A Band That Will Leave You Feeling “TOUCHED”

The members of the band TOUCHED talk about color symbolism and other ways they use music to reach people.

Photo credit: Instagram

Please introduce yourselves and share what skills you each contribute to the group!
All: Hello, we're TOUCHED, the band that will touch your hearts.
John B. Kim: I'm John B. Kim, the bass guitar player on our team.
Yunmin: Hello. I'm Yunmin, the vocalist of TOUCHED.
Chea Dohyeon: I'm Chea Dohyeon, who plays the keyboard in TOUCHED.
D.on: I'm D.on, the lead guitar player in TOUCHED.
Kim Seungbin: I'm Kim Seungbin, the drummer and the leader.

Do you remember your first impressions of each other? How have your group dynamics changed over time?
Yunmin: [My first impression of Seungbin] was that he was a handsome senior. [He feels] like a cool older brother now.
Chea Dohyeon: At first, John B. Kim [seemed] very hard, but I [saw his softer side when] we teamed up.
D.on: Unlike the first time I saw my team members, I feel [like] they are really deep people, and [they] feel more like a family.

Please summarize what the EP Yellow Supernova Remnant is all about!
All: It's an album with songs about living like a supernova every day, remnants of [a] moment.

Do you plan to keep releasing projects with colors in the titles? Do the colors blue, purple, and yellow symbolize specific things to you?
Yunmin: I think music is a special [thing] that can be felt abstractly. I feel [like] that's the case with painting, and I wanted to use that to express the music of TOUCHED, so that listeners can have more colorful imaginations. I’m not specifically thinking about [future album titles], but I'm willing to [use a color in a title again] if a color comes to mind naturally, without [being] contrived.

Please share some information about each song on Yellow Supernova Remnant!
John B. Kim: “Stand Up!” is an exciting song. While rearranging the song, I thought about how to have more fun at festivals and stages. I'm glad that the excitement that I imagined while arranging it is realized when I perform.
Yunmin: “Night View” came to mind when I saw the Han River in Seoul. It was derived from Dohyeon, who saw the lights on the river while talking about youth and romance.
Chea Dohyeon: “Bad Sniper” is a story about people who hide behind screens and anonymously post malicious comments on social media and the internet.
D.on: “Shut Down” is a song that presents and [validates] the values and standards of one's existence.
Kim Seungbin: “Fireflies” [was] inspired by fans’ cell phone flashes during performances. The melody is pretty, [and] the powerful sound and exciting arrangement are great.

What advice would you give your younger selves, if you could go back in time to your pre-debut days?
Yunmin: It will be more difficult and brilliant than you think. But don't be too afraid, because you have a team and people who love you.
John B. Kim: I want to tell him to trust what he believes in more.
Chea Dohyeon: Believe, keep feeling, [and] keep going.
D.on: Let's not forget passion and humility.
Kim Seungbin: Do it now.

What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
Yunmin: In the short term, I want to be a musician who tells stories to the public in Korea, and in the long term, I want to be a musician who is impressed and loved enough worldwide to be on the Super Bowl stage.
Chea Dohyeon: Talk to people all over the world with music.
D.on: In the short term, [my goal is] selling out concerts at the Olympic Stadium. In the long run, it's performing on big stages all over the world.
Kim Seungbin: That I get and give happiness to people with music.

Lastly, is there anything else you want to say about yourselves or your music?
Yunmin: After listening to music, even [when it is not] my story, I felt catharsis and comfort. I want to become a speaker and an artist who [gives] that feeling to many people.
John B. Kim: I think it's a time when many people, including myself, find short and shallow satisfaction. I want to have more experiences that are filled with deeper satisfaction and joy through music.
Chea Dohyeon: As I get to the end of life, I want to see how I lived [through] endless recordings.
D.on: I want to make music that makes each person the main character.
Kim Seungbin: I wish TOUCHED would be a small consolation for people.

Check out Yellow Supernova Remnant here!

View the Substack version of this piece here!

Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.