K-Interview: Luamel (K-Rock Band)

Interviewer: Deena Jasmine (Chikkmagaluru, Karnataka, India)

Editor: Pooja Vishwanathan (Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India)

Prepare to drift into a dreamscape of sound. This is LUAMEL.

LUAMEL (루아멜 ), the Korean rock band known for their gentle atmospheric soundscapes, has a rare talent for turning quiet, passing moments into something dramatic. Their music has the feel of a soft breath at the end of a long day, a warm light in familiar places, and an echo for feelings we have trouble expressing. 

The group steps out with their new self-titled album, “LUAMEL”. Across 15 thoughtfully crafted tracks, they blend emotion and ambience with the signature warmth that fans hold close. Featuring three standout title tracks, this album captures LUAMEL’s evolution—bigger in sound, deeper in storytelling, and richer in feeling. 

In this interview, we dive into the heart of the album: the inspiration behind its creation, the story woven through “LUAMEL,” and how this new chapter came to life.

What motivated the idea behind your new album, LUAMEL, and what narrative did you aim to convey throughout these 15 tracks? 

We’ve been active for about 8 years now, and releasing a full-length album has been one of our main goals since we put out our EP ‘Orbital’. However, we’ve gone through quite a journey to get here, such as a lineup change and military service for about 2 years. But finally, on December 4th, it’s out. Our first full-length album, ‘LUAMEL’, shows both the paths we’ve walked so far and the road ahead. 

What made “OrangeRoad” catch your attention as the title track for this comeback? 

As we mentioned earlier, ‘LUAMEL’ is an album about LUAMEL itself. Choosing the title track took a lot of thought. After many discussions among the members, we decided to pick the songs that could introduce us, songs that show what “LUAMEL” is all about. 

We actually chose three title tracks: Track 3 ‘Spring,‘ Track 6 ‘Matricaria,‘ and Track 8 ‘OrangeRoad.‘ 

‘Spring’ represents the LUAMEL that’s moving forward, welcoming a warm spring after enduring a cold winter. ‘Matricaria’ shows the LUAMEL that has walked this path without giving in to hardships, and ‘OrangeRoad’ expresses both an energetic emotion that feels like basking in the burning sun and a dreamy emotion that feels like gazing at the phenomenal night sky.

How would you convey the tone and theme of “OrangeRoad” to someone listening to it for the first time?

‘OrangeRoad’ is based on the manga of the same name, ‘Kimagure Orange Road.‘ It’s about the love triangle between three main characters, and we wanted to express the innocence and immaturity of youth, as well as the guilt you would feel toward the other in those situations.

When people listen to the whole album, what message or feeling do you want them to take away? 

We hope that immersing yourself in the world of LUAMEL over the course of just under an hour becomes a time where all different kinds of emotions hit you all at once. And after all that, we hope to have you guys think, “So this is what LUAMEL is about,” and get drawn into us even more. 

What new sounds or ideas did you try on this album? How did they help shape the overall sound? 

This album moves through time, guided by ambient tracks and an instrumental track, ‘Sunrise In The Camel’s Eyes.‘ It starts with ‘Weave The Stars,’ where we’re counting stars in the deep night sky, moves on to ‘Sunrise In The Camel’s Eyes’ as dawn breaks into burning daylight, then to ‘Moon Over The Horizon’ as sunset takes us back toward night, and finally ‘Recover,’ bringing us back to a full circle. We’ve covered the full 24 hours. Between these moments, we’ve woven in music that belongs to the dreamy, mysterious night and music that belongs to the hot, sun-drenched day. 

Out of the 15 tracks, which one was the most challenging, and why? And which one is your favourite? 

The most challenging track was probably ‘1 Second of Galaxy.‘ When we write a song, we have to think about both how it works as a recorded track and how it works in a live performance. If we arrange it for a live performance, the recorded track version might feel too intense to listen to casually. If we do the opposite, the live show might feel too flat. After going through multiple arrangements, we could find the sweet spot, which is the current version of ‘1 Second Of Galaxy.’ 

Unfortunately, we can’t pick just one as our favorite since all 15 tracks are our favorites. It feels like having 15 kids; we can’t love one over the other. Before the release, each member had their own preferences, but after pouring so much into the album, we just can’t. 

Were there any funny, emotional, or unexpected moments while filming the music video? 

Whenever we shoot outdoors, we always have a big worry, ‘Is it okay for the drummer to play this loud here…?’ On the day of filming, we played ‘Matricaria’ first, and all the members just exploded with energy. Then we looked at each other, put our worries aside for a moment, and played our best. We asked the directors if everything was okay after shooting, and they said there were some people who came by and only asked ‘who’s here to film’ in their neighborhood. Thanks to the people living nearby, we could end filming the music video with relief. 

What was it like to perform “OrangeRoad” live at your year-end solo stage, “LUAMEL Journey: NAVIGATOR”? 

Hwi Jun: I don’t really get nervous before performing, but since it was our first live show for the full album release in 8 years and ‘OrangeRoad’, I think I was more on edge than usual. But at the signing event right after the concert, the fans’ reactions were so positive that it really lifted me up. 

Young Soo: Like Hwi-jun, I usually don’t get nervous and just try to give everything to whatever song we’re playing at that moment. But this was our first solo concert since releasing our full-length album, and our fans always tell us that LUAMEL’s live performances are one of our biggest strengths. I never want to let that down. I had a lot of thoughts running through my head on stage, so I looked at the members performing next to me and drew energy from them, which actually became this huge source of strength. 

Kyeong Cheol: When I get ready for live shows, I always think, “I’m the best; if I enjoy the stage, the audience will too,” and that’s the mindset I bring to the stage. But I made a few mistakes; this concert gave me a chance to recognize my weaknesses and keep growing from here. Still, I’m so grateful for how well people received it. Thanks, everyone. 

Joseph: Though it was our first time playing ‘OrangeRoad’ in a show, it just didn’t feel very challenging. Everyone’s saying they were on pins and needles, but they didn’t seem to be. YoungSoo did a great job in the solo drum part in the middle of ‘OrangeRoad’, Hwijun’s vocals and guitars were sweet, and KyeongCheol’s guitar tones were at his best. I really enjoyed playing the new song for our fans, maybe next time in India too. 

Now that “LUAMEL” is released, what do you want to try next, and what can fans look forward to? 

If you listen to all the albums of a band throughout, you can see how they’ve grown and what they are exploring now. We want LUAMEL to keep showing you different stories and sounds as we move forward. 

A lot of people listen to our music and describe it as “colorful” or “fresh and solid.” Sometimes we might go really distinctive, sometimes we’d express all our energy in the music, and sometimes we’ll take a calmer or more straightforward approach. But no matter what form we take with the new songs, we’re confident that when people hear it, they’ll immediately think, “That’s LUAMEL.” 

Please look forward to where LUAMEL is heading. Thank you.

Once again, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your precious time and for sharing insights about your journey. Thank you so much. On behalf of the entire team at Hallyuism, we wish you all the best for your future and lots of love from India!

We hope you all loved reading this interview as much as we loved conducting it. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!