In an era where international pop stages are frequently dominated by pre-recorded tracks and synchronized choreography, Catch The Young (캐치더영) brings a refreshing burst of organic band energy and authentic live musicianship. Debuting under Evermore Entertainment with their Fragments of Youth series, the five-piece alt-rock formation has carved out a unique space in the scene as a fully self-producing band where every member plays their instrument live, contributing directly to songwriting and arrangements.
During their European tour stop at Berlin’s Säälchen (Holzmarkt25), the band delivered an electrifying live set that fused bright pop sensibilities with heavy alternative rock drive. A standout highlight of the night—and a moment of deep artistic connection—was their surprise live cover of Nena’s legendary anti-war anthem “99 Luftballons.” Performing this piece live on a Berlin stage carried profound historical significance, echoing the city’s complex heritage of division, freedom, and artistic expression.
Before taking the stage, the members embraced Berlin’s creative spirit with open minds. From admiring the seamless coexistence of historical landmarks like the Berlin Wall and the Berliner Dom with modern art galleries and local vinyl record shops, to curating their own understated, comfortable outfits to match the city’s expressive street fashion, Catch The Young fully immersed themselves in the capital’s culture. Their stay in Germany proved to be a mutual exchange of inspiration, culminating in an unforgettable, high-voltage concert shared with an expressive local crowd.
In this exclusive interview, we sat down with Catch The Young to discuss their technical roots, their evolving band identity, and the off-stage habits that keep their live energy at its peak.
To help you get better acquainted with the musicians behind the sound, here is a quick guide to the five members:
- Sani (강산이) – Leader, Bassist & Sub-Vocalist: The anchor of the group, Sani anchors their tracks with a solid bass groove and guides the band’s musical direction.
- Jungmo (최정모) – Drummer: The oldest member of the group, providing the driving rhythmic pulse and high-voltage energy behind their live sets.
- Kihoon (안기훈) – Guitarist: The creative engine behind their signature rock edge, crafting intricate riffs, complex harmonies, and expressive guitar solos.
- Namhyun (김남현 / Andrew Kim) – Main Vocalist: Possessing a powerful, emotionally charged vocal range, he leads their main melodies and grounds their live performances.
- Junyong (이준용) – Keyboarder, Vocalist & Maknae: The youngest member, bringing modern synth layers, piano textures, and harmonic accents to round out their multi-layered sound.
All five of you have a formal background in studying music, which sets a strong technical foundation for the band. Looking back at your time together from your student days to bringing your sound onto international stages like Berlin, what was the defining moment you realized Catch The Young had found its true collective identity?
SANI: We found our identity as a band faster than we thought we would. We all simply enjoyed discovering the music we like together and communicating with the audience. Working toward a shared goal together became a huge motivation for us.
JUNGMO: I think we grew significantly as a band when we started understanding each member’s individual musical traits while simultaneously moving in the same direction. In the beginning, we focused heavily on showing what each of us was individually good at. Today, it feels much more natural to create music where we think, “This sounds like Catch The Young.” In that sense, our identity is becoming clearer all the time.
KIHOON: I feel our unique color and identity most strongly when not only our Korean fans, but also international fans who speak a different language understand our music, love it, and show their enthusiasm and passion.
NAMHYUN: Just like with music, there is no fixed, single right answer when it comes to identity; it constantly evolves and changes over time. However, through our first studio album, I felt our identity became even clearer. After releasing it, we played many different shows and realized that we can successfully execute heavier genres and tackle very diverse styles of music.
JUNYONG: For me, the defining moment is always when we release a song and see the listeners’ reactions afterward. Naturally, some people like our music and others don’t. But when people react to a result into which we’ve poured so much time and hard work, that’s the most exciting feeling for me.
Your performances are known for high-voltage energy and vibrant stage presence. Touring and delivering intense live shows takes a lot of stamina—what is one off-stage habit, routine, or mindset you rely on to manage the intensity of artist life and prepare for a big crowd?
SANI: Before a performance, I try to keep my daily routine as normal as possible. Wake-up times and schedules might vary, but mentally I try to maintain the same mindset as on a regular day. I keep telling myself: “It’s just another part of my normal routine.”
JUNGMO: I believe that for a good performance, taking care of your physical condition in daily life is essential. I try to get enough rest the day before a show and avoid overexerting my body on the day itself. Once I’m on stage, I stop worrying about whether everything is prepared and focus entirely on enjoying the moment.
KIHOON: To maintain my physical fitness, I go running and hit the gym. I also practice continuously so that I could play my parts instantly, even right after waking up.
NAMHYUN: To avoid getting tired quickly on stage, I do boxing training three times a week and weight training three to four times a week. I also work on fundamentals like breathing, intonation, and vocal technique every single day to use my voice healthily. Additionally, I study live shows by various artists to learn how to deliver an even stronger presence on stage.
JUNYONG: Whenever I can sleep, I try to sleep as much as possible, and whenever I can eat, I prefer eating rice. During rehearsals and soundchecks, I always push to give 120 percent so that I don’t get exhausted easily during the actual concert.
The Berlin crowd is known for being extremely warm and expressive. What kind of energy do you expect to experience on-stage and off-stage compared to other stops?
SANI: I expect people in Berlin to enjoy music with great freedom. I’m also very curious to see how they will absorb our stage energy and express it in their own way. I really can’t wait, and I hope we can create a unique concert moment together with the Berlin audience.
JUNGMO: What I look forward to most is the energy we will generate together with the crowd. I’m curious to discover how the Berlin audience will experience our music. We want to feed off that energy and perform in an even freer and more intense way than usual. I hope that after the show everyone is left with the feeling that we truly celebrated together.
KIHOON: We’ve also prepared a well-known song that many people in Berlin know [referring to their live cover of “99 Luftballons”]. Imagining everyone singing along and joining in gets me really excited.
NAMHYUN: Thanks to this trip, I’ve already fallen in love with Berlin. Now I can’t wait to fall in love all over again with the Berlin audience through their energy. We want to release all our power on stage and give it everything we’ve got.
JUNYONG: I believe the energy of the German audience will feel distinct compared to our previous performances. I look forward to shaping a picture together with the crowd where all of us contribute to creating this stage.
Elisa Cutullè