it made us proud, [but] the prize money [has given] us some peace of mind. It's difficult to continue music without regular income; that means a lot to us. Also, [one of our proudest moments was when we had] our first solo concert. It gave us the motivation to continue pursuing our music career, knowing that there are people who love our music.

What are your plans and goals for the rest of 2024?

We always do a solo concert at the end of the year. We put our best effort in it, not only [in terms of] music, but also lighting, LED screens, and concepts. Also, we are preparing to release an EP later in 2024. 

What are your longer-term career goals?

Perform on the biggest stage in the world, make original music that we [are] truly satisfied with, [and keep this] five-member band until death.

Lastly, is there anything else you want to say about yourselves or your music?

We'll try our best to meet you and hope to see you soon. If you come to Korea, please come to our concert or our café, Midtempo. We’d love to have a great time together!

Keep up with 1/N on Instagram and YouTube!

Answers have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. Photos courtesy of 1/N.