Joining Audacy’s Mike Adam for a chat inside the Hard Rock Hotel New York, South Korean singer LØREN sat down to discuss his love for Rock music, his emo influences, friendship with BLACKPINK and more.
LISTEN NOW: LØREN at the Hard Rock Hotel New York with Mike Adam
“Not to take anything away from other genres,” but for LØREN, Rock music “has a lot to offer in terms of moving people. It has a lot of potential with different types of emotions instead one specific vibe.”
Wondering what pulled him into the genre, Mike asked. “You know, I was an angsty little kid in a country where I didn’t speak the language,” LØREN answered. Adding he was surrounded “by a bunch of kids that kinda made it hard for me to fit in. So there was a lot of like internal… solitude.”
“It was right around the time MTV was like blasting all these like emo bands, which basically revolves around feeling left out and misunderstood," LØREN went on to say. “And it pretty much pierced me right in the heart and I don’t think I ever moved away from it. It’s weird, I just have this obsession where it just feels right.”
Some of the artists LØREN grew up listening to include My Chemical Romance, sharing that Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge and The Black Parade, “were like my go to, school bus, mute everyone out music.”
LØREN went on to reveal, “I did progress into other types of Rock music.” Noting he was most fascinated by the post-punk revival of the early 2000s, and hopes his music kind of reflects that.
LØREN also got into how he went from fanboy to full fledged friends with BLACKPINK, and his idea and hope to get the K-Pop girl group to venture into Pop-Punk “Avril Lavigne, Paramore” territory, expressing, “I think it’d be really cool for them to try it.”
Also discussing the topic of overseas artists, as Mike put it “that are trying to cross over to the US market,” and really “breaking through and connecting,” LØREN said he could only speak on behalf of himself. “A lot of the stuff I was listening to growing up came from the states and London. And I always felt like I wanted to leave a mark where I got all these things from cause I felt like it was almost like this Hall of Fame, this is where it all started. So I was naturally inclined to kind of make my way back here and hopefully reach an audience.”
Having started out as a drummer and eventually moving on to rhythm guitar, when it comes to a musician's stage presence and artistry, LØREN admitted he looks up to artists like Nick Valensi from The Strokes and MCR’s Frank Iero, Kurt Cobain, Jack White." Admitting, “I really like watching live videos and music videos,” and obsessing “over the little things that they do,” just “to see what about that little movement that made it so cool.”
LØREN also chatted a bit about Coachella, and what its been like meeting so many amazing artists like Travis Barker and Damon Albarn of Gorillaz. Also sharing about new music and his time working “with some amazing producers,” plus a whole lot more. To listen to then entire conversation, press play on the interview above.
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