[INTERVIEW] Meet New Hope Club, a 'Super Chic' British pop trio

George Smith, left, and Reece Bibby, members of British pop trio New Hope Club, speak during an interview with The Korea Times at the newspaper's office in central Seoul, April 26. Korea Times photo by Yun Da-been

British boy band releases collaborative single with K-pop group P1HARMONY

By Dong Sun-hwa

British pop trio New Hope Club ― consisting of Reece Bibby, Blake Richardson and George Smith ― first turned heads in Korea in 2020 with its dance-pop track, "Know Me Too Well." The catchy song, featuring Mexican singer Danna Paola, clinched the No. 7 spot on the international music chart on Melon ― a major music streaming platform with some 7.5 million monthly active users.

A legion of listeners in Korea said they feel emotionally connected to the tune, which came from the opposite side of the planet. The band's next releases like "L.U.S.H." (2022) and "Getting Better" (2022) also succeeded in garnering positive reviews, helping it rev up its presence in the birthplace of K-pop.

"I think that is the power of songwriting," Bibby, a vocalist, guitarist and drummer of New Hope Club, said during an interview at The Korea Times' headquarters in central Seoul, April 26. The interview took place when New Hope Club visited Korea to stage its solo concert at the YES24 Live Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, on April 23. Richardson, a vocalist and guitarist, could not join the interview due to a scheduling conflict.

Bibby elaborated, "We write these songs from our own experiences, but someone who listens to them might be going through the same situations. Even if they are in completely different situations, a song can be interpreted in so many different ways and whether they are uplifted or sad, we can give them what they need. It is the beauty of music and that is the reason we do music."

Smith, a vocalist, guitarist and pianist, chimed in, saying, "I think the songs all have different moments and we have songs that people can listen to in certain moments in their lives. So if our fans feel that about our music, that is incredible and we feel very honored that we are part of their lives in that way."

New Hope Club / Captured from Twitter

Knowing that their popularity is growing in Korea, New Hope Club has frequently come to the country to perform, covered various K-pop hits like "Dynamite" (2020) by BTS and "Cupid" (2023) by FIFTY FIFTY and actively interacted with their followers on the fan community platform, Weverse. The band joined Weverse ― which was created by BTS' management company HYBE ― in 2021.

The trio even came to Korea to perform during the COVID-19 pandemic, headlining the "Haus of Wonder" music festival at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, last August. Thanks to the event, New Hope Club had a fateful encounter with K-pop boy group P1Harmony and began building a special bond with it.

"P1Harmony was playing on the same day with us at the Haus of Wonder festival," Bibby recalled. "We first met the members backstage and they were really nice guys. We got along very well. And then, while we were in New York, we got to support them on their show and then began meeting randomly all over the world. It is easy to become friends with people who are in a similar situation with you. We are both touring musicians and it is nice to have a peer in this industry."

As Bibby said, P1Harmony made a guest appearance at New Hope Club's latest Seoul show, performing its own songs including "Doom Du Doom" (2022) as well as the trio's hit, "Permission" (2020). New Hope Club also popped up as a guest for P1Harmony's New York concert held last year.

The two even rolled out the collaborative single, "Super Chic" in April.

New Hope Club and P1Harmony perform together during the former's latest Seoul concert last month. Courtesy of FNC Entertainment

"We met up with the P1Harmony members after we did the festival last year and that week, we got into the studio with them," Smith explained. "We already had the idea and the general structure for the song. So we played it to them and they loved it. Then they instantly added their vibe to it and when we sang it together, it sounded like a cool collaboration. So it ended up what it is being now and we are so happy with how it turned out."

According to Bibby, "Super Chic" has "a little funk" driving through the song.

"'Super Chic' came really quickly and we wanted to make something that P1Harmony would be able to dance to because they are amazing dancers," he added. "And it just felt right to make an upbeat song that everyone can dance to and has a little soul. I think it is something new for the P1Harmony and its fans."

"Super Chic" is going strong on YouTube, with its music video garnering more than 560,000 views.

Shortly before putting out this tune, New Hope Club released a new track titled, "Just Don't Know It Yet."

"We wanted to make a song describing what it feels like to fall in love at first sight because it is such a weird experience to meet someone who is a complete stranger but be able to imagine what your life would be like with this person," Bibby said. "I think that probably only happens maybe once in your life. I think when you experience this, it is very inspiring."

The members of New Hope Club and P1Harmony / Captured from Twitter

For those who are not yet so familiar with the music of New Hope Club, Bibby and Smith recommend listening to "Just Don't Know It Yet" first.

"The way it is on record is pretty much the way it was written," Bibby said.

Smith added, "It is the most authentic one. People can feel like they are in the same room with us."

New Hope Club, which debuted in 2017, wrapped up the interview by revealing what it wants to achieve in the days ahead.

"We want to keep moving forward and we are very grateful for the support that we have now," Bibby said. "Hopefully it will keep growing and the fans that we have will stay with us till the end."