Band Dragon Pony, Photo courtesy of|Antenna
The band Dragon Pony (An Tae-gyu, Pyeon Seong-hyeon, Kwon Se-hyeok, Go Kang-hoon) has found its color. That color shines even brighter on stage. With their third EP ‘Run Run Run’ (Run run run), which combines prowess and mainstream appeal, they are set to sprint again this year.
On the afternoon of the 10th at YES24 Wonder Rock Hall in Sinchon, Seoul, the release showcase for the third EP ‘Run Run Run’ featured the members of Dragon Pony, who shared a range of stories about the new album and presented three live performances: ‘Ah, Everything Goes My Way!’, ‘Palm Lines’, and ‘Zombie’.
Band Dragon Pony, Photo courtesy of|Antenna
This album is the result of Dragon Pony gradually realizing the team’s identity and color since debut. The title track ‘Ah, Everything Goes My Way!’ captures the fiery cry of youth to live as themselves rather than by standards set by the world, with a distinctive structure and striking use of instruments.
Bassist Pyeon Seong-hyeon explained, “While working on this album, we were able to understand our band’s unique color and identity. Young people living in this era are imperfect, and we want to toss out our own imperfect stories and win their empathy. So honestly working through those stories in music is Dragon Pony’s identity.”
On their secret to teamwork, he said, “We fight a lot and make up passionately. We strengthen our teamwork through candid conversations only friends can have,” adding, “Three of us, except An Tae-gyu, are high school friends, and An and I went to the same elementary school, so ‘school ties’ are also a distinction unique to our team.”
Guitarist Kwon Se-hyeok added, “Because we’re high school friends, we’ve been rehearsing together for quite a long time. Thanks to that, our chemistry seems to be good.”
Their candid thoughts on mainstream appeal also stood out. Kwon said, “While working on a song, there are moments when I feel certain that people will like a particular part. If I trust that conviction more and keep working, I believe I can achieve the goals I want.”
Pyeon likewise shared, “When making music, we cannot help but care about popularity. We want to tell stories that as many people as possible can relate to, and because we want the team to succeed, we pay attention to mainstream appeal as well.”
Their goals with this new release are clear. Vocalist An Tae-gyu said, “We hope to firmly imprint Dragon Pony’s musical identity. I want it to remain on many people’s playlists for a long time. Rather than numbers, it would be more gratifying to linger in many people’s minds, and I hope it establishes itself as a song that lets us have a blast on stage.”
Pyeon added, “If there is a small wish, this time I really want to make the charts,” expressing a desire for results. Drummer Go Kang-hoon pledged, “As senior bands have been highly active, the rock scene has become more diverse and energized, and going forward, we want to keep presenting music that is uniquely Dragon Pony so our team can be a lubricant for the band scene. We will become a band that also excels on stage.”
True to their resolve, the energy they showed on stage that day exceeded expectations. The instrumental playing and ensemble were steady, and the vocals that cut through the lines were relaxed. Having at last found their color since debut, they left us eager to see just how much fun they will have on future live stages.
Meanwhile, ‘Run Run Run’ includes a total of five tracks built on a classic rock sound blended with diverse genre elements: the emotive ‘Palm Lines’, which likens the time that has flowed by to palm lines; ‘Zombie’ (Zombie), which compares our fervor for something to zombies; ‘Rehearsal’, which depicts a reality that does not change despite effort and the ending we must step forward to face nonetheless; and ‘Hidden Heart’, which delicately unravels emotions hidden deep within. It will be released at 6 p.m. today.
