WOODZ shares exclusive behind the scenes pictures and talks about his new album ‘Archive. 1’

The past couple of years have been huge for singer-songwriter and producer WOODZ. After completing his military service in South Korea in July of last year, he got straight to work on on his first full length studio album Archive. 1. The musician, who hails from Seoul is a musical polymath. Originally the main rapper of boy band UNIQ, he has shifted his focus in more recent years through various genres, moving through RnB, alternative and landing on rock music. For his first album, he has played around with a lot of sub-genres of rock,  including experimenting with a smoother sound towards the back-end of the record. His singing voice is as strong as his rap skills, with a voice that’s able to scale the demands of the rock genre. 

Archive. 1 saw WOODZ, who took the lead on both song-writing and production, work with a tight team including NATHAN and HOHO, to produce some stellar rock tracks including ‘Human Extinction’ and ‘GLASS’ that traverse the sub-genres of emo, grunge, punk rock, electric, pop-punk, alternative and even heavy metal. There are plenty of musical markers on the record that are surely inspired by the kaleidoscope of British and American rock legends such as Led Zeppelin, Oasis, Nirvana and The Strokes. It’s apt, therefore, that on the 10th June, WOODZ is heading to London to perform at the Troxy, in East London, before completing European leg of the 2026 WOODZ WORLD TOUR ‘Archive. 1’ in Germany and France. From Europe, he will be heading out to New South Wales, Australia, before completing several dates across the U.S.

The years 2024 to 2026 were huge for WOODZ for another reason. His sleeper-hit song ‘Drowning’ became a viral success when he performed it during his military service in Korea. Originally released in 2023, the track, opens with the grungy Nirvana-esque punk rock twang of guitars, before giving way to a rocky emo ballad. ‘Drowning’ went on to top the charts in Korea, years after its release and has shattered the record for longest top 10 song on the Melon Top100. It is currently sitting at over 70 weeks, surpassing New Jeans’ ‘Hype Boy’ at 49 weeks and BTS’ ‘Dynamite’ at 36 weeks. The song is not only popular with fans, but fellow idols alike. Plenty of K-pop big hitters have covered the song, which requires a really versatile vocal range and skill. Tomorrow X Together’s Huening Kai, Kim Jae-Joong and ATEEZ’ Jongho have all belted out the high notes and emotional fraught lyrics and  BTS’ maknae Jungkook has also showed a lot of love for the song as he covered it on one of his live streams. The song’s success comes from the combination of gut-wrenchingly emotional lyrics about overindulging oneself in the overwhelming pain of lost love placed in emphatic rock ballad, full of huge high-notes, crashing drums and guitar riffs.

With such a big year, WOODZ sat down with us to talk about the process of making his first full-length album, and returning to perform in London. 

What are some of the lyrical themes of ‘Archive. 1?’ What did you want to explore with this record? 

This record captures both my life and the way I think about life on a philosophical level. It revolves around questions people are always searching for answers to like, “Who am I?”, “What am I living for?”, and “What’s the meaning of my existence?” I kept asking myself those questions and tried to reflect the answers in this album as they changed over time.

Was it daunting making your first full-length album? What were some of the challenges you had?

There was definitely pressure, just from it being my first full-length album. It also includes tracks drastically different from “Drowning,” which is how many people first got to know me, so that added to the pressure. But at the same time, I thought, “If I let that fear stop me now, how can I keep moving forward?” So I just kept going.

How would you say your music style has evolved over the years? 

These days, I’ve been thinking more about how to make my music feel convincing. That said, I still focus on what I love. I’ve always enjoyed a wide range of genres and styles, and that hasn’t changed.

You explore quite a few genres through this album, going from rock, to almost punk/screamo at the beginning, before slowing it down with more chilled, retro and poppier tracks and finishing moving on to emo-music  and rockier ballads. How do you keep the album so cohesive when being so creative with your sound? For example, are there songs you created that you have left out of this album because they don’t fit as a collection of tracks? 

To be honest, the album came together in a pretty messy, out-of-order way, so it wasn’t easy to make everything feel cohesive toward the end. As I worked on it, I started to feel like certain kinds of songs were missing to connect everything, so I ended up creating a few more along the way.

And like you mentioned, some songs didn’t make the cut — about four or five in total. For instance, “Bright Light Flicker,” which I performed at a concert before my enlistment, was originally meant to be included, but I decided not to include it in the end as it just didn’t quite fit the album.

Do you have a favourite genre to listen to when creating music? 

It really depends on my mood. Right before this interview, I was sitting on a camping chair by the Han River with my headphones on, listening to instrumental music. The weather’s great today. I’d normally listen to something bright on a day like this, but when I want to focus on my thoughts, I tend to gravitate towards music without lyrics.

Even though you explore a lot of genres, the guitar stays very prominent throughout the album. Was this a conscious choice? Was it to tie the album together? Or are you just drawn to that instrument?

Part of it is because HOHO, who I work closely with, is a guitarist. But I’m also personally drawn to guitar sounds. I’ve always loved band music, especially songs with strong guitar solos. Even when we’re jamming, I love hearing HOHO improvise. I think that’s naturally why guitar plays such a big role in my music.

Do you have a favourite song on the album, why is it your favourite? 

My favorite track on the album is “Human Extinction”. When I perform it live, there’s a moment during the guitar solo where fans shout my name and jump along to it. Experiencing that made me appreciate the song even more.

When you’re looking for creative inspiration, where do you go and what do you do to get inspired? Was there anything in particular that sparked your creativity for ‘Archive. 1’?

I don’t usually go anywhere specific or do anything intentionally to find inspiration. It tends to come naturally from whatever environment I’m in. But when that’s not enough, I like to travel.

Being in unfamiliar places often gives me a lot to take in. As for ‘Archive. 1,’ I think it started from the thoughts I had during my military service and after I was discharged.

You are coming to the UK in June. Apart from seeing your fans, what are you looking forward to about visiting?

I have great memories from my last gig in the UK, so I’m really looking forward to going back. It feels meaningful to me to perform my music in a place where so many bands I admire come from.

Do you have any British artists that you find inspiring?

Lately, I’ve been drawing inspiration from Led Zeppelin. I recently watched a documentary about them and really enjoyed it.

What is the difference with putting out solo music as opposed to when you put music out in a group?

The biggest difference is whether you’re carrying a song on your own or together with others. Working solo can feel a bit one-dimensional at times, but it also lets you focus deeper on the music. When you’re in a group, it can be harder for each individual to stand out depending on the parts they’re given. But at the same time, the energy you create together is much bigger, and you can show a wider range of colors.

What are your favourite and hardest parts of being a solo artist. Also the same question, but for when you were part of a group?

What I love most about being a solo artist is being able to fully express my own thoughts and everything I want to put into my music. But that also means taking full responsibility and handling all the work that comes with it, which can be tough. When you’re in a group, you can share both the responsibility and the workload, which helps ease that pressure.

Going it alone can be tough. Do you have any idols who you keep in touch with when you’re making your album or on the road touring?

I’m surrounded by a lot of artists, but I mostly talk to the people I work closely with. When I run into something I really don’t have an answer for, I tend to reach out to senior artists for advice. When I had some concerns during my recent promotions, I spoke with IU and Lee Seung Chul.

You have a very busy schedule for 2026. What are you most looking forward to this year?

Rather than having one specific thing to look forward to, my biggest goal this year is to wrap up the tour safely. At the same time, I want to make sure I’m in a good place to prepare for what’s next and use my time more carefully and intentionally.

WOODZ will be performing at the Troxy London on 10th June.