The five-member South Korean pop-rock band Catch The Young has had a remarkable year so far.
After introducing their first full-length album, EVOLVE, at the beginning of 2026, they followed up with PARANOIA and are swiftly preparing for a European tour starting at the end of November.
In between the release of their single and the start of their tour, Sweety High had the opportunity to sit down with Catch The Young to talk openly about PARANOIA, their–SANI’s, to be exact– excitement for the upcoming IGNITE EVOLVEtour and their enthusiasm for the possibility to learn and perform in the same cities that have helped establish many generations of rock bands.
Check out the interview below to see what the members had to say about how they make lemonade out of the lemons that life throws at them and how they have evolved together as they’ve grown into one.
(Photo credit: Evermore Entertainment)
Also read about: Catch the Young Take Risks in Latest Mini-Album, Fragments of Odyssey
Sweety High: Congratulations on the new release of PARANOIA! Can you tell us a bit more about the concept and themes behind this single album?
JUNGMO: Our new single, PARANOIA, is about being paranoid. Like our name, Catch the Young, we try to cover the bright parts of being in young adulthood, but also the dark sides of it–anxieties and concerns that you might have.
Through this single, we’re really trying to express both the fear and flaws and trying to break through those while also moving forward.
(Photo credit: Evermore Entertainment)
SH: Was there an experience that sparked this message? How does overcoming fear and self-doubt reflect your lives and careers now?
NAMHYUN: I think the motivation behind making this song really started when we worked with our producer and the demos. The unofficial title of the song was already “PARANOIA.”
We first tried to figure out a way to kind of blend that in, especially through the lyrics. Eventually, the story of the song turned out to have the protagonist being “paranoid.” They’re really trying to find their way to get brighter. I think fear and self-doubt are something really natural in the young ones. So really trying to break through that and recover from those difficulties is the message that we really wanted to deliver.
SH: We noticed that all of the members participated in composing PARANOIA, and both NAMHYUN and KIHOON contributed to the lyrics. Can you share with us what the collaborative process looked like in creating the project? How did each member’s individual contributions add special character to it?
NAMHYUN: Yeah, as you mentioned, the lyrics were first written by me, and then KIHOON also worked on them. We really went through a lot of that editing process, but really, the focus was to give a very new and powerful individual character and color to this song as well as the band.
We really tried to incorporate a lot of those individual characteristics–SANI’s bass slaps, JUNYONG’s sin sounds, KIHOON’s unique style and even my vocals. We tried to incorporate all of that and make everything harmonious was a way of our collaboration process.
(Photo credit: Evermore Entertainment)
SH: On Oct. 22, you performed PARANOIA on Mnet’s M Countdown. How did it feel to perform your comeback stage in front of millions?
SANI: It’s actually been a while since we went on a music show like M Countdown, and it was not necessarily a full song to be performed. We obviously wish it was better, but it’s definitely a great opportunity for us to be on stage and perform for the audience.
SH: Can you share the most memorable and fun moment of that performance?
JUNYONG: We would perform and do our stages on multiple shows with different variations of the song. The full song is around four minutes, but we would try to shorten it to about three minutes, or even two and a half minutes.
So during the rehearsals, we would sometimes make mistakes about where to go, and we kept on coordinating. That was a memorable moment for us.
(Photo credit: Evermore Entertainment)
NAMHYUN: Just to add on, when we went to this music show, our Catchers’ fan chants were so, so loud that I could hear their chants and cheers through the music playing. That was incredible.
And another was when our fans actually told us that other fans or the general audience told them: “Oh my god. Who are they? They’re actually so talented. They’re so good.” That was definitely a very meaningful and memorable moment for us.
Also read about: How Catch The Young Are Empowering Youth Through Energetic ‘Youth Pop Rock’
SH: We know you’re currently preparing for your European tour, IGNITE EVOLVE, kicking off later this month, in November, with SANI also expressing his anticipation for the trip. How excited are you, and what are you all looking forward to experiencing during the tour that is right around the corner?
SANI: I think going abroad is always an exciting opportunity and experience for us. I think Europe in particular is really the home of bands and rock–talking about Manchester, Birmingham, London.
It’s so exciting for us to be able to go to the hometowns of bands to perform as a band. It would be a great learning opportunity as well.
SH: 2026 has been an important chapter for Catch The Young, from releasing your first full-length album, EVOLVE, earlier this year to introducing PARANOIA, followed by your upcoming European tour. How do you essentially feel you’ve changed as artists or musicians?
NAMHYUN: As you mentioned, releasing our first full-length album earlier this year, we were able to go through various promotions, going abroad, and definitely, being able to visit different countries and areas. We were able to learn and improve so much throughout those multiple performances.
But also, I like to note that meeting so many different people in these different areas definitely widened our perspectives. There are so many different cultures and things to respect and really understand where people are coming from. We really were able to get that broader insight, which is something that I took away personally.
(Photo credit: Evermore Entertainment)
SH: As you continue exploring new styles and reaching people around the world, what kind of band do you hope to continue to become?
SANI: I think it’s really important to be able to make songs and perform that everyone can really relate to songs that resonate with everyone all over the world, just like you mentioned.
So I really believe becoming one through music globally is very important. Through the tour, I hope we really are able to showcase that aspect of music and us as a band.
(Photo credit: Evermore Entertainment)
SH: Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to your fans and our Sweety High readers?
NAMHYUN: First, we would like to thank Sweety High for this interview. Thank you so much, and to whoever is reading this interview and getting to know us for the first time, we are a band to really look forward to if you need comfort or you need some fun in your life.
Definitely check us out, along with our new music video. We really hope to continue showcasing our music globally.
SANI: And again, we also like to thank our fans, Catchers, and fans who have never seen us before in person but still send so much support globally. We hope to see you live, and we promise to see you someday in the future.
(Photo credit: Evermore Entertainment)
For more band interviews, check out Xdinary Heroes on Finding Unity With New EP IMPULSE.
