Love Spells

It’s the third Loveholic capsule. The band makes a time capsule for each album. What’s in it?

“It’s the same as always. Incantations for love, and a music energy that’s indescribable,” says Ji-sun, the singer from the band Loveholic.

Loveholic consists of lead guitarist Kang Hyung-min (37), bassist Lee Jae-hak (34), and female vocalist Ji-sun (27). Since 2003 when they topped the charts with their debut hit “Loveholic,” they’ve created songs like “Come Over” and “Magic” with a fresh modern rock sound.

“It’s getting harder for musicians in this world, but there’s nothing we can do. The only thing we can do is to make more music and press it into a capsule,” said Lee.

But their second album released in 2004 was a bitter experience. Fans pronounced it “too heavy,” and accused the band of “abandoning their feel-good music.” It was the deadliest disease for singers, the so-called “sophomore jinx.”

“We were tired out then. During the first album we toured around the country without being exhausted but we even took naps before going on stage for the second one,” said Kang.

The pressure started to make the members break. To “regain his reputation,” Kang moved to a place in front of recording studio in Gangnam. Lee and Ji-sun earned nicknames like “workaholic” during the four months they stayed locked up in their recording room. All agreed at last that “honesty is the key” and began listening to their own hearts.

“Since I was little, I would dream of a beautiful lake in northeast Europe with picturesque evergreens. Because I wanted to dream that dream whenever I was feeling down, the album was titled, ‘Nice Dream,’” said Ji-sun.

The first track “Sunday Clear” or Lee’s “Green Sofa” is the typical dose of bubbly Loveholic tunes you’d expect from the first album. The next passionate “If I have you” and contemplative modern rock song “My Sunset” is more like the gloomy and mystical melody of “Shingiru” and Kang’s “Weather Forecast” of the past, combining the cadences of the previous two albums.

“We’re still green. Whenever we go to the broadcasting station, we’ll say, ‘have you seen Lee Hyo-ri?’ and be all amazed. When we appear on music programs, we’ll be nervous for the 60-second interview,” said Kang.

“We’re only close with the band Yurisangja,” they insist, saying they still aren’t social in the music circles. But in May they’ll release their debut song ‘Loveholic’ in Japan and each member is working on his or her own record. For them, loneliness means focusing solely on music, and like the lyrics of Loveholic, that’s an ‘incurable disease.’

bsism@donga.com