Last Updated on 2025-03-23 by a-indie
Formed in Korea in 2020, orange flavored cigarettes (commonly known as ofc) is a noteworthy band whose debut song has reached 1.8 million plays on Spotify, despite being unknown newcomers.
The quartet, consisting of dani (Vo.), gurl (Gt.), hotch (Ba.), and chan (Dr.), has gained popularity beyond borders with their unique worldview and musicality, much like their band name, which combines the refreshing image of “orange” with the contrasting image of “cigarette.”
Their music, which evokes universal emotions with English lyrics and a minimalist sound, had its first CD release in Japan at the end of 2024, and an analog record will also be released in March 2025.
Also noteworthy is that they put effort into how they present themselves, not only in the high quality of their music but also in their artwork and photos.
How do they maintain this high level of perfection, and how did they reach 1.8 million plays on Spotify?
orange flavored cigarettes Interview
Artist: dani (Vo.), gurl (Gt.), hotch (Ba.), chan (Dr.) Interviewer: Tomohiro Yabe Translator: BELONG Editorial Department
Origin of the Band Name
ーWhat meaning is contained in the band name orange flavored cigarettes? Also, please tell us why you chose this name.
At the time of our formation, “orange” was the color we liked the most. Starting from there, we thought that combining the refreshing impression of “orange” with the contrasting “cigarette” would make an interesting mix and match, so we named it that.
dani: But I thought it would be more interesting if it was a mismatch (laughs).
ーWhich region of Korea are you from? Also, were you involved in band activities before orange flavored cigarettes?
Only dani is from Seoul, and the rest are all from Gyeonggi-do. Some of us have a history of activities before ofc, but please no comment. Because it’s embarrassing (laughs).
Circumstances of Formation
In 2020, the four of us, including the first drum member gokoooo, lived in the same area. It was less than a 5-minute walk. So we started to meet frequently, and at first, it felt like we were spending our daily lives together more than making music. In the meantime, dani happened to find a local music contest and we decided to participate together. Since we were all playing different instruments, I think the song production went smoothly.
Since we had to submit a team name, we became “orange flavored cigarettes” from that time on, and we released the song we made at that time in August of that year and made our debut.
gurl: Oh, by the way, we lost the contest we participated in at that time. Even though it made us who we are now. Life is interesting, isn’t it (laughs).
Reason for Singing in English
ーWhy do you sing in English instead of Korean? Please tell us the reason.
Actually, it’s easier to communicate in our native language, Korean. But all four of us are introverted, so we feel a little embarrassed when we convey a message in Korean. In the process of writing lyrics in English, the emotions that were too strong can be softened. Also, thanks to the fact that our music is being listened to in various countries, we often feel that it is more natural to communicate in English. Therefore, we frequently use English in SNS and in our daily lives.
ー(Related to the above) Also, I hear that in Japan, you can make a living by doing music activities only domestically. On the other hand, there is a story that it is difficult to do music activities only in Korea, but do orange flavored cigarettes also think that it is difficult to do activities only in Korea?
That’s a bit of a sharp question (laughs). Regarding the question of whether it is difficult to do activities only in Korea, I think it is difficult to give an accurate answer because we have not yet started our activities in Korea in earnest, but I think there are many good artists and opportunities, rather than just complaining that the Korean market is small. Also, I feel that there are people who are working hard to overcome these points in various ways, so shouldn’t we expect more possibilities in the future?
ーI heard that you hardly performed in the early stages of your activities, what is the reason for that? Also, as far as I know, your first performance was in Fukuoka, Japan, but why did you do your first performance in Japan?
In the early stages, we put more effort into producing sound sources than performing. Rather than intentionally trying to do so, we had a lot of things we wanted to express at that time. Should I say it’s due to the influence of our introverted personalities (laughs)?
Actually, we had some performances in Seoul before Fukuoka. We stood on stage several times at the request of guest appearances from close artists. We were invited to the Fukuoka performance, which was the final performance of the YOHLU tour, due to the connection we made at the Seoul performance during the tour of the band YOHLU based in Fukuoka, and we performed our first overseas performance. Oh, YOHLU’s music is really good, so please listen to it!
orange flavored cigarettes’ Roots
ーThe music media we operate has a concept of “roots.” Please recommend three albums that are the roots of orange flavored cigarettes, and tell us what kind of influence each of them had on you.
hotch: The album that influenced me the most is Arctic Monkeys’ “AM.” I came to admire Arctic Monkeys for creating a sexy atmosphere with rock sound, and it brought a big change to my life itself. I heard that Alex Turner smokes Parliament (cigarettes), so I changed the cigarettes I was smoking (laughs). Now I’m making music that is far from garage rock, but their attitude and outfits still occupy a large part of me as a person.
chan: As one of the albums that had a great influence on me, I would like to mention Stevie Wonder’s “Songs in the Key of Life.” It’s not an album where the drums stand out, but the emotions that I can only feel when I listen to Stevie Wonder’s music always make me feel good. Among them, “Knocks Me Off My Feet” is a mysterious track that gives me comfort when I’m depressed and excitement when I’m happy, so I would like to recommend it.
dani: Sufjan Stevens’ “Carrie & Lowell” is an album that draws out universal emotions, even though it is an extremely autobiographical album that weaves personal stories. The way he focuses more on the lyrics and voice with a minimalist sound and increases the depth of emotion has had a great influence on me. I hope that anyone who listens to our music can share emotions through music and get a little comfort in their hearts.
gurl: If I talk, it will be 4 albums, so I’ll stop talking (laughs).
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