INTERVIEW: DAY6 delve into the artistic genius behind their latest album & visualize their own autobiographies

In an interview with Pinkvilla, the biggest band in K-Pop, DAY6, spoke candidly about how their latest album came about, what it means to them, and more!

One of the most wonderfully talented group of artists to grace the world of K-Pop and music at large has been the inimitable DAY6. Having pioneered the success of bands in an industry dominated by idols, DAY6 have created their own unique and original sound, a signature of their remarkable success. In such a short span of their career, DAY6’s music has been path-breaking and experimental beyond belief, exploring genres such as rock, alt-rock, rock ballads, jazz fusion and more, perfecting every single one of them. All five of the members, Sungjin, Jae, Wonpil, Dowoon and Young K are undeniably in sync, both when it comes to their personalities as well as their creative genius and it clearly shows in the labour of their love, their music.

April 19 marks the date of DAY6’s official comeback with “The Book Of Us: Negentropy – Chaos swallowed up in love” and today, Pinkvilla had the incredible opportunity of sitting down with these young geniuses to discuss their artistic process, how this album came about and finally, the end of an era with the conclusion of their musical tetralogy. Keep reading until the end for a special shoutout to Indian My Days!

Hello! I’m Ishani Sarkar and I’m truly awestruck at this opportunity to be interviewing some of the greatest artists of our generation. Before anything else, how have you all been doing? Have you made any changes to your regular routines in preparation for this album?

Jae: We’ve been doing our thing musically, per usual, and everyone’s been finding their own different hobbies to wind down.

Young K: I’m not really sure when exactly we began preparing for this album. There were some existing songs we worked on from a while back, as well as new songs we wrote recently for this particular album, so I guess you can say that we’ve been preparing for this album for a long time. I don’t really have a daily routine, so I can’t say that anything has changed. As always, I’m constantly working on music.

Wonpil: I’ve been consistently working on new music and have also been preparing for the musical “Midnight Sun”, so I’ve been keeping busy.

Dowoon: There was a short period of inactivity, but I’m now pushing my limits and seeing how far I can go. 

From my limited understanding of thermodynamics, which I admit, I had to study up on once again as soon as you released the trailer film for ‘The Book Of Us: Negentropy’, negentropy is a movement from chaos to some kind of order or at least, a more ordered chaos, and is perceivable only when you hold into focus a small part of your world. Is “recording”, a keyword that appears in your trailer film, an attempt to encompass and transform an eternity into something tangible like art?

Jae: Definitely. It could be perceived in many ways actually. We left it up to the listeners to find their own interpretation.

Young K: Although the teaser isn’t something that I personally wrote, I think it’s in line with my thoughts. While you can express eternity through music, I think you can also get closer to eternity through the recording/documentation of music.

Wonpil: We want to sing about every kind of moment, and “Negentropy” is just a fraction of those occurring moments. We wanted to convey a message about bearing fruit through the order brought by eternal love, even in the midst of chaos and disorder.

Dowoon: It’s complex to explain… but wouldn’t it be great if our music was recorded/remembered forever? 

One’s chaos might be someone else’s order and vice versa. Do each of you have anything in your lives that makes perfect sense to you but to someone else, it might not?

Jae: I’m sure everybody does, but for myself, I think it’s my morals. I’ve come to realize that not everyone shares the same set, but that we have to come to an understanding of that principle in itself.

Young K: I was extremely surprised to hear that a family could order just one whole chicken to share and still have leftovers.

Wonpil: When I think about it hard enough, I feel like everything really makes sense [to me], so it’s hard to say what wouldn’t make sense to someone else.

Dowoon: I don’t understand how anyone could dislike a delicious ice cream flavor like mint chocolate. It’s good any time I eat it! 

Your music in this album seems to have taken on an entirely different dimension while also retaining DAY6’s distinct original sound. How did you curate this unique sonic aesthetic for this album? What did you focus on when making this album? 

Jae: We did what we do best. Explore.

Young K: We wanted to include various perspectives of “Negentropy”. We wanted to express a variety of feelings for this ending, like a love that is complete, a closure heading in the way of perfection, etc.

Wonpil: We wanted to share love’s message. We’re always trying new things, but even when doing so, we make an effort to exhibit our distinct color.

Dowoon: When we were recording the drums, I tried to focus on the fundamental rhythm of the songs to bring impactful lines.

What were some of your musical influences for this album?

Jae: I’ve personally been influenced by Justin Bieber’s newest album recently.

Young K: I was greatly influenced by the producer Hong Ji Sang. Other than that, I think the diverse music I usually listen to probably subconsciously influenced me.

Wonpil: My Day!

Dowoon: The DAY6 members who are always by my side.

This album marks the conclusion of your iconic “The Book Of Us” series. Is there anything especially significant in the album that signifies its denouement? If you had to choose one song from the album that best represents the album or the overall feeling of the album, which would it be?

Jae: I think it concludes a saga of learning. Almost a trial by fire period where we all learned and lived together through the music.

Young K: I would say the title track “You make Me” represents the conclusion [of this series]. Sonically, it best exemplifies completion, and its message that you can overcome anything with love fits well with the theme of “Negentropy”.

Wonpil: I’m so grateful we were able to release the “The Book of Us” tetralogy, and I’m happy that we were able to share these songs. I think the overall mood of this album is pretty bright, and I would say that the song that best represents this album is our title track “You make Me”.

Dowoon: I really liked “everyday we fight” because it has the feeling of continuing to push forward.

If you could describe your favourite track from the album in one word, what would it be and why?

Jae: “구름 위에서”(“above the clouds”). It’s just the most personal song for me on the album. 

Young K: Of course, my favorite track would be our latest title song “You make Me”. I think it’s a song that best depicts the current version of ourselves/myself. If I had to describe this track in one word, it would be “NOW”.

Wonpil: “Love”! The message that resonates with me the most is that if you have love, you can endure any pain and continue to move forward.

Dowoon: “everyday we fight”. Whether it’s the rhythm or the chorus, the song itself gives off a unique, positive energy. 

What is the first thing you do when you collectively decide that it’s time to make an album and in the same vein, what is the last thing you do when you’re done with the entire process?

Jae: We don’t ever collectively decide to make an album. We’re always exploring and creating, so eventually we have enough songs to release one.

Young K: The very first thing we do is converse. Not only is there a conversation with the producer about how we want to write a song, but whilst doing so, we also have various conversations about our everyday lives, and through that, new ideas are born.

Wonpil: When we first start, we have to get our mindsets in order to align with the feeling of starting anew! We don’t do anything particular when we’re done with the process, but we do listen to the music again.

Dowoon: Once the recording process is over, I have a time of self-reflection and think to myself that I should play the drums even better next time! 

Onto lighter things, if each of you had a book written of and about you, what would you want it to be named and how would you want the cover to look?

Jae: “How to trip and get up”, the loop version.

Young K: The title would be “Kang Young Hyun” and the cover would probably be a picture of me. One day, I want to tell the story of my journey in becoming Young K, Kang Young Hyun, and Brian.

Wonpil: The title would be “My Day”, and I would like it if the cover would show clouds rising up.

Dowoon: The title of my book would be something like “그냥 그랬다” (“That’s That”) or “별거 있나?” (“Is There Really Anything To It?”). The cover would just be text, and the font would be rough, but simple. 

In the past year, you’ve done a lot of collaborations and individual work outside of DAY6. How is making music as eaJ different from making music as Jae of DAY6?

Jae: eaJ is a personal venture where I’m not tied down to a reference or my role within the band. It’s just fun for me, not much thought put into the creating process. Just me throwing up all the juices I’ve had pent up in me.

This is for Dowoon and it’s a very serious question. How are you such a ball of sunshine on the one hand and such a brilliant and badass drummer on the other? As soon as you’re on the drums, you transform into a completely different person altogether. Do you, yourself, realize that you have such a distinct stage persona?

Dowoon: I think there should definitely be a difference. When I’m on stage, I want to do my best to sincerely show what I’m capable of. 

Wonpil, the music you write and compose brings out a mature poetic side of you whereas you always seem to have your guards down with your members. What would you say is the main difference between Wonpil as a person and Wonpil as an artist?

Wonpil: In my everyday life, I can be very playful, but also reserved at times. I’m not always goofing around. I think there seems to be a slight difference in my demeanor because when we’re making music, I’m able to express what I’ve been feeling and feelings that I couldn’t express before. 

For Young K, your honey-laced angelic voice is absolutely perfect for radio. What is your favourite part about hosting “Kiss The Radio”? Do you have any tips on making the guests feel at home?

Young K: Thank you very much. I still feel lacking when I hear myself hosting on the radio show, but I try my best to make my guests feel comfortable. Especially when the music is playing or we’re on commercial break, I try to converse with them and do some ice-breaking which I think helps a lot. 

Finally, My Days in India have been waiting for this interview for a very long time now. Do you have anything you want to say to your fans all over the world and especially in India? 

Jae: I am so sorry we haven’t been able to visit, but we are SO excited and looking forward to the time we can meet and live the moment together.

Young K: Thank you for always waiting for us. I hope that as much as you’re waiting, you’re also staying happy and healthy, and to repay our gratitude, we will continue to do our best for you.

Wonpil: First of all, we really really miss you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your love and for waiting for us. The day will come when we can finally see each other again, so I hope you stay healthy until then. We love you!

Dowoon: Thank you for waiting for us, and we can’t wait until this is all over so we can perform at a show for you again!

DAY6’s latest album “The Book Of Us: Negentropy – Chaos swallowed up in love” is officially out now on all music streaming platforms! 

What is your favourite track from DAY6’s latest album “The Book Of Us: Negentropy – Chaos swallowed up in love”? Share your thoughts with Pinkvilla in the comments section down below!

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