Lee Yuha and Kim Seonghun talk about forming a band, embracing the studio and stage, and laying the foundation for their debut album.

Coyote Music: Lee, thank you for taking the time to visit with me. Let's start with the basics: Can you introduce the members of The Expo and talk about how you began making music together? And what roles do each of you have in the group?

The Expo: At the moment, The Expo consists of two members: Lee Yuha (myself), who is a songwriter, producer and guitarist, and Kim Seonghun, who is the band's vocalist.

A bass player who spent part of the band's early preparation period with us originally introduced Seonghun to me. After working together for some time, I felt he had the potential to become the right voice for the band, and he eventually became our vocalist.

Although we are currently a two-piece act, we have always envisioned The Expo as a five-member band consisting of vocals, guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards. We plan to gradually recruit the remaining members and grow into that lineup in the future.

CM: Stylistically, I hear some 80s New Wave influence, and even some poppier elements like old Duran Duran. Who are some of your influences and what has led you to write and record a song like "Eclipse"?

TE: The song definitely carries an ’80s flavour, and I've spent years listening to music from many different eras, including the 1980s. That said, there wasn't any specific artist I consciously tried to emulate while writing Eclipse.

It all started with a moment of inspiration and a rough initial idea. From there, I simply kept adding and refining whatever felt right for the song. Through that gradual process of development, Eclipse eventually became the track you hear today.

CM: You're based in Seoul. For those not familiar with the music scene there, can you describe the city from a musical perspective?

TE: There are certainly musicians in Seoul—and across South Korea—creating music in a wide variety of styles, and there are listeners with equally diverse tastes. Unfortunately, however, the Korean music market is not particularly large or broad in scope.

The number of venues available for bands to perform at has been gradually declining, and even the local scene tends to reach a relatively limited audience. Mainstream music, meanwhile, can sometimes feel somewhat homogeneous in terms of style. Of course, Korean popular music has developed tremendously over a relatively short period of time, and many outstanding artists have emerged along the way.

That said, compared to markets in Japan or the West, the Korean music industry still feels smaller and more concentrated in its tastes and structure. That's probably the aspect we find most unfortunate.

CM: Are you very into the live music scene, or do you prefer to create in the studio and remain on the production side of things?

TE: We are very enthusiastic about live performances and touring, and we hope to play as many shows as possible when the opportunities arise.

What happens in the studio and what happens on stage are fundamentally different things. Because of that, our approach is to make the most of what each environment has to offer. In the studio, we want to push ourselves to achieve everything that is creatively possible in the recording process. On stage, we want to deliver the strongest performance we can as a live band.

Rather than treating one as a compromise for the other, we see them as two different forms of expression, each with its own strengths and possibilities.

CM: "Eclipse" was released about 1 month ago on May 13, 2026. What's next for The Expo? Is there a full album in the works?

TE: To be honest, we're somewhat skeptical about the modern emphasis on releasing singles. However, as a newly starting band without an established fanbase, releasing singles was largely unavoidable.

For the time being, we'll continue releasing music in that format until the band reaches a point where a full-length album becomes viable. That said, our long-term goal has always been albums rather than standalone singles.

Once our debut album is released, we intend to move away from a single-focused release strategy as much as possible and concentrate on creating new albums instead. In fact, unless something unexpected changes, all singles we plan to release in the coming years are intended to be included on full-length records.

In that sense, these singles can be seen as previews of a larger body of work. They offer listeners an early glimpse of what The Expo ultimately hopes to present through the album as a complete artistic statement.

CM: What are your goals for the rest of 2026: more music? Promotion? Are you looking to tour?

TE: For the remainder of 2026, our primary focus will be on releasing and promoting the singles we already have in preparation.

Once the second single has been released, we also plan to devote more time to finding the remaining members needed to complete the band. Building a full lineup is an important step for us, as it will finally allow us to begin performing live in a more serious and consistent way.

In short, the rest of the year will be about continuing to introduce our music to listeners while laying the groundwork for the band's next stage of growth.

CM: I can't *not* ask about the affect that the K-Pop phenomenon has had on you and other non-K-Pop in South Korea? Has it been beneficial, turning the world's eye in your direction? Or has it completely overshadowed Korean artists in other genres?

TE: I have a generally positive view of the K-pop phenomenon. I think it has had a remarkable impact in introducing South Korea to listeners around the world and helping people develop a greater sense of familiarity with the country and its culture.

Of course, any phenomenon of that scale comes with both positive and negative aspects. That's simply the nature of anything that becomes as influential as K-pop has. However, since our music exists quite far outside the K-pop sphere, those issues don't directly affect us, so I don't feel particularly qualified to comment on them.

What I can say is that anything that encourages people around the world to take an interest in Korean artists and Korean culture is, in many ways, a positive development.

CM: Is there much of a music community for The Expo to exist in, in your area? I'm thinking of things like putting shows together, or having multi-artist events or releases, etc.?

TE: At the moment, we don't really belong to any particular scene or community. However, that's largely a reflection of the fact that we're still a very new band, and we see it as a phase that will naturally pass with time.

We believe that connecting and collaborating with a wide range of artists is a great idea. Not only does it allow for the exchange of ideas and experiences, but it can also lead to unexpected collaborations and creative synergies.

For now, we're focused on building the band and its identity, but we're always open to meeting other artists and seeing where those relationships might lead.

CM: I really appreciate you taking the time to visit today. Do you have anything else you'd like to share with our readers, potential new fans of The Expo?

TE: The Expo's music is the kind of music that reveals more of itself the deeper you immerse yourself in it. We encourage listeners to experience it at a loud volume, whether under warm lighting or simply with their eyes closed, allowing themselves to become fully absorbed in the sound.

As a band that is only just beginning its journey, we hope to connect with and be embraced by as many listeners around the world as possible. We look forward to sharing our music with a growing global audience in the years ahead.