A Band That Will Leave You Feeling “TOUCHED”

The members of the band TOUCHED talk about color symbolism and other ways they use music to reach people.

Please introduce yourselves and share what skills you each contribute to the group!

All: Hello, we're TOUCHED, the band that will touch your hearts.

John B. Kim: I'm John B. Kim, the bass guitar player on our team.

Yunmin: Hello. I'm Yunmin, the vocalist of TOUCHED.

Chea Dohyeon: I'm Chea Dohyeon, who plays the keyboard in TOUCHED.

D.on: I'm D.on, the lead guitar player in TOUCHED.

Kim Seungbin: I'm Kim Seungbin, the drummer and the leader.

Do you remember your first impressions of each other? How have your group dynamics changed over time?

Yunmin: [My first impression of Seungbin] was that he was a handsome senior. [He feels] like a cool older brother now.

Chea Dohyeon: At first, John B. Kim [seemed] very hard, but I [saw his softer side when] we teamed up.

D.on: Unlike the first time I saw my team members, I feel [like] they are really deep people, and [they] feel more like a family.

Please summarize what the EP Yellow Supernova Remnant is all about!

All: It's an album with songs about living like a supernova every day, remnants of [a] moment.

Do you plan to keep releasing projects with colors in the titles? Do the colors blue, purple, and yellow symbolize specific things to you?

Yunmin: I think music is a special [thing] that can be felt abstractly. I feel [like] that's the case with painting, and I wanted to use that to express the music of TOUCHED, so that listeners can have more colorful imaginations. I’m not specifically thinking about [future album titles], but I'm willing to [use a color in a title again] if a color comes to mind naturally, without [being] contrived.

Please share some information about each song on Yellow Supernova Remnant!

John B. Kim: “Stand Up!” is an exciting song. While rearranging the song, I thought about how to have more fun at festivals and stages. I'm glad that the excitement that I imagined while arranging it is realized when I perform.

Yunmin: “Night View” came to mind when I saw the Han River in Seoul. It was derived from Dohyeon, who saw the lights on the river while talking about youth and romance.

Chea Dohyeon: “Bad Sniper” is a story about people who hide behind screens and anonymously post malicious comments on social media and the internet.

D.on: “Shut Down” is a song that presents and [validates] the values and standards of one's existence.

Kim Seungbin: “Fireflies” [was] inspired by fans’ cell phone flashes during performances. The melody is pretty, [and] the powerful sound and exciting arrangement are great.

What advice would you give your younger selves, if you could go back in time to your pre-debut days?

Yunmin: It will be more difficult and brilliant than you think. But don't be too afraid, because you have a team and people who love you.

John B. Kim: I want to tell him to trust what he believes in more.

Chea Dohyeon: Believe, keep feeling, [and] keep going.

D.on: Let's not forget passion and humility.

Kim Seungbin: Do it now.

What are your short-term and long-term career goals?

Yunmin: In the short term, I want to be a musician who tells stories to the public in Korea, and in the long term, I want to be a musician who is impressed and loved enough worldwide to be on the Super Bowl stage.

Chea Dohyeon: Talk to people all over the world with music.

D.on: In the short term, [my goal is] selling out concerts at the Olympic Stadium. In the long run, it's performing on big stages all over the world.

Kim Seungbin: That I get and give happiness to people with music.

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

Yunmin: After listening to music, even [when it is not] my story, I felt catharsis and comfort. I want to become a speaker and an artist who [gives] that feeling to many people.

John B. Kim: I think it's a time when many people, including myself, find short and shallow satisfaction. I want to have more experiences that are filled with deeper satisfaction and joy through music.

Chea Dohyeon: As I get to the end of life, I want to see how I lived [through] endless recordings.

D.on: I want to make music that makes each person the main character.

Kim Seungbin: I wish TOUCHED would be a small consolation for people.

Check out Yellow Supernova Remnant here!

Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity. Photo credit: Instagram.