Since their debut in 2019, South Korean indie-rock band wave to earth has rapidly risen to global acclaim and amassed a dedicated following. Last month, the trio—vocalist and guitarist Daniel Kim, bassist John Cha, and drummer Dong Q—released bad pieces, a dreamy, nostalgic album that captures the very essence of wave to earth. Now, the band has just embarked on their biggest headlining tour yet, with 21 stops across North America and more in Asia later in the year. Ahead of their tour, Local Wolves had the opportunity to speak with the band about the creation of their newest album.

You’ve mentioned that bad pieces is the most you’ve ever sounded like wave to earth. What is it about this album that feels so much like you?

Daniel: For this album everyone was writing, everyone brought demos, each bringing their own unique touch. I think this album encapsulates each of our tastes to the fullest—it’s the most ‘us’ we have been.

I adore how much care is put into the instrumental breaks on this album. You used a lot of new instruments. How was that? Were there any new instruments or methods you particularly enjoyed?

Daniel: We spent a long time going back through old records, trying to work out what the instruments on them were doing. The nylon-string guitar, the Minimoog, the CP-70, none of which we’d used on a record before. They are analog, vintage instruments, but we tried to bring them to a modern setting and feel. It’s a mix of both worlds.

John: I think we have to mention the fretless bass for this question. I played fretless on “skylark.” We had a lot of difficulties writing that song; it went through many iterations. I think the moment we put the fretless bass on it, it all started coming together. I also have to mention how difficult it was playing fretless as that’s not my usual instrument of choice, but I think it was that extra cherry on top we needed.

What does a songwriting session look like with the whole band and what was your general process for writing a song on this album?

Dong Q: A song usually starts alone, [then] someone brings in a demo, and then once it makes it past the initial cutting room, we play it together and it becomes a wave to earth song. It’s interesting because everyone has a very different feel to their demos, but when we get in a room and start playing it, it becomes inevitably wave to earth.

Daniel: We all have our own side projects, and sometimes those influences seep into the demos. It’s a very interesting mix. For the demo Dong Q brought in for “cherry flavoured love,” I listened to it and said “you have a man from the 70s living inside you.” [laughs]

That song had a real vintage vibe in the demo and still does in the final version.

Most of the album is in English, but there is also some Korean. Do you go into a song deciding what language you want to write in or does it kind of just happen?

Daniel: I never decide beforehand. I write in whatever language the melody is already asking for. Korean is my first language, so I try to press more meaning into each word, which makes it slower and harder in a way English isn’t. 

What song did you make the quickest, and which took the longest?

Daniel: Quickest would be “babo”—it’s basically a recreation of a voice memo [I’ve] had since a while back. Actually, [for] a lot of the songs on this record, we kept some of the tracks we recorded from the demo. It felt fitting for the album’s theme, we wanted it to be as is and from the heart.

John: The longest was for sure “skylark.” This was very much out of our comfort zone, as it’s so different from the music we normally make. The song went through many writer’s blocks and when we finished recording it, it went through 8 different versions of mixes/masters. It was by far the most difficult song for us to get “right,” but I’m glad we put in all that work.

How does it feel that you are about to embark on your biggest tour yet?

Dong Q: I’m unbelievably grateful. We never want to take anything for granted. The fact that we still get to play together, us three in a band, and tour the world is an amazing feeling. On top of that, this album is quite different in terms of style compared to our previous records, so I’m excited to see how our fans will react to them when we play them live.

What is your favorite part of touring?

Dong Q: Seeing the reactions to new songs, seeing fans sing our lyrics, and jamming with the band. I get a lot of energy from touring. Yes, it’s pretty hard on the body, but it also keeps me energized.

John: Outside of shows, I really like trying out the local food. Especially Mexico—I’m really excited for tacos.

What are the biggest challenges you generally face while touring?

Dong Q: It’s definitely the rigorous schedule. Our entire team is all working at 120% everyday. So it’s not an easy job, but I’m grateful that we get to do it at all.

Are there any songs you are especially looking forward to performing live?

Daniel: It changes every time, but right now it’s “everything comes and goes.” It’s a bit of a rollercoaster ride, and it has a lot of jazz elements to it, which we’re always a fan of. It gives us a lot of room to improvise and play around with.

Dong Q: “sing it all again.” This song is not too fast, not too slow, not too much energy, not too quiet. It’s the perfect middle ground. I can’t wait to see the crowd’s reaction to this one.

John: “cherry flavoured love inside your heart.” I think it’ll become the emotional climax to our shows.

Were there any moments so far in your career that made you think, “ah, we made it”?

John: I don’t know if there was a “we made it” type of moment, but we did have something closer to a “wow, we actually have fans around the world” moment. It was on our first North American tour. We were playing in Berkley, our first ever show in the US. We definitely didn’t think we’d have such a big crowd waiting for us, and they were even singing our song before the show began. When we heard their singing from backstage before the show, we were all shocked and confused. It was surreal and I don’t think I’ll ever forget that moment.

Daniel: There were a lot of unbelievable moments in our career, but what’s most special is that us three are still together, enjoying music and each other’s company. I am grateful for it and I want it to stay this way for a very long time.

You have a very passionate fanbase. Are there any messages you want to share with your fans ahead of the tour?

Daniel: This tour is going to be an exciting one. We’re playing the biggest shows we’ve done so far and we have a bigger production than ever before. It’s very different from the last tour, but in a good way. I will see you all soon!

Words: Uma Snow

Photography & Creative Direction: Dylan Tabirara

Photo Assistant: Mitchell Jung

BTS Photo & Video: Ethan Wong