Inside the Sound: Confined White Shares Their Journey, New Inspirations, and Vision for the Future
By. Alicia Zamora
A Conversation with Confined White
In an exclusive interview conducted by Alicia's Studio, I had the privilege of talking with the incredibly talented band Confined White. They discuss the pure stories that youth have had to hide for the sake of things beyond themselves. The members are Hwang Jae Min on drums, Moon Dae Myeong on guitar, Kim Tae Beom on bass, and Sung Hyuk on vocals and guitar, as well as lyrics, composition, and production. All members participate in the arrangements.
Confined White's music is a captivating blend of raw emotion and intricate musicality. Each member brings a unique energy to the group, resulting in a sound that is both powerful and introspective. Sung Hyuk's poignant lyrics and soulful vocals are complemented by the band's dynamic instrumentals, creating a sonic landscape that draws the listener in from the first note.
From anthemic rock ballads to hauntingly beautiful acoustic tracks, Confined White showcases their versatility and ability to connect with their audience on a deep, emotional level. Confined White is a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. Their commitment to authenticity and meaningful storytelling sets them apart, and their music resonates with listeners on a profound level. With their undeniable talent and unwavering dedication, Confined White is poised to make a lasting impact on the music scene for years to come.
Diving In
Alicia: Can you introduce yourselves and tell us a bit about each member’s role in the band?
Confined White: Hello! We are the band ‘Confined White,’ singing the pure stories that youth have had to hide for the sake of things beyond themselves. The members are Hwang Jae Min on drums, Moon Dae Myeong on guitar, Kim Tae Beom on bass, Sung Hyuk on vocals and guitar, and lyrics, composition, and production. All members participate in the arrangements.
Alicia: How did the band come together? What was the inspiration behind forming the group?
Confined White: The vocalist, Sung Hyuk, and the bassist, Kim Tae Beom, who were high school classmates and band clubmates, shared a small dream during their school days: “Let’s form a proper band once we become adults.” However, due to personal circumstances, Sung Hyuk had to step away from music. At the same time, Kim Tae Beom went on to study at a practical music academy, leading to a natural disconnection between them. Fast forward to 2018. As he was about to become an adult, Sung Hyuk couldn’t forget his experiences on stage during school and reached out to Kim Tae Beom after two years. He didn’t want to let their dream remain just a dream. Kim Tae Beom suggested that since he had met some amazing friends while studying music in Incheon, why not start a band there together? The very next day, Sung Hyuk packed his bags and moved to Incheon, setting up a small workspace where they could live and create music together. Later, Kim Tae Beom introduced Sung Hyuk to two friends he met at the academy, who became Moon Dae Myeong on guitar and Hwang Jae Min on drums. Thus, the four of them, all born in 1999, formed the band ‘Confined White’ in 2019 and have been active ever since.
Alicia: What challenges did you face when starting out, and how did you overcome them?
Confined White: In order to start public activities as a band, we had to promote our own songs. However, none of the members had any experience composing songs, so we floundered as soon as we formed. In particular, member Sung Hyuk could not play any instruments properly and had no knowledge of music.
Sung Hyuk: While playing together, the members Shared a conversation inside. Even the musical terms I don't understand, I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it. I understood Music terms. I remembered it Home home On the internet I searched for it. Did I remember that? I didn't want to be so annoying to the members, but I didn't have self-esteem. Many go down. It was time with the members. The sum is well. That's right. The work will proceed because, repeatedly, the work is delayed blazing. I feel I got it. So Composing Studying Started. Other To the members no Ability I Must Have We In the band Help Will be Could be I think so I thought Because. Relative A sense of deprivation dynamic Three Effort is With energy Replace For Make an effort I did it. In the end. Now, the band's every song is in charge of composing. The producer is okay.
Alicia: Going into your release of your single/ ep "HOME/ I'll be right back" what was the inspiration behind that single and what difficulties did you have while recording it?
Confined White: 'HOME / I'll be right back' is a story about our childhood. He was a timid boy who easily gave in to the dissuasion of those around him rather than having the courage to face difficulties.But for us, the dream of being a band was like an undying spark. So after much thought, I took the step. The song is To those around me, ' Now more To others me Matching Living Life is No , mine Heart more Thoroughly Run will do Dream Chasing Life I will live .' Declaring It's a song . Around Concerns back do Soon Boran As if wonderful By appearance I will come back Promise It's a song .
Alicia: How do you approach songwriting and composing music? Does each member contribute in a specific way?
Confined White: Overall, the songwriting and lyrics are done by Sung Hyuk, the band's main producer. I usually write lyrics based on stories that I have experienced, either directly or indirectly, and I try to shed light on young people's deficiencies. Inspiration for lyrics and songwriting always comes out of nowhere, so whenever I have an idea, I make a voice recording on my phone or take notes. When I write a song, the most important thing for me is the narrative of the song and making sure that it's immersive and compelling in our songs, so the first thing I do is write down a storyboard. Once the sketch is finished, the other members will add to it with their main instruments and then either give us verbal feedback on how they feel about the song or if they have a clear idea of what they think it should sound like, we'll gather in the studio and work together to arrange it through collaboration and harmonization. Sung Hyuk and Hwang Jae Min usually live together, so the sound design is mostly done by them.
Alicia: What themes or messages do you aim to convey through your music?
Confined White: 'Confined White' sings about the stories that young people have to keep hidden for things other than 'me' as they go through the world. Ideally, we hope that listening to our music will remind the listener of a scene in their own life where they are the main characters. Ultimately, we aim to inspire listeners to think about how to love themselves.
Alicia: Can you describe your creative process for recording an album or preparing for a new release?
Confined White: I think I've answered all of your questions about the work that went into this recording in the previous five questions, and now I'll tell you about the process from the beginning.
Confined White: Normally, I only record drums at a professional recording studio. I have drums in my personal studio, but I don't have a proper drum recording microphone yet, and the space is very small, so it's not enough to capture the sound I'm trying to achieve. Still, everything else is recorded in my personal studio. Kim Tae Beom, our bassist, prefers to record in his own studio and send the files to the members for feedback, and Sung Hyuk, our vocalist, does all of his guitar and vocal recordings, synthesizers, and other virtual instruments in his own studio. While it's great to record in a well-equipped recording studio, we've found that the results are usually much better when we're working in our own comfort zone. Guitarist Moon Dae Myeong also prefers to record privately. Sung Hyuk is involved in directing all the recordings. Afterward, we mix the songs with our close brother, who has been mixing our songs for a long time, and Sung Hyuk is involved in the mixing direction. He's been mixing our songs for a long time, so I think he has the best grasp of the intentions of what we want to express in the song. Once the song is completely finished, we start thinking, “How can we get the public to find this song? How can we convince people to listen to it? How can we get people excited about it?” and so on. We set a release date and create content around these questions, like teasers, viral videos, and visual portfolios like headshots. We create and upload deliverables that showcase who we are as a band, what we're trying to say, and what we want to look like.
Alicia: Which artists or bands have inspired you the most, both locally and internationally?
Confined White: I have many favorite artists, but The 1975, The Japanese House, and Black Skirt are probably my biggest musical inspirations.
Alicia: Are there any specific venues or countries where you’d love to perform in the future?
Confined White: I haven't really thought of a specific city, but I would love to play on the stages of different festivals around the scene. I think that's the stage where I can be the most band sound!
Alicia: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received as a musician?
Confined White: To have our listeners interpret our songs in a completely different way that we didn't intend and explain it to us! Because that's what we want. Of course, we start writing songs with a precise theme, but we don't always express that theme clearly in the lyrics. We tend to leave a lot out. I think our songs are only expanded when they are interpreted differently. We want people to feel free to interpret our songs to suit their own situation.
Alicia: How do you handle the pressures and expectations that come with being in the spotlight?
Confined White: There's a lot more excitement than pressure. I think it's because we're a small band that not many people know about yet. I don't think we want to overcome it; I think we just want to keep making our music and be excited about what's going to happen!
Alicia: What do you enjoy most about being in a band and working with your fellow members?
Confined White: Sometimes, I get a little choked up when we play our songs together. Even though we've played them hundreds of times, I still get a little overwhelmed. When that happens, I feel great happiness and gratitude for the circumstances that allowed me to meet such good members now.
Alicia: How do you guys use music to express emotions or experiences that are difficult to put into words?
Confined White: I try to capture the feeling you get when you finish watching a movie, but in a short amount of time, like three or four minutes. I think a lot about all the things that go into the dynamics of a song, like the layers between instruments, the touch when you play an instrument, the timing of when a sound fills in or fades out. When those things come together, I think you can dream up something that's hard to put into words.
Alicia: What do you hope listeners take away from your music, and how do you achieve that in your work?
Confined White: We hope our music inspires you to think about how to love yourself.
Alicia: As artist, what would you like people to think when they hear the name “Confined White” ?
Confined White: We want to be remembered by the public as the band that's like a friend who's there to say, “Everything's going to be okay in the end.
Alicia: Can you share any details about upcoming projects or plans for the band?
Confined White: I'll continue to release singles every 2-3 months, and my big plans are a solo show in December and an EP early next year, so stay tuned :)
Alicia: What are your long-term goals or dreams for the band?
Confined White: We want to be an artist that can be easily consumed anytime and anywhere by a large audience, and we want to showcase our fun playing to bigger and bigger crowds in bigger venues. I guess you could say that our dream is for uncertainty to become a clear certainty.
Alicia: Are there any collaborations or experiments with new genres or styles you’re looking forward to?
Confined White: We're open to any genre, and speaking of collaborations, we'd love to collaborate with an orchestra!
Alicia: To end the interview, I’d like to thank you guys for giving me this opportunity and ask if there is any message you want to say to your listeners.
Confined White: We'll always be making music that gives you a break from your busy life, so please come back often. It was a lot of fun to share our thoughts with so many of you in this interview! Thank you!