(x)clusive!: Thai indie group Television off collaborates with Korean indie group Lacuna on the single ‘Do You?’
Fans of indie music, gather round! Have you checked out Thai indie group Television off and Korean indie group Lacuna‘s collaborative track ‘Do You?‘? Their debut single is a Thai love song about a relationship that seems to be reaching its impasse, and these feelings are portrayed through heartfelt lyrics written by both groups (yes, there are Korean lyrics in the song!).
This collaboration is Lacuna’s first time working with a Thai band on a song and is also Television off’s first ever international collaboration! What began as an online discussion came to fruition after both groups had a chance to meet when Television off opened for Lacuna’s Bangkok show earlier this year, leading them to become friends and bringing this project to life.
Check out the music video here:
We had the opportunity to do an exclusive interview with both groups to talk about their collaboration, their musical inspiration, and more. Check it out below!
Firstly, congratulations on your collaboration! We heard that there was a cool background story behind this collaboration, so could you share with us how this collaboration came about?
Lacuna: When we went to play at a festival in Thailand, we dug and got to know many bands in Thailand. And Television off was one of them. Surprisingly, the idea of our collaboration came after a while. After we listened to the demo of ‘Do You?’ they sent, we thought it was a sound that we could make well. So, we accepted the collaboration with a grateful heart.
Television off: Thank you! We have always been interested in Korean indie music, and it was fortunate that both our labels got connected. We just thought that Lacuna would fit with “Do You?” which is about being stuck in an unclear relationship. Lacuna wrote a part in Korean, and we were very surprised in the best way when Kyungmiin suddenly started singing in Thai when we were in the studio together. At first, we thought it was our vocalist practising! He was that good at Thai singing. We had a lot of fun working and getting to know Lacuna.
What was the actual creative process like for you guys, especially since this is a cross-country collaboration? Do you have any interesting stories to share about what it was like working together?
Lacuna: As it is difficult to work on a song together, we stacked the sound on the recording file and exchanged it. In fact, it was going to be only a vocal collaboration. However, we wanted to work on the guitar sound of the interlude. So we recorded it and sent it to them. Thankfully, Television off said it was good, so the collaboration has been expanded.
Television off: At first, we thought it would be much more difficult due to locations and languages, but everything just worked out. When Lacuna came to play in Bangkok, we opened for them and we also used that period to be in the studio with them as well as shoot an MV. Time limitations were not easy to overcome, but it worked out well in the end.
Could you share with us the inspiration and meaning behind your band names?
Lacuna: We take our name from Lacuna Inc., an imaginary company that erases memories in the iconic film ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.’ Our specialty is a dreamlike and sometimes psychedelic soundscape akin to our namesake, with delicate, poetic lyrics. Now, we are trying not to put a limit on it by trying a more extended sound beyond existing musical characteristics.
Television off: Honestly, we don’t have any meanings or special stories behind our band name. We just wanted to find something that would sound cool to us. So we thought of “Radiohead” and went with “television”, and just added “off” since it sounded cooler than “on”.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
Lacuna: All of the members are influenced by the greats of band music such as The Beatles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Oasis in common.
(Kim Ho, Bassist): I’m especially influenced by the band ‘Liily’ especially these days.
Television off: The JapFootballanese House and American .
What was it like collaborating with each other, given that your bands are from different countries, making music in different languages, and have different music styles?
Lacuna: It was difficult to communicate in detail, but the language was not a problem because we could communicate with music. Also, it was helpful for our musical expansion that we had considered how to make a melody while singing in another language.
Television off: Music is the best way to communicate, and when you have that shared passion, the rest just fall into places.
What is your dream stage – is there a particular festival you hope to perform in?
Lacuna: We hope to perform at historic, world-renowned stages such as Glastonbury Festival and Coachella someday.
Also, we hope to have a big concert in Thailand.
Television off: For us, the more we can play, the better it is. Every show has a different energy. We thrive on that unknown, unpredictable factor.
Why did you choose Korea as your first international collaboration, and why Lacuna?
Television off: Like we’ve said before we are very much interested in K-indie, and we listen to K-band music, learning and trying to understand their musicality. So when this opportunity presented itself, we just jumped at it.
What was it like singing part of the lyrics in Thai, and how did you prepare for this?
Lacuna: (Jang Gyeongmin, Guitar&Vocal): At first, I wrote all the pronunciations in Korean and practiced while shading. And I was coached for pronunciation by a person in charge who was good at Thai and practiced with it.
We heard that Television off and Lacuna will be performing at VISION BANGKOK – MPMG MUSIC FESTIVAL! What can festival-goers expect to see for your stages?
Lacuna: We are looking forward to the live performance of ‘Do You?’ with Television Off. So, look forward to feeling the synergy that we will create together on stage.
Television off: We cannot wait to play this song together! It will be the first time, and we don’t know when we’ll get to play with them on the same stage again, so please come and see us.
Finally, are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’d like to share with our readers?
Lacuna: We are going to release our new EP in summer. It would be an album with our new musical attempts, so please look forward to it!
Television off: We are coming out with an album at the end of this year. Stay tuned!
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Check out other tracks by Lacuna and Television off on Spotify!
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