[ Band LUCY ] 13 Facts You Should Know about the Korean Band

2024/05/18閱讀時間約 1 分鐘

Left to right: Gwangil, Yechan, Sangyeop, Wonsang

After a four-year long wait, LUCY (Korean: 루시) is finally coming to North America! They will be performing in 20 cities, and make sure not to miss out on their incredible live shows🐾 (Find tickets here)

[ Band LUCY Introduction ]

LUCY is a South Korean band that debuted on May 8th, 2020. There are four members, including violinist and leader Shin Yechan (신예찬), lead vocalist and guitarist Choi Sangyeop (최상엽), bassist and producer Cho Wonsang (조원상), and drummer and vocalist Shin Gwangil (신광일). The fandom name is "Walwal," and their company is Mystic Story, founded by the artist Yoon Jongshin.

Let’s check out 13 facts you must know about Band LUCY.

1. Met and formed through the show Superband.

LUCY was formed on a band audition program called Superband. The show brought together musicians from various backgrounds to form teams and compete against each other.

In the show, the current members Yechan, Wonsang, Gwangil, and former vocalist Lee Juhyuk formed a team. Through their unique sound and teamwork, they eventually won the second place in the show.

However, after the show, the former vocalist Juhyuk decided to return to his original band, GIFT. In search of a new lead vocalist, bassist Wonsang began by reviewing videos of all the vocalist contestants from the first round of Superband, eventually choosing Sangyeop, who had participated in Superband but was eliminated earlier.

In an interview, Wonsang mentioned that he found Sangyeop's voice very unique and refreshing. What's more, his appearance was quite appealing and grabbed his attention, making him a perfect fit for LUCY. Other members also said that besides refreshing genres, Sangyeop is good at ballad songs. He could bring new possibilities to LUCY.

Finally, Sangyeop officially joined LUCY as the lead vocalist, and they debuted on May 8th, 2020, with their debut song Flowering.

2. ”LUCY” is the name of a dog, the fandom name is “Walwal,” and their signature color is blue.

The name of the band, the fandom name, and the signature color all originated from the show Superband.

During the show, the team frequently visited a music studio that had a dog named LUCY. When the show asked them to come up with a band name, Gwangil suggested "LUCY," and the name was agreed by all members upon on the spot. The choice of a dog's name was inspired by fans of the show who commented that the team's interactions were innocent and joyful, much like those of puppies. The members also found that LUCY means "light" in Latin, adding beautiful imagery to the name.

The fandom name "Walwal (왈왈이)" originated when fans, soon after the team's formation in Superband, began greeting each other with "왈왈" (the Korean equivalent of "woof") on social platforms. It then turned into the fandom name of LUCY’s fans. LUCY also confirmed that this is the official fandom name during the live broadcast on their second anniversary.

Blue is LUCY’s signature color. It originated from the first LUCY team’s stage in Superband. The first song that the team performed together was the song, Swim. The visual theme of the stage was blue and fans started to use blue hearts 💙 in comments and live streams to support LUCY. The release of their album Blue further assured blue as the official color of LUCY.

3. The violinist was famous for busking performances.

When you think of LUCY, the violinist might be one of the first things that comes to mind. Before his debut in LUCY, he had been famous as a busking performer.

He was a member of the band “Ganeung Dong Band,” and lots of performance videos reached more than a million views. Due to its popularity, was even invited to the show I Can See Your Voice 5, hosted by the artist Kim Jongkook. In the show Superband, AKMU Suhyun also said that she is a fan of the band. She had even searched for information about the band before.

4. The bassist who doesn’t play the four-string bass.

While most bass players stick to four-string basses, Wonsang, the bassist of LUCY, primarily plays five- and six-string basses, which makes LUCY’s song and arrangement even more special. The bass that he plays now is customized by himself.

He often uploads bass covers to Instagram and YouTube, receiving lots of love and shares. Lots of them reached more than a million views.

Beyond his bass playing, his production skills are also impressive. In the show Superband, he arranged Coldplay’s song Adventure of a Lifetime which was retweeted by Coldplay, with the comment “This is all kinds of awesome.” Currently, lots of LUCY’s songs are also composed and produced by Wonsang.

5. The much-anticipated concert intros.

LUCY often brings various surprises to their fans during their concerts. One of the most anticipated aspects is the opening intro. For example, in a previous concert, they performed an adaptation of the classical piece Paganini Caprice No.24. This rendition featured an interplay of solo performances between the violin and the bass, infusing the classical masterpiece with modern elements, making it one of the most memorable opening performances.

6. The drummer initially participated in Superband as a vocalist.

During Superband, Gwangil originally joined the competition as a vocalist. However, to bring more dynamism to one of their performances, he took up the drums, playing drums for the first time in front of audience, and led the team to win the round.

Since then, Gwangil continued to play as a drummer for the team. Through extensive practice and natural talent, he has become the powerful drummer of LUCY today.

Beyond his excellent drum skills, his voice is still one of his most appealing talents. In LUCY's larger concerts, there are often Gwangil’s solo stages where he sings while playing the guitar, a segment especially anticipated by his fans.

7. LUCY often covers songs during rehearsals.

The lead vocalist of LUCY, Sangyeop, and the violinist Yechan both have rich experience in busking performances. Therefore, during the rehearsals for music festivals, if other members still need time to set up their instruments, they often take song requests and perform impromptu covers for the audience, creating lots of legendary stages.

8. Debuted at an average age of 26, with two members having completed their military service.

They have debuted for 4 years now, but the average age of the members is already 30 years old, sometimes jokingly referred to as an "uncle band" by fans. Additionally, two of the members had completed their military service before debuting with LUCY. Some members had some work before debuting as members of LUCY. For example, the lead vocalist Sangyeop had already released a solo EP in 2017 and had participated in the production of quite a few OSTs.

9. LUCY is the headliner of large music festivals in Korea.

LUCY has been selected as the headliner at multiple music festivals in Korea, such as the Grand Mint Life Festival and the Beautiful Mint Life Festival. LUCY has won numerous MVP awards, establishing themselves as one of the best performers of Korean music festivals.

10. The vocalist and the drummer are both huge fans of soccer.

Drummer Gwangil and vocalist Sangyeop are addicted to playing soccer. They have even formed a soccer team consisting of lots of celebrities. The team includes members from various groups such as BTOB's Seo Eunkwang, The BOYZ's Sangyeon, Highlight's Lee Gikwang, Pentagon's Shinwon, CIX's Seunghun, and DKZ's Jaechan.

In 2023, vocalist Sangyeop's wish for the year was to play soccer with Kim Jongkook, which he achieved by the end of the year. Violinist Yechan also loves sports and occasionally joins in soccer games, but he prefers skiing and table tennis. The bassist tends to be more of a homebody but has recently started working out.

11. A band with great team spirit: they hang out together even off-duty.

One of the reasons LUCY is so beloved by fans is their entertaining interactions and family-like team spirit. Even during their off time, they enjoy activities together such as hiking, skiing, and walking dogs. Sometimes, the members visit each other's homes to drink and watch soccer. When they are abroad for overseas concerts, they also spend time together swimming in hotel pools.

12. Very active and engaging with fans on the app "Bubble".

"Bubble with STARS" is an app where artists can communicate with their fans. All four members of LUCY are active on this platform, especially the lead vocalist and guitarist, Choi Sangyeop, who sends over 1,800 messages a month (about 60 messages a day). He shares his daily life and fun facts, hosts radio shows on the platform, holds Q&A events, and more.

For anyone interested in Band LUCY, I would highly recommend you to subscribe to their Bubble! There are translation functions that help to understand the content in the app.

13. LUCY will perform in 20 cities across North America!

LUCY kicked off their first world tour at the end of March this year, and will begin their North American tour on May 23rd, 2024. If you happen to be in North America and would like to attend their concert, don't miss this opportunity!

✨Find tickets here✨

That's all for today. Here’s a recap of the 13 facts about Band LUCY:

Met and formed through the show Superband.
”LUCY” is the name of a dog, the fandom name is “Walwal (왈왈이),” and their signature color is blue💙.
The violinist was famous for busking performances.
The bassist who doesn’t play the four-string bass.
The much-anticipated concert intros.
The drummer initially participated in Superband as a vocalist.
LUCY often covers songs during rehearsals.
Debuted at an average age of 26, with two members having completed their military service.
LUCY is the headliner of large music festivals in Korea.
The vocalist and the drummer are both huge fans of soccer.
A band with great team spirit: they hang out together even off-duty.
Very active and engaging with fans on the app "Bubble".
LUCY will perform in 20 cities across North America!