Interview: AMPERS&ONE on Their New Album, North American Tour, and Future Plans

In the nearly year and a half since I last spoke with the then-newly-debuted group, AMPERS&ONE, the group's career has skyrocketed, taking them on their first North American tour, and bringing new opportunities for the members to shine. 

I had the pleasure of checking out AMPERS&ONE's New York City concert in February of this year (review here) and shortly after, the group released a new album, "WILD & FREE."

I recently got to chat with the members - Kamden, Brian, Jiho, Siyun, Kyrell, Mackiah, and Seungmo - once again, this time about their recent tour, new comeback, and what's in store for the group's future. Check out the full interview below!

Hello again guys! The last time we talked was right after you debuted. How have AMPERS&ONE grown and changed since your debut? 

Kamden: We AMPERS&ONE are trying to comment on each other a lot more than when we just debuted. I think that means we've become more comfortable with each other and more colourful and unique as a group.

Jiho: The teamwork between the members has improved a lot as we've been on tours and done a few albums. We've had more time to give each other feedback and understand each other better when choreographing, so we've become better together. Also, I think we've grown a lot in terms of immersing ourselves in the songs and enjoying the stage.

Your new album WILD & FREE seems to have a more mature sound for the group, was this a conscious choice? 

Kyrell: Yeah, since we’re always trying to improve and grow as artists, I think it makes sense that our sound matures as well. We all experimented with different vocal tones, especially for our title track, and I think the message that we wanted to convey this time required a slightly more mature sound.

Mackiah: This album, we decided to show a cooler and more chic side of us compared to the cute and bright concept we brought in our first mini album “ONE QUESTION”. By showing a completely different vibe, we were able to bring a fresh concept for our ANDEARs

Siyun: We're always trying to experiment with different music and colours, and we think we're ready for a more mature and cooler version of AMPERS&ONE.

What do you think is new or different about this album compared to your previous music? 

Seungmo: I think the style of the title track is a bit hipper than the previous albums, and it has more of AMPERSANDONE's style. The performance and gestures are also more personalised than in previous albums.

Siyun: If the title of our first mini album, ‘He + She = We’, was a song that showed our youthful and bright energy, I think the title of our second mini album, Kick Start is a point where we can show our mature and cooler side without the youthfulness!

Can you talk a bit about the concept behind the music video for "Kick Start"?

Kamden: Jiho breaks the factory, and we, AMPERS&ONE are cats in the music video, go on a rampage like a mischief

Brian: The concept for the music video was us, AMPERS&ONE, stuck in this 붕어빵 factory where we were trying to escape and become free.

Jiho: The core concept of the music video is the cat. Cats also symbolise freedom, and Kick Start stands for not being afraid and taking chances. So the story is about the members who used to work in a 붕어빵 factory wearing cat masks, but now they want to take off their masks, break out of their rut, and take on new challenges.

Kamden and Mackiah, you two participated in writing lyrics for several songs on the new album, what was that process like?

Kamden: It was an honour to write 8 bars for the first time, and thankful to the company for allowing me to participate in many songs. Also, I listened to a lot of other song references while working on this album.

Mackiah: Thankfully, Kamden and I were given the opportunity to participate in the rap making for most of the songs in this album. For the process, I would sit in my room and play the instrumental on repeat and hum some flows, and then perfect it after I get something I like.

You also recently went on your first North American tour, what was that experience like for you 

Brian: It was an experience I'll never forget! We learned so much from the tour and gained a lot of confidence from it! We also got to experience new cultures from each city and get to know our American ANDEARs more!

Mackiah: Our first North American tour was so much fun, and it was a great opportunity for us to perform on different stages and be able to meet so many of our ANDEARs. I also think the tour helped us move another step forward towards our growth. 

Kyrell: The US tour was a really exciting experience for us! Since English is my first language, I felt more comfortable communicating with fans. It was also a great learning experience for us. I think we were able to grow as a team in many ways, both on and off stage.

Seungmo: It was my first time in the US, and I was very excited. And from the first show, ANDEAR’s cheers were so loud that I was always looking forward to the stage, and the time flew by so fast.

AMPERS&ONE has already accomplished so much since your debut, what has been your most memorable moment so far? 

Kyrell: There have been many memorable moments throughout our career. There have been moments just between us, there have been moments on stage, or moments while filming content. But for me, I think it is always the “firsts” that stand out. Moments like our debut showcase, our first fan meeting, and our first show on tour. All those moments are very memorable.

Jiho: I remember performing in LA, the last city of our first North America tour. After travelling to various cities overseas for over a month, we were worried about whether we would be able to show everything we had prepared and finish well, and we were excited about our first overseas tour, but when we performed in the last city, we felt proud and happy that the show was successful, and at the same time, we had so much fun that we wanted to do more.

What's a concept or musical style that you're hoping to try in the future?

Kamden: In the future, I'd like to do some concepts that are more hip. Also, I'd like to show a little more playfulness in my raps.

Brian: I want to try a more R&B style in the future!

Jiho: I can't imagine it yet, but I'd like to do something hip and sexy at the same time, which is the opposite of what I've done so far, which is a lot of clean concepts.

Siyun: Maybe in the future, I want to try sexy concepts with my team.

About AMPERS&ONE

AMPERS&ONE is a seven-member boy group under FNC Entertainment that debuted on November 15, 2023. Their name is a unique blend of the symbol '&' (AMPERSAND), which stands for 'and,' and 'ONE,' symbolizing the unity of you, me, and us as one.

This truly multinational group includes KAMDEN (U.S.A), BRIAN (Canada), JIHO (S. Korea), SIYUN (S. Korea), KYRELL (U.S.A), MACKIAH (Australia), and SEUNGMO (S. Korea).

Their astounding rise to fame has earned them nominations for Rookie of the Year at the Hanteo Music Awards 2023, as well as for Best New Male Artist and Artist of the Year at the MAMA Awards 2024. Recently, they also secured a nomination for "Rookie Artist of the Year" at the prestigious 39th Golden Disc Awards.