At New York Lincoln Center, Crying Nut Says "We Will Properly Showcase K-Indie"

"I really felt how incredibly popular K-pop is. I want to show in New York that Korea's indie scene, or 'K-Indie,' is also quite diverse."

Representing the first generation of Korean indie music, the popular band Crying Nut met with reporters on the 18th (local time) ahead of their performance at the 'K-Indie Music Night' held at Damrosch Park in Lincoln Center, New York City. They said, "Music has no barriers of language, borders, or race. We will succinctly showcase our music."

Crying Nut, known for numerous hit songs such as "Mal Dalija" and "Bami Gipneun Ne," will take the 3,000-seat outdoor stage at Lincoln Center on the evening of the 19th, performing alongside the four-member band Say Sue Me. This is one of the highlight programs of 'Korean Arts Week,' a Korean cultural and arts special festival hosted by Lincoln Center.

[Image courtesy of New York Korean Cultural Center]

Park Yoon-sik, Crying Nut's main vocalist, introduced, "(Lincoln Center in New York) is the heart of America. It would be meaningful if songs with Korean lyrics resonate there," adding, "We have prepared songs that people can sing along to." On this stage, Crying Nut will perform songs that encapsulate their 28-year band history, from their newly released track "Yageun" to hits like "Mal Dalija" and "Luxembourg."

This is Crying Nut's first time performing on the Lincoln Center stage. It has also been quite a while since their last performance in New York, which was in Brooklyn in 2011. Lee Sang-myeon (guitar) expressed his anticipation for the concert, saying, "Since this is K-Indie Music Night, it seems meaningful that they invited us as representatives of the first generation of indie." Lee Sang-hyuk (drums) said, "Large-scale concerts are mostly K-pop focused, so having a day dedicated solely to K-Indie performances is very appreciated by us," adding, "Although we have performed indie shows overseas among ourselves, this is the first time we are part of an indie concert prepared by the government and the Korean Cultural Center in New York."

Feeling the high popularity of K-pop and K-dramas, they also expressed hopes that this stage will lead to more exposure of various Korean art genres like K-Indie overseas. Leader and bassist Han Kyung-rok said, "It feels like borders have disappeared. I feel that interest in Korean culture such as K-pop has increased worldwide," adding, "We also have our own competitiveness and are not lacking in skill. Through collaborations with K-pop, K-dramas, and others, there could be good opportunities to promote K-Indie more." As representatives of the first generation of indie, they did not hold back advice on the future direction of K-Indie. Lee Sang-myeon said, "I hope indie musicians have their own identity," adding, "They should not imitate others. Imitation is quickly noticed."

Crying Nut is a band formed by friends who dreamed of becoming rock stars in their childhood. It has already been 28 years since they dominated the Hongdae indie scene under the name Crying Nut and introduced punk rock to the public in Korea for the first time. Park Yoon-sik said, "(Except for Kim In-soo) the four of us are childhood friends from elementary, middle, and high school, we played in a band together in college, and even went to the military together," adding, "Having spent 30 years together, we know each other without needing to talk," revealing the secret to their longevity.

In a time when there was hardly any play culture for teenagers, playing with music naturally led to today. They explained that the unique music created in this process has now become Crying Nut's distinctive feature. Han Kyung-rok smiled and said, "Playing while creating is the most fun. Sometimes it feels like work, but that balance is important. It’s fun to the point it doesn’t feel like work, and serious enough it doesn’t feel like just play." Kim In-soo added, "When making cocktails, balance is more important than the quality of the ingredients mixed," saying, "We are like that."

Having released a single album in the first half of the year, Crying Nut plans to release another as early as the second half. They also have plans for rock festivals, performances in Tokyo, Japan, and collaborations with Japanese bands within the year. Han Kyung-rok emphasized, "It will be our 30th anniversary the year after next. Crying Nut is always ongoing. We want to communicate through music wherever we go, not just in Korea. We always perform at live clubs in Hongdae, so please come and enjoy anytime." Lee Sang-myeon expressed his anticipation, saying, "We have performed in Japan every year, and I want to come to New York every year as well."

What kind of band or artist does Crying Nut want to be known as by American audiences through this performance? "A band that plays hard on stage (Lee Sang-hyuk)," "A band full of overflowing energy and passion (Han Kyung-rok)." At the end, they added in unison, "Those guys are fun. They’re really cool."