Five Minutes Backstage With wave to earth—And I Still Have PCD

On a balmy February night, the South Korean indie rock band wave to earth descended back to Manila for the third time—not with a bang, but with a gentle, almost hypnotic wave. That evening, the Mall of Asia Arena—a venue usually filled with chants and screams—transformed into an intimate space where music and emotion became intertwined.

The trio, composed of guitarist and songwriter Daniel Kim, bassist John Cha, and drummer Shin Dong Q, stepped on stage with a quiet but palpable intensity. Once the opening notes of "are you bored?" played in the arena, a hush fell over the Filipino Planktons (the band's fanbase), which eventually crescendoed into a chorus where the artist and listener became one as the night progressed.

Rewinding to a few hours before the show, we got the chance to spend a few minutes in the maze of the arena's backstage area with the band. In this Cosmo exclusive, the trio opens up about their creative process for songs and albums, their love for Filo Planktons, and in true Korean entertainment fashion, a "TMI" about each member.

What do you think makes the Filipino audience special compared to other crowds you've performed for? 

Daniel: The Philippines was already special to us because we filmed [the "sunny days"] music video here. But when we came here to actually perform and the fans showed us so much love, I think it made it even more special now.

Your sound has a very unique and relaxing vibe—how did you develop this style as a band?

John Cha: Because of Daniel. [laughs]

Daniel: The influence of wave to earth is actually the members themselves—each individual member's music taste combined.

Can you share the creative process behind your latest release, play with earth?

Daniel: When we were on tour, we thought really hard about making an album. As soon as we finished [touring], we got into the studio and just started recording. Regarding the title of the album, we thought that regardless of where you are, as a listener—whether you're in the concert halls or you're living your daily life while listening to our music—it's in a sense that you're spending time with us, so we were trying to send the message that you're already here with us playing together.

If each of you could describe wave to earth's music in one word, what would it be?

Dong Q: Wave.

Daniel: Love.

John Cha: Harmony.

If you could introduce one song to a new listener who has never heard wave to earth before, which song would it be and why?

Dong Q: I recommend "bad" because I think that it's a very mainstream song; anyone can listen to it comfortably. And also, it fits any type of atmosphere.

Do you have any pre-show rituals before going on stage?

Dong Q: 30 minutes before we go on stage, we all gather and pray together.

What's one thing about each band member that fans might not know?

Daniel: I love collecting vintage speakers, cars, and motorcycles. Anything vintage.

John: I'm a gym rat.

Dong Q: I like buying cooking utensils. I'm kind of like, the chef of the group.

Daniel: I'm still waiting for your cooking, though. [laughs]

wave to earth Play With Earth! 0.03 Tour: Manila Concert Experience

Like many people, I first heard wave to earth's songs on TikTok—I'm sure anyone who isn't living under a rock has heard "bad" and "peach eyes" pop up on their FYP. I personally like jazzy, lo-fi kinds of music, which is why I naturally gravitated towards their sound, but going into the concert, I didn't really have any expectations since it was my first time watching them live.

But man, they really blew it out of the water. When the first few notes of "are you bored?" started playing, I was immediately hooked. I would already feel like I'm floating whenever I listen to their songs on Spotify, but hearing them live made me feel like I was transported to another dimension. Their music translated so well into a live setting—it felt and sounded so layered and textured. Daniel's smooth and soulful voice, along with John Cha and Dong Q's backing vocals, just go along so well. The band's chemistry was also undeniable—you can just tell that they're really three friends who enjoy making music together.

"bad" was one of the highlights of the concert, obviously—it sounded even better live! As wave to earth mentioned before in our interview before the show, it's the perfect gateway song into the band because it's such an easy listen. The whole arena—me included—was just singing along with them, and it was one of the moments that made the entire experience a core memory for me.

Another favorite was when they performed "annie." It's considerably more fast paced than their other songs, and the band was able to let loose and really show us what they're made of. And the energy was so, so contagious, too—the way the entire arena sang (read: screamed) "fuck you, i am saying" along with Daniel felt so cathartic. 

As we continued through the set list—including crowd favorites like "slow dive," "love," and "seasons"—the band really made an effort to connect with the audience and make each song feel like a personal love letter from them to us. You could really tell that that they were genuinely grateful for all the love they were receiving. John Cha uttering "Manila, mahal ko kayo," made the entire arena just erupt in cheers.

After the concert, I just felt an overwhelming sense of peace (and PCD, huhu). Their music has always been a comfort for me, but seeing them live just took my love for them to a whole new level. It wasn't just a show—it was a whole experience. If you have the chance to see wave to earth live, take it because you surely won't regret it.

Special thanks to Secret Signals and Karpos Multimedia.