9001’s Rebirth

9001 compare their band’s transformation to a favorite novel, share some behind-the-scenes stories from making their latest release, and much more!

Please introduce yourselves and share what special traits or skills each member adds to the group! 

Our drummer, Uigeon, gives us the funniest moments so we can all laugh while we’re together. But it’s not a joke when he plays [drums]. Keyboardist Wonwoo is the oldest brother in the group, has a chill personality, and [has] good music taste. We often start our arrangements with his ideas. Juwon, a bassist of this band, is the youngest and a great backup vocalist. He adds a beautiful bass note and a cute melody to our harmonies. Jogon is a vocalist and leader who can play various instruments. He’s in charge of the lyrics as well. [He’s] very extroverted and talkative, so he speaks for us on shows. 

For those who have not heard your music yet, how would you describe it to them? How would you finish the sentence “9001 is ___” or “9001’s music is ___”? 

[A] rainbow, because we have various music tastes [that will] all show up at some point, and we think the rainy season of our life [is] gone. 

What three words best describe your new release, Mannequin? 

“Queen,” “industry,” [and] “artists.” 

Where did your inspiration for Mannequin come from?

A quote from Hermann Hesse’s novel Demian: “The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The bird flies to God.” We deeply empathize, since we re-debuted as 9001 [after being called] Oyster. We had to break ourselves so that we could be a whole new [group]. Indeed, it was painful. 

Please share some facts about the songs on Mannequin. 

Jogon first recorded a demo of “Another Me” in LA. During his vacation, he felt so alone and separated from the world. Jogon started writing “Stupid Boy” after he rewatched the movie Closer: “Where is the love? I can't see it and I can't touch it. I can't feel it. I can hear some words, but I can't do anything with your easy words! Whatever you say, it's too late. It's done.” 

While making Mannequin, did you record more songs that did not make the final cut? If you did prepare more than three songs, how did you decide which songs to put on the final version? 

We decided not to pack some songs together. We made the album with a Korean-government-supported business project, “Muse On,” so we decided to show people how different we can be in three different genres. It’s a small showcase for [what to expect from] our next albums. 

How does your process of making songs typically work? How do you divide up the work? 

Jogon starts to write [the] songs with [an] acoustic guitar and arranges the forms and melodies with Juwon, who’s living upstairs from him. Then we usually toss it to Wonwoo for keyboard work. We add the rhythms with Uigeon, and then we practice, practice, and practice. 

What do you do when you have creative disagreements? 

We debate for days and weeks, [and] sometimes we just put it in a casket and forget about it. Until we find [a] mutual goal, [we don’t] ignore any idea. There is always a way eventually [to make it work]. 

What is next for you? Are you working on new music yet, or are you still focusing just on promoting Mannequin? 

We’re already discussing new songs. We’ve got new motivation for our next album and want to make it sound like a whole one. [We] hope we can meet you soon with it. 

What would you like 9001 to be doing five years from now? 

We’d like to go on a tour for fans from abroad. [We] can’t wait for the days we [are] face to face and sing together. 

Lastly, do you have a message for your fans or anything else you want to say about your music? 

Thank you for all your support! Even [though] we couldn’t meet for a long time due to the Covid-19 situation, we know that these sufferings are going to leave the world soon. We miss you even [though] we don’t know each other, and thanks for all of your support. We’re going to give it back to you for sure. Big love from 9001❤️

Check out Mannequin here!

Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity. Photos courtesy of AMUSE ENTERTAINMENT INC.