On August 18th 2004 Japanese duo Naomi & Goro got a Korean release of their bossa nova christmas album Presente de Natal. It came paired with a 6-track compilation called Winter Songs for Nostalgia ~Summer Christmas Album~, which among other tracks featured tearliner‘s “Snowbird” and had tearliner’s “Novaless” as a hidden track. This was the first official release of a tearliner song.
10 years have passed and such a milestone deserves celebration. Fortunately for the fans in Korea tearliner is of the same opinion and consequently has prepared the tearliner 10th Anniversary Concert–taking place at Veloso this Saturday, August 23rd. Unfortunately I can’t be there myself, so instead I’m celebrating from a distance with a brand new tearliner interview, kindly translated by Sangha.
What are the biggest differences between Tearliner 10 years ago and Tearliner now?
이런 답을 드리게 되어 유감입니다만, 가장 큰 차이는 ‘열정의 온도차’입니다. 팬들에게는 죄송한 말이고 어쩌면 해서는 안 되는 말일지 모르지만, 티어라이너는 휴화산처럼 열정이 식어버렸어요. 10년 전은 열정이었다면 이제는 과거의 잔재와 기계적으로 남은 잔기술로 음악을 하는 기분입니다.
It shames me to say this, but the biggest difference is “the temperature of my passion”. I feel bad for the fans and it may even be something I shouldn’t say, but tearliner’s passion has cooled down like an inactive volcano. If it was all passion 10 years ago, now it’s just the remnants and mechanial, the way I feel about doing music.
What have been some of the highlights during these 10 years?
현문우답을 할 수밖에 없는 것이, 불행하게도 10년 음악활동 동안 하이라이츠로 꼽을 만한 것이 없어요. 아무리 생각해도 없어서 이 글을 적는 동안 슬플 정도입니다.
I can only answer this question poorly, as in terms of music in the last 10 years, there wasn’t anything I could pick as highlights. No matter how hard I think, I can’t think of any, which is almost sad.
억지로 꼽자면 스페인 남부에서 만났던 독일 처녀가 티어라이너를 안다고 했을 때가 기억에 남네요. 이 정도로 한심한 음악인생이라니요.
If I had to force myself to pick one, it’d be when I met a German girl in Southern Spain who told me she knew tearliner.
남들이 티어라이너를 보고 꼽는다면 아마 드라마 ‘커피프린스1호점’에서의 음악감독 활동을 꼽지 않을까 추측해봅니다.
What a pathetic music career. If someone else were to pick the highlights, I’m guessing they’d choose when I was a musical director on Coffee Prince.
What do you see happen for Tearliner from now and 10 years ahead?
한국에서는 그다지 희망찬 음악인생은 기대키 힘들 것 같아요. 아마 앨범을 한두 장 더 내겠지요. 어쩌면 책을 더 열심히 쓸지도 모릅니다. 돈을 벌기 위해 다른 일을 할지도 모르고요. 무엇이 주가 되었든 음악은 놓지 않기를 희망해 봅니다.
I think it would be difficult to expect a hopeful musical career in Korea. Perhaps I will release one or two more albums. Maybe I’ll focus more on writing books. I might pick up another profession to make money. I’m hoping that whatever I do, I won’t give up music completely.
What are your plans for the 10th anniversary concert?
공연 준비를 정말 열심히 했어요. 그간 공연을 하면 연습이 부족했기에 틀리지 않는 데 집중했고, 그러다 보니 공연을 즐기지 못했어요. 이번에는 저 자신이 즐기는 공연을 하려고 합니다. 공연을 하는 뮤지션이 즐거워야 관객도 즐거울 수 있겠지요. 좋은 공연이 될 겁니다.
I really worked hard on preparing this concert. I always didn’t have enough time when I was rehearsing for my concerts, and because of that I never enjoyed them much. This time, I want to put on a show that I can enjoy. The musician has to enjoy performing so the audience can have fun as well. It will be a good show.
음악 준비만큼 다양한 이벤트도 계획했습니다. 앨범과 드라마’태릉선수촌’ 등에 수록된 곡들을 연주했던 기타를 추첨을 통해 팬에게 증정하려고 해요.
I also prepared a variety of events. I will be giving away the guitar I used to record the album and the Taerung National Village OST to one fan.
또 작사가 아직 되지 않은 신곡을 공연하고, 관객들에게 작사를 하도록 하는 계획도 있습니다. 곡에 맞는 가사로 당첨된 팬에게는 앨범 발매 후 첫 사인 CD를 증정하고, 단독공연에 초대하는 증 다양한 기념을 함께 하고요.
I’ll also be performing a song for which I haven’t written the lyrics yet, and the audience can help me with the lyrics. Fan whose lyrics fit the song the best will receive the first autographed CD after the album release, and invite to a solo concert.
게스트로 짙은이 함께 함은 물론, 드라마 ‘커피프린스1호점’에서 바다여행을 불렀던 배우 이선균이 공연 특별게스트로 참석해 바다여행을 불러주기도 합니다.
Zitten will be a guest for this concert, along with actor Lee Sun Kyun who sang “바다여행 (Ocean Travel)” on the Coffee Prince OST.
Since August 6th Liner has been revealing one song per day that will be performed during the concert and a few days ago he published the entire setlist on his blog. Looks like it will include both Lasse Lindh and Slowdive covers, as well as 2 new songs and couple of my very, very favorite tearliner songs–“너는 내게” and “Watch The Star“. Something not to miss for sure.
If you’re in Seoul over the weekend there’s no need to hesitate–get your tickets right away via Interpark!