[Handsome Rocker Arrives] ① After Losing 13kg, Preserved Beauty Equipped... Eve's Kim Seheon 'Standing Alone'

Band EVE Vocalist Kim Seheon Interview
On the 28th, Performing at Mapo Art Center's 'Eotteongayo 4'
This Time as a Solo, "I Want to Meet Fans with the Full EVE Group"

"Even if you become shabby, even if the whole world turns its back on you, I live for you, truly live for you."

- From the song "Neo Geureol Ttaemyeon" by the group EVE

After three years of stages disappearing due to COVID-19, Kim Seheon, the vocalist of the band EVE, exuded a different vibe as if he had lived in an unfamiliar world. His "preservative-like beauty" remained unchanged, but like the twin paradox of relativity theory where a twin returning from space travel appears younger than the one who stayed on Earth, the three years spent in a space without air were akin to a plunge into silence for him. "I have a strong single-minded temperament. When I get into something, I like it to the end, so the time without music and stage was very hard." Now, after a long time, he is holding a microphone and meeting fans. On the 28th, at the Seoul Mapo Art Center's planned performance "Eotteongayo 4 - Terius Special," he will take the stage with Simsin, Lee Deokjin, and Choi Yongjun, presenting songs as Kim Seheon solo, not as EVE, for the first time in a while.

Interview_ Eve Kim Seheon. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

"It will be a terrible thing, darling. Just imagining becoming an adult feels like a suffocating pain to me." Debuting as the vocalist of the band GIRL, Kim Seheon made a dazzling debut by winning first place on terrestrial music programs with the exciting rock and roll song "Aspirin." "Originally, I wanted to be a bassist, not a vocalist. I gave up art, which was my major in high school, due to my parents' opposition and fell deeply into music. I became obsessed with the Finnish band Hanoi Rocks, their glam metal genre, unique fashion, and especially their hairstyles."

The vocalist of Hanoi Rocks, Michael Monroe, who captured young Kim Seheon's heart, turned the compass of fate and led him to the path of music. Kim Seheon, who tattooed Monroe's face on his arm and even attended his concert in Japan a few years ago, said he received extraordinary energy. "Seeing Monroe dominate the stage with more passion than in his prime at the age of 61, which is hard to believe, gave me greater stimulation and energy. Thanks to the consideration of local band colleagues I worked with in Japan, I met him backstage, which was a very special experience. Although our music styles differ, I solidified my desire to stand on stage even when I am in my 60s or 70s."

The group 'Eve' during their activities for the 3rd and 4th albums.

The music of the band EVE secured a unique territory with Kim Seheon's vocals combined with G.Gorilla's producing, and its influence remains valid today. Introducing glam rock, unfamiliar in Korea at the time, and experimenting with classical and orchestral arrangements, songs like "Eve (Don't say good bye)," "I'll be there," "Neo Geureol Ttaemyeon," and "Agape" remain celebrated masterpieces and hits of their era. Especially during EVE's 3rd and 4th albums, their peak period, singer Park Wankyu, active at the same time, once said on a broadcast program, "Many rock bands were jealous of EVE back then."

At that time, only Seo Taiji and YB surpassed EVE in album sales among rock musicians. Although it might seem that EVE's music was made to fit his unique voice perfectly, Kim Seheon dismisses this as the result of relentless effort. "The music was not tailored to me from the start. As a producer, G.Gorilla is a perfectionist. Usually, if a recording studio system is used for about three hours, it's called 'one pro.' While most songs finish recording within 1-2 pros, EVE always took at least 4-5 pros, and some songs were recorded overnight. We repeated a single phrase hundreds of times, searching for the optimal voice with different feelings and vocal techniques. G.Gorilla's ambition and genius, which pulled me out more and enhanced the song's completeness, seem to have led to the popular response to the 3rd and 4th albums."

Interview_ Eve Kim Seheon. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

At that time, the harsh schedule system and slave contracts of the agency "World Music" eventually caused the band's breakup. Since EVE started as Kim Seheon's project band, the contract timing differed for each member, which was also a cause. After all members left, Kim Seheon replaced guest members from the 5th to 8th albums and presented various music, but it was a time tinged with some regret.

Then, as if responding to fans' earnest wishes, the original members reunited in 2016. "Since we gathered again after a long time, we wanted to show more sides, released a mini-album, and planned a concert schedule aiming to release four new songs in 2020, but it was almost canceled due to COVID-19. Wanting to meet fans even remotely, we opened EVE's official YouTube channel and uploaded some edited old concert videos, but seeing messages about copyright infringement due to copyrights belonging to the former agency made me think a lot..."

Interview_ Eve Kim Seheon. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Having resigned himself to possibly not being able to stand on stage again during the COVID-19 period, he gained quite a bit of weight but lost 13kg for this performance. Not wanting to disappoint fans who remember his prime, he prepared and managed himself more strictly. G.Gorilla is also expected to attend this concert to watch him and gauge EVE's next activities.

Debuting 28 years ago, when asked about his most memorable song, he paused briefly before starting. "In 2008, I went to study in Japan without any preparation, cutting off all exchanges with Korea for a year and making music alone. The song I made then, 'Nal Gieokhani' (Do You Remember Me), is like a will and a love letter to me." The heartfelt lyrics quietly convey his feelings he wants to share with fans now, after 15 years.

"I wonder if you can recognize my changed self now, I can't forget those moments when we laughed together in the dazzling sunlight forever. Like frozen time, do you remember me? Aren't you listening to the song we used to listen to together, just like me?"