Lee Seung-hwan, CJ to provide leg up for indie musicians

Three-man rock band iamnot will take the stage in front of a 2,000-strong audience in October as part of CJ Culture Foundation and singer Lee Seung-hwan’s joint project to support up-and-coming indie musicians.

The project, which will launch with iamnot’s concert in October, plans to support local aspiring musicians by enabling them to hold bigger stage performances.

Lee, a local music legend with a 28-year career under his belt, said there are a lot of talented musicians in the indie scene.

“But it takes more than music to reach out to the public. ... Through opportunities like the upcoming iamnot concert, I want to share my know-how on how to direct and stage a performance along with a chance to perform on a bigger stage.”

Lee, an iconic singer whose range spans from ballad to rock, is famous for sparing no expense or effort when preparing for his concerts.

He will make an appearance at the upcoming concert to collaborate with the band.

Lee, who has been supporting the indie artists at his own expense, said he came to work with a large conglomerate due the limitations of budget and system.

“Indie bands are far from the public eye right now, I want to start something big that is talked about a lot.”

An official at CJ said that the project would target indie musicians that can fill concert venues that hold about 2,300 and give them a chance to sing on a bigger stage.

He said the company plans to invite other indie artists, although no specific plans have been confirmed.

Formed in 2015, iamnot has been working with CJ since December 2016, when it was selected to participate in the company’s Tune Up program that supports new artists. The band held a concert marking the release of its first studio album “Hope” in June at CJ Azit Gwangheungchang in Mapo-gu, Seoul, and also participated in this year’s Jisan Valley Rock Festival and KCON 2017 LA.

The band consists of Lim Heon-il on guitar and vocals, Yang Si-on on bass and Kim Jun-ho on drums. They all have rich experience in the indie scene but are still relative newcomers to the mainstream audience.

“We usually perform at 300-seat venues but 2,000 seats is seven times that number. It’s like a dream,” said Lim. “It is a lot of pressure but is also exciting. I hope it will be an opportunity for other indie musicians.”

The concert will be held on Oct. 21 at Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Tickets are available at http://ticket.yes24.com.



By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)