Duo band NND (Photo courtesy of Taki Records)

The duo band "NND" emerged during the golden age of bands in popular music history. While there were views that bands were not mainstream when they started their music, they are now experiencing a shift in atmosphere.

Bands that have recently begun to receive the spotlight are mainly K-pop idol bands. Starting with DAY6, groups like LUCY and ONEWE are rising to the surface. They did not gain attention immediately upon debut, but rather built their popularity through a method where their long-accumulated discography climbed back up the music charts.

It is not just idol bands. The indie rock band Silica Gel won the "Best Music Style" award at the music awards ceremony "Melon Music Awards 2023 (MMA2023)," serving as evidence that the K-pop market, where idols had become mainstream, has changed. The Rose recently became the first K-pop band to perform at the "Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival" held in Indio, California, USA.

NND is trying to find a middle-ground position in such a market. Rather than becoming idols who suddenly grab attention on music charts, they want to be a band that makes music loved for a long time. They are focusing on music with mass appeal rather than targeting a niche fan base.

That determination is also embedded in their team name. NND stands for "Night N Day," meaning they want to make music that you can listen to for 24 hours without getting bored. DAYN (25) is in charge of vocals and guitar, and YoungJun (24) is in charge of keyboards.

The formation of NND began with a love call from DAYN. The two had previously prepared for a band together at a former agency, but they had drifted apart after their debut fell through. DAYN joined their current agency, Taki Records, to try again. Meanwhile, YoungJun had given up on music and was focusing on part-time jobs.

"It was a time when I was seriously rethinking my career path. DAYN contacted me and introduced me to the CEO. From then on, I worked as a part-time office worker at Taki Records. While working for about three months, I ended up working as a staff member for a concert by Japanese singer Fujii Kaze. Watching the performance at that time gave me a strange feeling. I wondered if I still had lingering attachments to music, so I contacted my senior again and said let's give it another try."

A two-member band is rare. Still, there was no burden. Even though some might feel a sense of incongruity due to the lack of drums, bass, or lead guitar, they expressed confidence that they could produce a distinct color. "I like the American duo band 'LANY' the most. They only have vocals and drums. Even so, they became really famous, went on world tours, and recently visited Korea. Compared to music by a full band, they don't fall behind at all. Having seen such good precedents, I wasn't worried at all." (DAYN)

The keyword for NND's debut album is "easy listening." They used it as a framework at the starting point of finding the team's musical color. The five songs included in their debut album "Wonder, I," released on March 16, are similar in that respect. The title track "First" features a lyrical melody, while the other title track "Night Off" uses a light melody that contrasts with the painful emotions.

"I like pop songs, so I put a lot of pop color into it. Musically, I wanted to give it a trendy feel." (YoungJun)

"I want to be a band that sounds new the moment you hear it, but also has its own color. A band that makes music you haven't heard anywhere else." (DAYN)

The radius of NND's activities is the concert venue. With the mindset of building their skills where they can perform live, they even postponed the release date of their next album. In this process, they appeared on music broadcasts that weren't in the plan, and YoungJun also did an advertisement shoot. It was a role playing the piano for the OST "Meet Garfield" for the movie "The Garfield Movie."

The center of the live performances planned since their debut is Japan. This is due to the influence of Taki Records CEO Lee Jae-kwan. CEO Lee is from Being Giza, a leading Japanese record company, and has experience as a composer, arranger, and in A&R. He participated in Japanese albums for groups like Jewelry and Highlight's Yang Yoseop. He also produced concerts in Korea for the band ONE OK ROCK and singers like Fujii Kaze and NOA.

NND performed at the "Live to Liver" concert held at HEAD POWER in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, last month. "It was my first time standing on such a stage, and I was more nervous than in Korea. While monitoring the stage, I felt that the sense of interaction with the audience was lacking. From now on, I want to lead the audience so that they can become one with us and enjoy the performance." (DAYN)

Their dream is to be recognized for their musicality in this way and grow as artists. They feel the Korean Music Awards are more honorable than topping music charts or winning first place on music shows. The Korean Music Awards is an awards ceremony that evaluates based on musicality rather than commercial success or popular appeal. "I want to make music that even critics can acknowledge. First of all, wouldn't the path we take in the future be proven only if many people listen to our music?"

Source: ©newsis

These are English translations of articles from our GTTOUR Japanese website.