By Honorary Reporter Isha Roy from India
Photos = We Are the Night

The song "Tiramisu Cake" by the indie rock band We Are the Night has gone viral this summer on social media thanks to the dance challenge bearing the tune's name.

Released in 2015, the song has been covered multiple times over the years, and I first heard it in the 2018 K-drama "To. Jenny" performed by actor Kim Sung-cheol. K-pop stars, YouTubers and K-influencers are now dancing along to this trendy tune.

The group debuted in 2013 and its four members express their unique stories and emotions mainly through synthesizers and acoustic sounds. 

The following are excerpts from an email interview from July 9-20 with the band's vocalist Ham Byung-sun.

Introduce the band.
We Are The Night is an indie-pop band based in Seoul. I sing vocals, Lil Fish is on guitar and synthesizer, Hwang Seong-su on bass and Kim Bo-ram on drums.

How did the band form?
We met in high school when we all dreamed of becoming musicians. We liked a lot of the same music so we decided to form a band. We watched a lot of MTV and listened to Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine and the Deftones.

How did you come up with the name?
We simply took it from the title of the same name that was the first track on our debut album. We couldn't find a name we liked but the manager of our label said we should use the song's title after listening to our album.

How does it feel to have your song "Tiramisu Cake" go viral on social media?
We were very surprised. The song was released eight years ago and has been covered over the years. Many were shocked to learn that the hit that took over their search algorithms was not a recent release.

What memorable experiences have you had at festivals?
Our Liverpool Sound City performance in 2016 was the most memorable. It was completely different from those in Korea and felt unfamiliar. No one there knew our music and I was very nervous because we wanted to do well. It felt amazing to meet a Korean in the audience.

How do you balance individual creativity with the band's goals?
It's different every time. At first, we all worked toward one goal but sometimes argued due to differences of opinions. Regardless, I think the most important thing is our growth as musicians over time. 

What's next for the band?
We will soon release a new song about life, and we're working on the latter part. A small concert and fan meetups are also in the works.

msjeon22@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.