Inventive Path & Pictures / Lauren Nakao Winn
Phrases / Christine Terrisse
Manufacturing Help / Jovita Tedja
Shot at DWNTWN Studio.
“Why didn’t I get to know them sooner? AMPERS&ONE is nice.” Australian-born Mackiah doesn’t mince phrases when requested what impression he needs individuals to have after experiencing his group stay. They’ve, he would argue, many issues setting them aside from the competitors, apart from being considered one of two fifth-gen Ok-pop teams to incorporate a Latin logogram of their identify.
There’s the truth that the seven members come from three continents and communicate 5 languages between them. Rapper Kamden and vocalist Kyrell are from the Seattle space within the U.S., vocalist Brian comes from Vancouver, Canada whereas rapper Mackiah is from Sydney, Australia. Jiho, Siyun and Seungmo all hail from Korea whereas Jiho lived overseas in Boston for a yr.
Though younger each in age and profession (they debuted on the finish of 2023), their expertise extends into the years spent coaching earlier than they hit the worldwide stage. A former YG Leisure trainee, Siyun skilled for 5 years whereas Kamden, Brian and Jiho are former contributors within the well-liked idol-forming sequence Boys Planet.
Since discovering a house in P1Harmony’s firm FNC Leisure, they’ve fused their appreciable particular person abilities blazing by means of 4 albums: two full albums and two EPs. With their fifth and newest launch Loud & Proud, they’ve lastly hit their stride, touchdown on a signature brash and funky sound. It bought 100,000 copies in its first week, an all-time excessive for the group.
what’s your favourite phrase or phrase in English, Korean or another language: no regrets 후회하지 않아
The lead single “That’s That” with its addictive horn intro has racked up 11.3 million views and it’s protected to say that not taking part in it protected is understanding. Asserting artistic independence, Kamden and Mackiah wrote lyrics for each observe on Loud & Proud, whereas Seungmo is plotting a producing flip.
Once we first met them in New York, they took initiative in the course of the photoshoot, suggesting poses, monitoring the display screen and dealing collectively to get the very best shot. Regardless of how busy their day of promos and conferences have been, they gave a conventional greeting, then shortly set to work.
Having launched into their very own North American tour earlier this yr, they’re wanting ahead to performing in Seoul for his or her devoted followers referred to as Andears on the event of their second anniversary November sixteenth.
In the meantime, they took a novel flip for a Ok-pop act: by becoming a member of P1Harmony on their Most Needed Tour, which was going nice till they hit an surprising snag, as visa points led to the cancellation and rescheduling of the Toronto present.
That cancellation kickstarted a dialog with us on how surprising moments are a check of resilience and dedication. And whereas some members spoke greater than others, they have been all engaged and related to one another—you’ll be able to count on nothing much less from a gaggle with togetherness constructed into their identify.
This interview has been edited for size and readability. Particular person member questions are impressed by James Lipton’s Contained in the Actor’s Studio questionnaire.
Have you ever turn into higher at dealing with the surprising? And are a few of you higher at that than others?
Mackiah: On our first U.S. tour, we realized how one can overcome surprising occasions. Now, we count on the surprising. You recognize, like once they say, “Consider the worst, hope for the very best, or count on the very best.” That’s a giant a part of being a performer since you by no means know what’s going to occur. But when one thing goes incorrect and also you’re anticipating it, I feel it’s good preparation.
Kyrell: Yeah, Mackiah is totally proper. There are such a lot of shifting elements with regards to getting ready a efficiency, or something actually, together with filming content material. There are such a lot of totally different individuals concerned and particulars we have to maintain.
I feel it’s essential to all the time have a constructive mentality and all the time be considering, “What’s the very best factor we will do on this circumstance?” So, I feel as a crew, we’re fairly good at dealing with it. And we even have superb employees and managers who assist us get by means of these conditions fairly easily.
what coloration or texture finest represents you: inexperienced.
Has there ever been a type of surprising, unplanned moments onstage that has turned out to be magical?
Brian: Seungmo received injured one time, and we have been singing “Fly” collectively. And I really feel like, at the moment, feelings have been up, and everybody was introduced collectively due to Seungmo. We hugged collectively, and he was crying.
Jiho: Yeah, it was cute.
How would you describe yourselves to somebody who is aware of nothing about you?
Kyrell: I’ve a key phrase that I actually like to make use of for our crew, and it’s funloving. I feel we’re a crew that likes to have enjoyable all over the place we go, whether or not we’re on stage or working towards, whether or not we’re exploring the town or filming TikToks. We’re all the time attempting to have enjoyable and revel in what we’re doing. And I feel that’s additionally a giant purpose why I needed to be a part of a gaggle, as a result of I actually like having enjoyable with individuals.
Jiho: And likewise, I like to elucidate AMPERS&ONE as an ocean. No person is aware of how deep the ocean is, and we haven’t even found all of the issues inside. And should you preserve discovering, you’re gonna know increasingly.
Kyrell: That was loopy.
what sound or noise do you like: I actually love the sound of operating water.
All of you’ve gotten been honing your artistry for a very long time, even earlier than your debut. What’s one thing you realized early on out of your pre-debut days that you just nonetheless carry with you?
Mackiah: For me, I feel it’s respect. In Korea, respect could be very… It’s taught very early on to particularly respect your elders. After which, whereas I used to be coaching, we all the time realized to respect the employees and different individuals…it all the time results in a greater relationship with one another. I feel that helps in getting ready issues, it turns into smoother and extra environment friendly. And I feel having a loving vitality round you is useful.
Kamden: Greeting individuals, I feel that’s what decides the picture…the primary impression of you. So I feel, greeting the individuals you’ve by no means met [before], you’ve received to greet them in order that [they know] who we’re, [so it] will final a very long time.
You’re a global group. I’m certain you’ve had moments the place you’ve needed to adapt to one another’s cultures and be taught from one another’s variations. How do you assume that interprets to your viewers, and the way does tradition come into play in your group chemistry?
Kyrell: I feel we’re all the time studying new issues about one another. Like, particularly with Mackiah, I’ve no expertise with Australia. I don’t know a lot about it, so every time he tells me about how he grew up and the way he used to hang around along with his associates, the locations he would go, the meals he would eat, all these issues are so fascinating to me. And I realized so much from the Korean members about what faculty was like in Korea and the way they might hang around with their associates, the music they might hearken to, or what they might do of their free time. All these little issues make up what every of us is…it helps me open my perspective to all these totally different cultures and I feel it helps me method new individuals with a extra open thoughts.
what conjures up you creatively, spiritually or emotionally: BTS sunbaenim. I like their music so much.
Do you’ve gotten any practices you set into place to gasoline your creativity, particularly when you’ve gotten a full schedule?
Seungmo: Ah. Lately, I’ve been making beats. I wish to create beats and make our music. Additionally, my objective is to have my very own track be our title observe someday.
What program are you utilizing?
Seungmo: Logic Professional.
Kyrell: I’ve been actually impressed with Seungmo these previous few months as a result of it’s a giant objective of his, and I’ve been seeing him engaged on beats on bus rides whereas we’re on tour, on the aircraft, within the resort…he’s at his MacBook on a regular basis, so I actually wish to shout him out. He’s been working actually exhausting, and seeing different members do the identical is an inspiration to me.
what career aside from your personal would you want to try: actor
How do you see your music evolving from Loud & Proud?
Kyrell: We’re undoubtedly excited about the subsequent one [album]. We’re all the time attempting to grasp how followers reply to the music that we launch. As we’re selling Loud & Proud we’re all the time attempting to see how followers react…see what they like, what they don’t like after which see what we preferred about it and see what facets we will incorporate into the subsequent one and what new, recent issues we will combine in.
Has there been an ANDEAR (AMPERS&ONE’s fandom identify) response or perhaps a response from a good friend or member of the family to the brand new sounds off of Loud & Proud, notably the title observe “That’s That” that has stood out to you?
Mackiah: This album was a way more robust album by way of musicality, I feel it’s a far more highly effective album with the several types of beats and flows of the songs. Our final album was a transition into this album. I feel with this album we have been anxious that possibly followers would assume that we have been going…
Brian: Too robust.
Mackiah: Sure, too robust. That is the primary time we launched an album stuffed with highly effective songs so we have been uncertain with how they might react however truly everybody had such constructive feedback and reactions about this album. When the response was constructive, that gave us validation and happiness as a result of this was the music that we preferred and I feel that’s so good as a result of we will go on with such a music.
A few of you participated in lyric writing on Loud & Proud, proper?
Kyrell: Yeah, that’s our rappers Mackiah and Kamden.
Mackiah: We participated in each track for this album.
what’s your least favourite phrase: no
What’s a lyric or songwriting contribution you might be most happy with on this album?
Kamden: For me, I like this lyric on “I’m Down” that goes “Yo, hi there y’all it’s good to satisfy you,” as a result of it tells the viewers it’s my half, that my half is beginning proper now. The tone is what I’ve by no means finished earlier than. It sounds very foolish I feel.
Brian: Playful.
Kamden: Very playful, in my view and after I listened to the ultimate model of “I’m Down” I’m glad it got here out the best way that I needed. I can’t wait to carry out it on stage and present extra of my playful aspect.
Mackiah: We’re all the time attempting out new types and flows.
Talking of rap flows. Who, in your opinion, are the all-time rap GOATS? Your largest inspiration?
Kamden: I’d say Eminem.
Mackiah: I’ll go along with my GOAT. He’s truly a Korean rapper. He impressed me to start out rapping. There’s a man referred to as Haon. He has numerous lyrics which can be significant and deep and playful. Once I was younger, I began watching numerous Korean TV reveals and he was part of them. He’s my GOAT as a result of I get inspiration from him.
You’re all nice dancers. While you have been recording Loud & Proud did your thoughts routinely go towards potential choreography and stage strikes?
Kamden: Yeah, after we received the [lead song] for our album, we have been taking part in it in our dance follow room and I bear in mind Brian was making this transfer (he laughs, whereas shifting his fingers in a round movement.) It was actually humorous. We have been all dancing as a result of the beat was loopy. We couldn’t wait to carry out the precise choreo.
Did a few of that messing round make it into the precise choreo?
All of them snort.
Kamden: That was only for enjoyable.
Brian: For enjoyable.
Mackiah: Once we document and after we first obtain the demos, we’re grouped up in our follow room taking part in the songs out loud and now we have these expressive bursts of vitality. And we’re like “Yo, that was fairly good, possibly we should always use that later.” Suggestions that we give one another generally will get integrated into our personal gestures.
Should you had no constraints, funds or in any other case and will go anyplace to document or work in your subsequent album the place would it not be?
Kamden: It’s form of humorous however I used to be watching Jungkook sunbaenim’s behind-the-scenes recording of Seven. It was a well-known studio however I can’t bear in mind which one. The vibes have been fairly…
Brian: The carpets have been actually…
Kamden: I feel the vibe is absolutely essential when you find yourself recording.
What’s untapped talent, an instrument you play or language you communicate or one other artistic pursuit that you just wish to someday incorporate into your work?
Kyrell: (elevating his hand) I’ve one! I actually like to attract and someday I wish to draw an album cowl.
Mackiah: That might be hearth.
I hope it’s the one the place Seungmo could have the title observe he produced.
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