By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Diana Trifonova from Bulgaria
Photos = Diana Trifonova

Rock and electronic. Violin and drums. Intense beats and soft classical sounds. A seemingly impossible combination that mixes perfectly and more deeply immerses listeners into the sound after each song. This is what I felt after attending the latest concert of a Korean alternative band in Bulgaria. At one of the hippest music clubs in downtown Sofia on Oct. 20, fans of Hallyu spent the evening being entertained by Violet Tree, a four-member Korean band that mixes rock with electronic music and classical instruments. Backed by one album and an EP, the band went on its third international tour this autumn and held its first concert in Bulgaria at the Sofia club.

Violet Tree consists of vocalist Jiwon, bassist and group founder Seowoo, violinist Hyunjin and drummer Hyuna. Prior to the show, I sat down and talked to the four members about their music and inspirations and how they created their unique style. The conversation started with Seowoo explaining how they all came together. “A mutual friend first told me about Jiwon and told him about me, so we got to meet. I suggested to Jiwon that we form a rock band. At the time, I really wanted to do something interesting. We later added a keyboardist and a drummer but needed more specialized and unique members. We found them in Hyunjin and Hyuna. Finding the right violinist and a powerful female drummer wasn’t easy, but we’re finally here.”



The group’s take on modern music, combined with rising global interest in Korean music, allowed Violet Tree to travel extensively and spend almost a full month touring in Europe, from Ukraine and Belarus to Spain, Switzerland and Germany. The group acknowledges how K-pop has paved the way for musicians like them from the Land of the Morning Calm to present themselves to European audiences. Because of K-pop’s huge popularity, Violet Tree also performs covers of Korean pop hits. Hyunjin said the group likes to perform its own rock versions of BTS’s biggest hits “because almost all fans like BTS the most so their reactions are very visible. We’re very happy about that and play BTS songs.”

While all Violet Tree members have common sources of inspiration when writing the lyrics and music of their songs like love stories, books and movies, each has his or her own explanations on the importance music plays in their lives. Hyuna was the first to respond and did so with a quick and sharp answer – practice. To Hyunjin, music is her life since she started playing the violin from a young age. Jiwon defined music as his life’s journey while Seowoo called music a mixture of a hobby and a job.





wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.