Baek Ye-rin transitions to become rocker

An R&B pop-star re-debuting as a rock band’s vocalist. It is an unprecedented case across all ages and countries.

Singer-songwriter Baek Ye-rin with titles, such as “Square” and “Maybe it's not our fault,” came back as a vocalist of the rock band “The Volunteers.” The first song “Violet” of their first eponymous album to be launched on Thursday breaks about 80 percent of her fans’ preconceptions of Baek.

“I felt anger toward the society during the time when we were creating the band in 2017. I had a lot of things going on in my head as if I were going through teenage years again,” said Baek whom I met in Mapo, Seoul. A drum set, guitar amplifiers, and cables were scattered in the band’s studio.

The name of the band is a tribute to Baek’s band members who supported her through her journey in rock. After her debut as a solo artist, Baek fell in love with the music of the indie band Bye Bye Badman and followed their performances, during which she got close with the band’s current guitarist Johnny and bassist Go Hyeong-seok. They watched the documentary “Oasis: Supersonic” about the British band Oasis together, which opened their eyes to the free sound and world view of the rock music. As drum player Kim Chi-heon joined them, the band was formed.

The third song in the album “Let it go!” features 4/4 drum beats and crying of “Let it go!” and is addictive with qualities like No. 1 song on the U.K. rock chart. Baek said she wrote the fourth song “Time to fight back in my way” after listening to “Take the Power Back” of U.S. band Rage Against the Machine on her way to the studio with the band members.

“Please support rock artists struggling with the pandemic so that they can create more music more freely. We are ready to be on a stage with them in Hongdae.”


imi@donga.com