Wave to Earth on new album, tour success: 'Unbelievable that we made it this far'
Wave to Earth on new album, tour success: 'Unbelievable that we made it this far'
Olivia Munson, USA TODAYFri, August 7, 2026 at 2:00 PM UTC
0
A lot can happen in three years. Just ask Wave to Earth.
When USA TODAY first spoke with the South Korean indie band in 2023, they were unaware of the success on the horizon. Since then, they've gone on two sold-out US tours, reached over a billion streams across platforms and hit new heights on the charts.
Today, Wave to Earth has achieved things they only dreamt of back then. They're hoping for another swell of success with the release of their latest album "Bad Pieces" (out now) and an upcoming North America tour this fall.
"It's really unbelievable that we made it this far," bassist John Cha tells USA TODAY.
Wave to Earth on the creative process of 'Bad Pieces'
Guitarist Daniel Kim says the trio started writing new music in April. They ended up with an 11-song track list with a variety of influences. Kim cites Ryan Beatty and Paul McCartney as inspiration, drummer Dong Q pointed to George Benson and Richard Marx, and Cha describes the songs as including "the '60s, some part from the '70s, and some Michael Jackson and some Bon Iver."
"As a producer, everything that we tried on this album felt so new and foreign to me. So it was actually very difficult," says Kim. "For example, John's song 'Skylark', it has a very Michael Jackson-esque danceable rhythm. When I first got the demo, I really didn't know how to make this into Wave to Earth song, but when I finally produced it and we finally finished it, it felt very fulfilling."
The difference in sound brought new and unfamiliar feelings for the members of Wave to Earth: hence the album's title.
"We were kind of joking about the the album title, like maybe that's the reason of 'Bad Pieces'. It's not like bad, but like sarcastically, it became, 'Wow, what's this?'" Cha says with a laugh.
'Dreams come true': Wave to Earth talks first sold-out US tour, songwriting and band's identity
Album production and Wave to Earth's track list standouts
Wave to Earth has produced its own music since the beginning, with Kim being the primary producer. "We felt quite used to it because we've doing it (for) six years, so no struggles," Cha says.
"Each step of the way, we see it become more finished, and it's a very fun process, and I'm very excited for the album," Dong Q adds.
Advertisement
"The process of making this album was a very hectic one. But as hectic as it is, I think it's an album that really encapsulates who we are as people, and I think it's an album that represents the closing of our 20s and beginning of our 30s, and I think it's an album that's going to last long and age with us and grow with us into the future," Kim shares.
When considering album standouts, "Courage" and "Cherry Flavored Love Inside Your Heart" come to mind, says Kim. "I think these are the most important tracks on this album because while we were writing it together, I think it defined the identity and the direction of this album."
"From me, I think 'You' and 'Sing It All Again'," says Dong Q. "These two songs, they stuck in my head. It's because we, for these two songs particularly, we tried to incorporate a lot of acoustic sounds, and it made us feel like we're a more mature band, and this is a mature album."
'It still feels like a miracle': Wave to Earth talks second sold-out US tour
Wave to Earth's upcoming US tour, hopes for future
While a lot has changed since Wave to Earth's most recent USA TODAY interview in 2024, several constants remain.
"We love each other. We love our music. We love our fans, and we're very thankful for all this opportunity that was given to us," Kim says. "I think the only difference is that we've grown with the music, and I think we've grown in terms of our affection and care for each other, and also for music itself."
It's been nonstop since 2023, explains Cha, "just making an album and touring, and then making another album and touring."
The 21 shows on the band's North American leg of "The Pieces Tour", set to kick off Sept. 4, are more "curated" and "detailed," says Cha.
"For this tour, we will be focusing on our album a lot, and this album is a lot more acoustic sounding than our previous albums, so I think the shows might not be as energetic as before," adds Kim. "However, there will be a lot of intricate instrumentation, and we'll be bringing more instruments than ever on this tour. So I think this is really a tour where you can really focus in on our performance and our music."
As for the future, Wave to Earth still has more still hopes and dreams – including performing at Madison Square Garden – and they're not going to slow down any time soon.
"We're not there yet," says Dong Q with a laugh. "There is more to go."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wave to Earth on new album, tour success: 'Unbelievable that we made it this far'
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
