By: Lisa Steinberg
Photo By TITAN Content
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
MICHI: As a group we look up to BlackPink. They all have such strong energy and stage presence that we all admire. We always feel inspired when we see them performing. We hope that Atheart will also be able to have the same kind of effect with our music influencing people’s lives, too.
SEOHYEON: I think listening to Baek Yerin really made me want to learn more about music and singing. Personally, she’s one of the artists who had the biggest influence on me. The way she expresses her emotions feels so real, and it made me want to understand music on a deeper level.
Q) The bond you all share is so easy to see, especially from your signature handshake/hearts. How did that come about?
MICHI: “Aim Your Heart” along with our signature heart hand motion felt natural for AtHeart to adopt into our greeting. As a group, we came up with the catchphrase in order to personalize our introduction and stand out. The meaning behind it is our declaration that we will fully put our hearts into what we do! It also matches our name, “AtHeart,” since our group stands for being our authentic selves and following our hearts!
Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Butterfly Doors.”
ARIN: When we were filming the music video for “Butterfly Doors,” it was actually our first time seeing butterflies in the US. Since our song literally has “butterfly” in the title, it felt really special. On the day of the shoot, butterflies were just flying around us like they came to visit and it was so pretty. I remember thinking, “Wait, this feels like a really good sign.” It was such a cool moment.
NAHYUN: Since it was our first comeback in a while, all of us were just super excited the whole time we were filming. We kept saying things like, “We’re finally gonna see our fans again” and “We’re finally making a comeback!” over and over. Also, all of us and the staff were really in sync and everyone brought such positive energy to the set. We all worked so hard together and I think that’s why the whole shoot felt so bright and warm. That’s probably what I remember the most.
Q) The song gained over 5 Million views in five days. What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?
KATELYN: I think it’s our lyrics that fans connect to the most, especially since we’re teenagers ourselves. Our song is about things a lot of teens go through or have gone through, like growing up, figuring yourself out and dealing with different emotions. I think people can really relate to that.
Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?
BOME: In the music video, there are scenes where the members stand in front of the door, open it,and step into a new space. I think those moments really capture the idea of leaving a familiar world behind and moving toward new possibilities. Instead of being scared of the unknown, we tried to show more of that excitement and curiosity through our performance and facial expressions. I feel like it really shows a bolder side of us as AtHeart.
Q) What is the process for dividing song parts for each of you?
KATELYN: We usually try to give each part to whoever fits it the best. We look at things like vocal tone, style and the overall vibe of the part and then decide who it suits the most. We also try different options during practice, so we can see what sounds and feels right as a group.
Q) How much of a say does AtHeart have with the production of your music?
ARIN: Once the overall concept is set, we start adding our own ideas little by little within the framework. We talk a lot about how we want certain parts to feel, like the emotions or the mood we want to express and try to reflect that in our performance or recording.
BOME: Since we’re still in the process of learning, we tend to follow along a lot. But at the same time, we’re starting to develop our own ideas, too. I think being able to share those thoughts more will help us grow even more as a group.
Q) With your songs “Shut Up” and “Butterfly Doors” out now, is this a prelude to a full album or EP?
NAHYUN: The main reason we released “Shut Up” and “Butterfly Doors” one after another was to show different sides of AtHeart and introduce more of our range. We really wanted people to see that we can express a lot of different styles and moods.
And we’re definitely not stopping here. We want to keep showing even more sides of ourselves moving forward. For our upcoming EP, we’re planning to fill it with songs that highlight AtHeart’s unique color in a new and even more exciting way. So, please keep an eye on us and we’ll do our best to live up to the expectations!
Q) You all come hard with the choreography! What can fans expect from a live AtHeart performance?
ARIN: I think what’s really fun about our choreography is that each part has a different vibe and meaning. So, every time the song moves into a new section, the choreography kind of changes with it. It would be really nice if fans could focus on those transitions and see what kind of charm each part brings!
Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?
MICHI: Rather than the place itself, I think it’s the people we perform in front of that make each experience so special. Heartbeat always finds ways to support us no matter where we perform and mean so much to us! I will never forget performing in front of Heartbeat for the first time and hearing the cheers.
If I had to choose a specific place, I’d probably say music show stages because it’s such an honor to perform on the same stages as the artists I’ve always looked up to.
Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?
KATELYN: I’d love to collaborate with my role models someday like V from BTS, Rosè from BlackPink, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber and more! I’ve always looked up to them and I really admire their style and how they express themselves through music. I feel like l could learn so much just by working with them and it would be such an amazing experience. Hopefully someday it can actually happen!
Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?
BOME: I try to listen to a wide range of artists without really limiting myself. But if I had to pick, I’ve been listening to STAYC and G-Dragon a lot lately. I personally really look up to both of them, and I feel like there’s so much to learn from their music. They both have so many great songs so I just naturally keep going back to them.
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?
SEOHYEON: Thank you so, so much for all the love and support you’ve given us so far. It really means everything to me. We’ll keep working hard so we can show you even more new and cooler sides of us. Love you guys!!
MICHI: Heartbeat, we couldn’t thank you enough for always cheering us on! Please look forward to our future releases! We will keep giving our full energy and show you our colors one by one! Let’s make it big together! We love you~♡ Can’t wait to perform for you all one day.