Interview: From Seoul to the Stage, Rolling Quartz Talks Tour, Melodies & Memories
- Z
- May 21
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 26
On Friday, May 16, Rolling Quartz, a five-member South Korean rock band consisting of YeongEun (drums), HyunJung (guitar), JaYoung (vocals), Iree (guitar) and Arem (bass), packed the Nile Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona. Fans of all ages lined up hours before doors opened on the hot Arizona evening elated to see the rockstars on stage.
Mido had the opportunity to sit down with the five girls after the show to talk about life on the road, the creative process during production of songs, and their ever growing career.
Q: Congratulations on your 2nd tour! How has this tour so far been different from your first one?
Jayoung: Well, we're going to 5x more cities on this trip. We've been so happy to meet many more cities' Diadems, and thankful to always be welcomed anywhere.
Iree: First of all, it's gotten a lot longer. The first tour in the U.S. was a short tour that lasted about two weeks, but this tour was a two-month long tour. Second, the venue got a little bit bigger. Thankfully, more people came to see us, so we were able to perform in slightly larger venues than before.
Youngeun: Thank you! ^^This tour felt new because we went to so many new cities.
Arem: The first tour was only eight cities, but this one is 34! That means we've also varied the setlist.
Hyunjung: As the number and length of concerts has increased, we had to prepare a lot of various things, not just our hearts and minds.
Q: For each of you, what is the song on your discography that has the greatest meaning to you and why?
Jayoung: “Rebold!” It's the most exciting song live. You get the feeling that something's boiling up inside :)
Iree: “Holler.” It's simple compared to some of the other songs, but it contains everything I wanted to do. It also has a vibe that I really like, so I'm more attached to it. I enjoyed working on other songs, but I especially enjoyed working on this one.
Youngeun: “Fearless.” Everyone worked really hard on this song, there was some trial and error, and the fans really loved this song.
Arem: “Holler.” The concept was the most definite and confident, and it was the first song to show a different side or style of Rolling Quartz, so that's a big reason.
Hyunjung: “Blaze” is meaningful because it was our first single and first music video, but I also like “Fearless” and “Rebold.”
Q: What changes have you seen in your music since making your debut, and what can we expect from your next releases?
Jayoung: We're trying to expand the possibilities of Rolling Quartz. Like playing on a more popular level with upgrades to our music.
Iree: We got to try a variety of songs while maintaining our identity. We worked on lightweight yet bouncy songs like "NAZABABARA" and "One" and tried rock ballads like "Red Wine." I'm sure our next album will turn out a lot different from what we've been working on.
Arem: We've gone from energetic music to more emotional music, but I think the essentials haven't changed, and they'll stay the same going forward.
Hyunjung: If the answer is in terms of music, I would say my performance. I think my skills have improved compared to our debut, so I can perform more difficult songs than before, and my mindset on guitar has changed. I want to make music that reflects these things.
Q: When creating a song or album, what is the most influential thing in your day to day life that you pull inspiration from?
Jayoung: I get a lot of inspiration from the music I love, talking to people I love, and anime.
Iree: If I don't consider the music and music theory I've heard until now, I think pictures and photographs that impress me also play a decisive role in deciding the song's concept. I think ideas come from the emotions I have had, so I usually try to consider a lot of emotional stimuli.
Arem: Books, manga, dramas...various kinds of media.
Q: You’ve already completed 28 stops on tour! Which stop and state has been your favorite to perform at thus far?
Jayoung: My favorite venue is the Chicago venue! But I do my best to perform with the same heart every time. ❤️
Iree: I can't choose one particular place. Thankfully, every venue was special because the audience from every region we visited gave us enthusiastic cheers, support, and love.
Youngeun: Each city was new and became a good memory.
Arem: All the venues had a long history, and all the venue staff were kind. Even the security guards had a good sense of humor and were kind.
Hyunjung: We had a day off during the tour, and it was a lot of fun to visit the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I went sightseeing at the aquarium and went on rides, so the memory will stick with me.
Q: All of you took part in the production of your single “Blaze” from the lyrics to composition and arrangements. What other songs on your discography have you taken part in?
Delight, Holler, Victory, NAZABABARA,Rebold, Fearless, Higher
Iree: Most of the lyrics are written by vocalist Jayoung. Whether it's a song we made ourselves or a collaboration with other artists, all the members participate. The arrangement is made first with all members to create a demo, and then the second arrangement is done with the CEO, who is our music producer, and then the song is finished.
Q: Focusing on your career so far, which memorable events or experiences have molded Rolling Quartz as a group?
Jayoung: I think this tour in the U.S. will be the most memorable. It was a tour where we could experience many things, learn and grow! I want us to keep going until the end and finish it successfully without anyone getting hurt :)
Iree: There was a time we went very viral on SNS before our debut, and I think Rolling Quartz gave us a route to go forward. Previously, we had been preparing to build on our activities in Korea, but it made us think that it was worth trying overseas. I think it was an event that opened the door that made this possible because we are still active in Korea, but we are also active overseas.
Youngeun: Rolling Quartz was found first by international fans through the cover songs we posted on YouTube during the COVID-19 period, and we communicated a lot with international fans through YouTube online performances, so we were able to do overseas tours.
Hyunjung: Things before Rolling Quartz… I've always wanted to do many things since I was a kid, and I think it's because of my mother, who has given me so much opportunity and support since I was a little kid, telling me to do everything I wanted to do. Thanks to this, I experienced a lot of various fields such as music, physical education, and art, and I think I found what I'm good at.
Have you seen Rolling Quartz on tour? If so, what was your favorite part of the show? Let us know by leaving a comment below or by reaching out on Instagram or X.
TO STAY UPDATED ON ROLLING QUARTZ:
INSTAGRAM | APPLE MUSIC | TIKTOK | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
Rolling Quartz, thank you so much for playing Portland, OR!!! I live in Central Oregon in the Cascade Mountains a couple of hours away. Your outstanding performance gave me one of the best experiences in my life!!!!! You are my favorite band in the entire world!!!!!!
Thanks for the great interview. I went to several shows and their musicianship and energy and charisma on stage are out of this world. They are outstanding live performers. Re.BOLD is amazing live. All the songs have so much energy.
I saw them at the nile theater on the 16th and they were so good. Its really nice seeing how much passion they have for their music and how much they want to make k-rock popular. I will see them live as much as i can and hope they can tour in the US again when they are ready!