Lee Hyun Woo has returned as a singer after a long silence, with a mini-album titled Till Dawn that contains two new songs, Holic and Pain.
It’s been four years since his last album Heart Blossom was released four years ago. Over the last four years, he has tied the knot, become a father of two, and written a cookbook titled Lee Hyun Woo’s Happy Dad and Happy Recipe. Since the beginning of 2007, he has been working as a DJ on KBS FM’s Lee Hyun Woo’s Music Album. Enews sat down with the singer, who has experienced many changes over the last few years. During the interview, in the same voice that we are used to hearing on his radio show, he cracked us up with his unique effortless and easy-going way of talking.
It’s been four years since his last album Heart Blossom was released four years ago. Over the last four years, he has tied the knot, become a father of two, and written a cookbook titled Lee Hyun Woo’s Happy Dad and Happy Recipe. Since the beginning of 2007, he has been working as a DJ on KBS FM’s Lee Hyun Woo’s Music Album. Enews sat down with the singer, who has experienced many changes over the last few years. During the interview, in the same voice that we are used to hearing on his radio show, he cracked us up with his unique effortless and easy-going way of talking.
Q. You′ve come back to singing after a long absence.
I’m not the type of person who feels obligated to release albums. I can only make music when I feel like it, and composing didn’t go very well for a while. I can’t blame the music market (centered on idol musicians and dance music.) My relationship with friends who I hung out and drank together with frequently before getting married (he labeled them ‘drinking buddies’, which included Gil, Tiger JK, and Bobby Kim) has waned after marriage. Naturally, I’ve become a family man. And I came to think that my creativity had been depleted. I fell into despair, and eventually made a determination to stay faithful to my job as a husband and father. But then something happened - I happened to grab my guitar while my baby was sleeping, and I suddenly found myself composing a piece. The most peaceful time of day is when the baby is sleeping, and that’s when I was able to write a song. And I quite liked what I wrote. So I worked with the producer of my radio program, Gom PD (Lee Choong Eon), and made a new album.
Q. You have released a new album after a long interval, but the album has only two new songs.
These days you don’t need to put as many as 10 songs in an album. I used to feel as if I were making leftovers, because in the end, only two songs would be recognized and the remaining ones would be lost in obscurity. So now I feel better with only two songs per album. The planning took a long time, but the actual work only took around one month. It was my first album in four years, but as far as my activities as a singer go, the interval had been longer. When I finished recording my last album, released four years ago, I couldn’t stand listening to it. That’s why I didn’t really promote my last album. It was a stillborn, and that’s why it’s been longer since I last engaged in actual musical activities. I quite like this album. It’s been a while since I felt like this. In fact, releasing new songs is important for musical reasons, but it’s also nice to be back in the game. I get to be interviewed like this. People seemed to have forgotten that I was a singer because I hadn’t sung for a long time. I’m glad to be releasing a new album.
Q. You composed the song and wrote the lyrics yourself, and recorded it with your radio program producer. You must’ve saved some money.
I also took the jacket photo myself (laughs). I didn’t want my face on the cover, so I used a photo I took in the U.K. The new songs have an eerie feel to them, so I used a picture that looks a bit grotesque. The meaning of the picture is actually unclear though. The photo on the back cover gives the feeling that you’re looking out from inside a cave. I took that one as well.
Q, Now that the new songs have been released, are you planning on being more active?
I’ll be joining the 2011 LIVE CONCERT N PICNIC on June 11.
Q. Do you have other plans?
I’ll be starring in the musical Mamma Mia. As the music market is centered on special events and idol stars, I’m not certain how the audience will respond. I’m actually a pretty lazy person, so just the fact that I have things to do gives me insomnia. But I made up my mind to take on the musical role. Starting from June, I’ll be rehearsing till its premiere in August. I was cast in the musical Singles before, but I’ve never been on a stage as large as this one. I think it’ll be a good experience for me.
Q. You call yourself a lazy person, but it seems like you’ve done everything in different fields. You sing, star in dramas and movies, publish books, and run your own business. It sounds like you’re pretty diligent.
I starred in an indie film. It was titled Before the Summer Passes Away. I played a cold-blooded character, and I really enjoyed shooting the movie. But I quit the fashion business that I used to run. Anyhow, I’ve dabbled in many different things, probably because of my sense of curiosity. I’m not the type of guy who delves into one thing in depth, but I tend to take up many different challenges. I’m not averse to trying new things.
Q. You’ve only released two new songs, so there isn’t much to talk about. Tell us about other things that happened to you in the meantime. I didn’t imagine you getting married, because you seemed to be enjoying bachelor life so much.
You’re right, I didn’t have plans to marry. The system of marriage seemed unreasonable to me, because it seemed like people were forced to follow the system. But somehow, I met the right one. I don’t believe in fate, but I do believe I was destined to meet my wife. I can’t say that everything about marriage is perfect, but it’s true that there are many merits in being married. Your life finds balance. I feel like I have changed a lot.
Q. How have you changed?
I drink less than one-tenth what I used to drink before I got married. That’s what I promised to my wife when we first got married. I also promised to follow a curfew. In fact, I had been living life like a racing car without breaks, and marriage has been teaching me to control myself, and it is a new experience. Maybe because I’m blood type B, I get easily carried away by my feelings. So sometimes, I miss the self-destructiveness of binge drinking. But I also think that there’s something beautiful about self-control. I learned to derive pleasure from self-control after I got married. It is a kind of joy you get from realizing that you too, can be a decent person.
I’m not the type of person who feels obligated to release albums. I can only make music when I feel like it, and composing didn’t go very well for a while. I can’t blame the music market (centered on idol musicians and dance music.) My relationship with friends who I hung out and drank together with frequently before getting married (he labeled them ‘drinking buddies’, which included Gil, Tiger JK, and Bobby Kim) has waned after marriage. Naturally, I’ve become a family man. And I came to think that my creativity had been depleted. I fell into despair, and eventually made a determination to stay faithful to my job as a husband and father. But then something happened - I happened to grab my guitar while my baby was sleeping, and I suddenly found myself composing a piece. The most peaceful time of day is when the baby is sleeping, and that’s when I was able to write a song. And I quite liked what I wrote. So I worked with the producer of my radio program, Gom PD (Lee Choong Eon), and made a new album.
Q. You have released a new album after a long interval, but the album has only two new songs.
These days you don’t need to put as many as 10 songs in an album. I used to feel as if I were making leftovers, because in the end, only two songs would be recognized and the remaining ones would be lost in obscurity. So now I feel better with only two songs per album. The planning took a long time, but the actual work only took around one month. It was my first album in four years, but as far as my activities as a singer go, the interval had been longer. When I finished recording my last album, released four years ago, I couldn’t stand listening to it. That’s why I didn’t really promote my last album. It was a stillborn, and that’s why it’s been longer since I last engaged in actual musical activities. I quite like this album. It’s been a while since I felt like this. In fact, releasing new songs is important for musical reasons, but it’s also nice to be back in the game. I get to be interviewed like this. People seemed to have forgotten that I was a singer because I hadn’t sung for a long time. I’m glad to be releasing a new album.
Q. You composed the song and wrote the lyrics yourself, and recorded it with your radio program producer. You must’ve saved some money.
I also took the jacket photo myself (laughs). I didn’t want my face on the cover, so I used a photo I took in the U.K. The new songs have an eerie feel to them, so I used a picture that looks a bit grotesque. The meaning of the picture is actually unclear though. The photo on the back cover gives the feeling that you’re looking out from inside a cave. I took that one as well.
Q, Now that the new songs have been released, are you planning on being more active?
I’ll be joining the 2011 LIVE CONCERT N PICNIC on June 11.
Q. Do you have other plans?
I’ll be starring in the musical Mamma Mia. As the music market is centered on special events and idol stars, I’m not certain how the audience will respond. I’m actually a pretty lazy person, so just the fact that I have things to do gives me insomnia. But I made up my mind to take on the musical role. Starting from June, I’ll be rehearsing till its premiere in August. I was cast in the musical Singles before, but I’ve never been on a stage as large as this one. I think it’ll be a good experience for me.
Q. You call yourself a lazy person, but it seems like you’ve done everything in different fields. You sing, star in dramas and movies, publish books, and run your own business. It sounds like you’re pretty diligent.
I starred in an indie film. It was titled Before the Summer Passes Away. I played a cold-blooded character, and I really enjoyed shooting the movie. But I quit the fashion business that I used to run. Anyhow, I’ve dabbled in many different things, probably because of my sense of curiosity. I’m not the type of guy who delves into one thing in depth, but I tend to take up many different challenges. I’m not averse to trying new things.
Q. You’ve only released two new songs, so there isn’t much to talk about. Tell us about other things that happened to you in the meantime. I didn’t imagine you getting married, because you seemed to be enjoying bachelor life so much.
You’re right, I didn’t have plans to marry. The system of marriage seemed unreasonable to me, because it seemed like people were forced to follow the system. But somehow, I met the right one. I don’t believe in fate, but I do believe I was destined to meet my wife. I can’t say that everything about marriage is perfect, but it’s true that there are many merits in being married. Your life finds balance. I feel like I have changed a lot.
Q. How have you changed?
I drink less than one-tenth what I used to drink before I got married. That’s what I promised to my wife when we first got married. I also promised to follow a curfew. In fact, I had been living life like a racing car without breaks, and marriage has been teaching me to control myself, and it is a new experience. Maybe because I’m blood type B, I get easily carried away by my feelings. So sometimes, I miss the self-destructiveness of binge drinking. But I also think that there’s something beautiful about self-control. I learned to derive pleasure from self-control after I got married. It is a kind of joy you get from realizing that you too, can be a decent person.
Q. I heard that your second child was born last month. You sound like a good husband, but are you a good father, too?
I‘m not sure what the standard for being a good father is. I often monitor and benchmark other fathers. I also evaluate my own situation through books. At this point, I think I score around 60-70 points as a father. But I’m improving. In fact, I haven’t done much partly because I’m taking care of my babies. Raising children is a very important task. When I’m spending time with my kids, time passes so quickly. Since I married late, I want to spend as much time as I can with my kids during their childhood. When my kids go to high school, I’ll be 60. That’s why I feel like I should be spending time with them now, no matter what.
Q. Is there any other reason you want to become a good father?
My father was a Seoul public official, and he went on business trips often. I didn’t get to spend much time with my father. I don’t want to do the same thing to my kids.
Q. You have been hosting radio shows for a long time. We’ve heard from a lot of sources that you ‘re a big drinker, so we were surprised to hear that you were hosting a show that starts at 9 a.m.
When I used to drink, I use to work at night, go to bed at dawn, and get up in the afternoon. But living on such a schedule depressed me. So I signed on to the radio show, determined to work under daylight. There’s a lot of pretension to be found in entertainment, but I like radio because there’s less of that.
Q. These days there’s a lot of talk about MBC’s I Am A Singer. Do you have any thoughts on joining?
I haven’t received a proposal, but even if I did, I would have to think it over carefully, because the program is so competitive. I’m not the type of singer who can hit high notes. Rather my emphasis is on the tone of the music, so I think it’ll be hard to cater to the judges’ tastes.
Q. Do you enjoy watching the program?
I’m not sure how I feel about ranking those outstanding singers. But I’m glad that the show helped those talented singers come into the spotlight. Singers of my generation had been despairing because we thought that there was no longer any demand for our songs. And [through this program] I realized that the demand is still there, and I was happy to see that.
Q You never look like you’re getting older; you always look youthful.
Even while I was going on drinking sprees with those ‘drinking buddies’, I didn’t forget to exercise. Another reason might be that I’m not a type of person who gets stressed easily. I think natural aging is a good thing, so looking younger than your age isn’t always best.
Talking with Lee Hyun Woo was so pleasant that we lost track of the time. But Lee is busy(?) these days with his new album, and he had to leave. Before he left for his next schedule, he asked us to please visit his concert on June 11. We wrapped up our interview with a promise to attend, because who knows when he’ll feel like writing music again.
Photo credit : Kim Byeong Gwan
Traslation credit: Misun Lee
I‘m not sure what the standard for being a good father is. I often monitor and benchmark other fathers. I also evaluate my own situation through books. At this point, I think I score around 60-70 points as a father. But I’m improving. In fact, I haven’t done much partly because I’m taking care of my babies. Raising children is a very important task. When I’m spending time with my kids, time passes so quickly. Since I married late, I want to spend as much time as I can with my kids during their childhood. When my kids go to high school, I’ll be 60. That’s why I feel like I should be spending time with them now, no matter what.
Q. Is there any other reason you want to become a good father?
My father was a Seoul public official, and he went on business trips often. I didn’t get to spend much time with my father. I don’t want to do the same thing to my kids.
Q. You have been hosting radio shows for a long time. We’ve heard from a lot of sources that you ‘re a big drinker, so we were surprised to hear that you were hosting a show that starts at 9 a.m.
When I used to drink, I use to work at night, go to bed at dawn, and get up in the afternoon. But living on such a schedule depressed me. So I signed on to the radio show, determined to work under daylight. There’s a lot of pretension to be found in entertainment, but I like radio because there’s less of that.
Q. These days there’s a lot of talk about MBC’s I Am A Singer. Do you have any thoughts on joining?
I haven’t received a proposal, but even if I did, I would have to think it over carefully, because the program is so competitive. I’m not the type of singer who can hit high notes. Rather my emphasis is on the tone of the music, so I think it’ll be hard to cater to the judges’ tastes.
Q. Do you enjoy watching the program?
I’m not sure how I feel about ranking those outstanding singers. But I’m glad that the show helped those talented singers come into the spotlight. Singers of my generation had been despairing because we thought that there was no longer any demand for our songs. And [through this program] I realized that the demand is still there, and I was happy to see that.
Q You never look like you’re getting older; you always look youthful.
Even while I was going on drinking sprees with those ‘drinking buddies’, I didn’t forget to exercise. Another reason might be that I’m not a type of person who gets stressed easily. I think natural aging is a good thing, so looking younger than your age isn’t always best.
Talking with Lee Hyun Woo was so pleasant that we lost track of the time. But Lee is busy(?) these days with his new album, and he had to leave. Before he left for his next schedule, he asked us to please visit his concert on June 11. We wrapped up our interview with a promise to attend, because who knows when he’ll feel like writing music again.
Photo credit : Kim Byeong Gwan
Traslation credit: Misun Lee
