EXCLUSIVE: XIKERS ON CHILLING, FAVES AND INSPIRATIONS
If there’s a rookie group that you need to get on the bandwagon for, it’s xikers. You might have caught them when they debuted last March, or when they were at KCON this past summer, but as their first stateside tour kicks off, you’ll be able to experience them like never before. If there’s any time to become a Roady (their fandom), it’s now.
The group formed by KQ Entertainment (home to ATEEZ), consists of ten members. Minjae, Junmin, Sumin, Jinsik, Hyunwoo, Seeun, Yujun, Hunter, and Yechan sat down with us a few days before the New York stop of their TRICKY HOUSE : FIRST ENCOUNTER tour. Letting us know their thoughts, their inspirations, what they’re listening to, and how they chill, we got a chance to learn first hand a bit more about what makes xikers tick. Furthermore, we can testify to their charisma and charm as they eagerly answered our questions. Read on, listen to their music, and then fall, if you haven’t already, into xikers.
Q: WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES XIKERS UNIQUE?
SEEUN: I think the synergy when we all come out together in a performance is really impressive. We create a crazy amount of energy that explodes since we do it all live. You really get the sense from this that we are unique. Also, all our members are handsome, so we score a lot of points from that.
HUNTER: I think our age gap is very small, so thanks to that we can communicate more comfortably with each other and we can relate to each other more on stage and in our daily lives. We’re really comfortable and we’re all friends. I think that’s what makes us unique.
Q: YOU DEBUTED EARLIER THIS YEAR IN MARCH. WHAT ASPIRATIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF AS ARTISTS?
JINSIK: In my opinion, if we can continue without any obstacles, without getting hurt, and continue to be active with our great camaraderie, it would be great.
SUMIN: For me, I would love for our performances to continue to be exciting.
Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SONG TO PERFORM DURING YOUR CONCERT AND WHY?
MINJAE: My favorite song to perform is “TRICKY HOUSE” because we were so surprised that so many Roadys prepared Korean fan chants, even when they don’t know Korean. We were so amazed, and I thought, I want to go and perform in every country and have a tour, or our own concerts, with many Roadys. So my favorite song is “TRICKY HOUSE.”
SUMIN: “Sunny Side” is mine. When I perform “Sunny Side” I’m so happy, so it just makes me feel happy to be on stage.
Q: WHAT’S ONE GENRE OF MUSIC YOU’D LIKE TO EXPERIMENT WITH?
SUMIN & SEEUN: (Replied energetically together) Old school H-I-P H-O-P!
HYUNWOO: I would like to try a love song.
Q: WHAT SONG OR ALBUM HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO LATELY THAT YOU CAN RECOMMEND TO FANS?
SEEUN: I like DAY6’s song “Zombie” and I listen to it a lot.
JUNMIN: The song that I listen to in the winter a lot is BTS sunbaenim’s “Spring Day.” If I listen to it on a slightly snowy day (as he rubs his chest), the song touches my heart.
SUMIN: “Last Christmas.”
HUNTER: I really enjoy Lauv’s “Paris in the Rain.”
YECHAN: xiker’s “TRICKY HOUSE.”
JINSIK: Joji’s “Glimpse of Us”
Q: WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU DO TO RELAX WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH SCHEDULES FOR THE DAY?
JINSIK: Sleep.
SEEUN: Eat.
YECHAN: I want to go for a walk with Minjae.
MINJAE: Why?
YECHAN: Everything together.
HYUNWOO: In our dorm, whenever we have a stretch of time, I always like to play soccer games by myself. Spending time playing soccer, FIFA Playstation games, brings me peace of mind.
Q: WHAT ARE SOME NEW HOBBIES THAT YOU’D LIKE TO TRY OUT?
YECHAN: Read a book.
HUNTER: Muay Thai.
SEEUN: Ice Hockey.
YECHAN: One word - boxing.
YUJUN: Jinsik draws so well that I want to learn how to draw from Jinsik.
HYUNWOO: Electric guitar.
SUMIN: Drums.
Q: LAST QUESTION, IS THERE ANYTHING SPECIFIC YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOUR FANS AND OUR READERS?
SEEUN: Thank you so much for always loving us and always cheering for us. We will work hard to become even better artists, so please look forward to that and continue to cheer for us.
YUJUN: Since the weather is starting to get cold and chilly, please make sure to dress warmly and take care of your health.
With warm thoughts for Roadys, our time with xikers was up. The guys were full of energy and I can personally attest to Seeun’s assessment of their visuals. The show that kicks off their tour at the Apollo Theater in New York on October 22 is bound to be high energy with performances off the charts. As the tour is just beginning you can find more info on their tour and tickets here at MyMusicTaste as they continue onwards to Chicago, Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Thank you to KQ Entertainment, MyMusicTaste, and most of all, to xikers.
Edited by Cara Musashi
Korean answers have been translated to English and edited for flow and images from KQ Entertainment and My Music Taste sites.