Five musicians from completely different backgrounds, that kind of diversity that, if not managed smart, can create isues. Yet when they play, what you hear is music that is the fruit of a shared project, a coherent vision. V01D – Jo Juyeon (main vocals, guitar), Korean-American member Kevin Park (vocals, keyboard, violin), Jung Jiseob (guitar, vocals), Song Uchan (drums) and Japanese Shinnosuke (bass) – debuted, quietly, in March 2026 with IX Entertainment. Seven months later comes YOUTHQUAKE, their second mini album, released on October 19, 2026.
When I ask them what YOUTHQUAKE, a blend of the English words youth and quake (earthquake), is really about the answer that comes – in unison, throughout all the interview – is this: «We don’t think youth is necessarily a time when you know exactly where you’re headed. To us, it’s more about continuing to move forward, facing challenges, and finding your way even when you don’t have all the answers».
What changed in seven months
«The biggest change is that the five of us have come to understand each other much better musically. When we were making our first album, a big part of the process was getting to know how each of us played and what kind of music we liked. While working on YOUTHQUAKE, we found ourselves understanding each other’s intentions more naturally.
Above all, we learned that the five of us don’t always have to think alike to make good music. In fact, having different opinions and talking them through often led to results none of us had initially imagined.» You hear this in every track. V01D are not a band looking for compromise, they are five people who have learned not to be afraid of each other.
When I talk about their collaboration with Park Seulgi of 20Hz, who co-composed and co-arranged the pre-release track Ending Credit, the band reflects on that work with a certain depth. «Having someone look at us from the outside, with fresh ears, was incredibly helpful. In particular, it helped us hear songs we already knew well in a new way—what stood out to someone hearing them for the first time, and which parts we could emphasize to make the emotions come through more clearly. We also learned that staying true to a song’s original idea and making changes to improve it don’t have to be at odds with each other.» The difference between a well-made album and an interesting one lies right there, in the ability to let your vision grow without making it stiff, and in letting this process show a bit through.
What YOUTHQUAKE really means
The title, as anticipated, evokes movement, earthquake, radical change, and the album does speak of change, though perhaps not as you might expect. «Perhaps what was shaken most for us was our sense of certainty.» the band recounts. When they started working on the album, they explain, «we had just debuted, and the excitement was there. But at the same time, we wondered whether we were on the right path.»
They’re not saying they found the answers, they’re saying they learned to live with the questions. YOUTHQUAKE opens with Memory, a track that «captures those moments when the time we spend together becomes a miracle in itself. It’s about how moments that might otherwise pass unnoticed become special memories because we share them with someone.» and then there’s My Youth, which «is about the youth we’re living through right now. We don’t think youth is made up entirely of beautiful, shining moments. The anxiety, the wandering, and even the moments when we don’t know where to go are all part of the youth that makes us who we are today.»
Then comes Scream Out Now, of which the members say «Everyone goes through moments of doubt, wondering whether they’re on the right path and fearing an uncertain future. Sometimes, we compare ourselves to others and put ourselves down, questioning whether we’re really going the right direction. Our members have felt those emotions many times since we started making music. But because this is the path we chose, we wanted to share this message: “Let’s stop being afraid, believe in ourselves, and take a step forward”. “Cause I know who I am. Scream out!”»
The album also includes the pre release track Ending Credit, a collaboration with Park Seulgi of 20Hz. «Although the title Ending Credit might suggest the end of a story, for us it represents more the moment when the next one begins. Ultimately, YOUTHQUAKE is an album that records our journey and the emotions we feel today, while we move toward the new stories that await us.»
One chapter closes. The next is about to begin.
