The Korean Wave that began in the late 1990s has since immersed American culture in K-pop, K-dramas, K-barbecue and multi-step skincare routines. But in the same way that there is a lot more to Korean cuisine than barbecue alone, there is a lot more to Korean music than BTS and BLACKPINK.
Rolling Quartz (롤링쿼츠) brings a well-polished blend of alternative rock and glam metal flecked with emo and a distinctly Korean sensibility. Their songs are anthemic yet tender, and the five-piece band radiates infectious energy.
Originally, lead guitarist Iree (아이리) and bass guitarist Arem (아름) were in the band Rolling Girlz, while vocalist Ja-young (자영), rhythm guitarist Hyun-jung (현정), and drummer Yeong-eun (영은) were in the band Rose Quartz. Together, the five women formed Rolling Quartz and made their debut in December of 2020 with the single “Blaze 블레이즈” on the label Rolling Star Entertainment. Since then, they have released two EPs and 11 singles.
Now on their second tour, titled Stand Up — with 34 dates across Canada and the United States — Rolling Quartz will be stopping in Louisville for an all ages show at PORTAL (1535 Lytle St.) on Wednesday, April 23.
Fittingly, Rolling Quartz fans are called Diadem. Arts and Culture Writer Aria Baci is a Diadem herself and was lucky enough to connect with the women of Rolling Quartz to talk about inspirations, challenges, growth, and gemstones.
Music writers have many ways to describe sound, music, and the public personas of band members. But as the band members, how do you describe Rolling Quartz?
Iree: A team with limitless potential!
Yeong-eun: We are an energetic rock band with various charms, just like each member’s different hair colors.
Arem: A colorful rainbow team.
Hyun-jung: Rolling Quartz tries to show more energy than anyone else on stage. Each member has a distinct personality, so it’s fun to find our characters. For example, each member has a different hair color. However, I think that our offstage appearance would be surprisingly charming because offstage we look like regular older sisters or friends.
Ja-young: An exemplary Korean girl band with distinct personalities — just like our hair colors!!!
Among other K-rock or global music, are there any artists you particularly respect or are inspired by?
Iree: From Korea, I like Crying Nut and No Brain; and overseas, I like Oasis and My Chemical Romance.
Young-eun: I like Bring Me the Horizon and the Korean girl group Dreamcatcher.
Arem: I like Seo Taiji.
Ja-young: One Ok Rock, Bring Me the Horizon.
Among the various artistic experiences in life other than music — fashion design, films, flavors of Melona, anything — what are some that inspire you in your compositions?
Iree: I’m mostly inspired by paintings. When I see paintings that express a range of emotions, I get lost in the those narratives. There are many paintings that I can understand without any explanation. It’s a collaboration between the world depicted in the painting and my reality.
Arem: Letters, sentences, writing.
Hyun-jung: I don’t know if it inspires my musical compositions, but my hobbies include swimming, knitting, and gaming.
Ja-young: I’m incredibly influenced by animation. I enjoy tense situations like battle scenes, but I also appreciate emotionally affecting stories where characters’ narratives unfold!
Compared to your first single “Blaze” in what ways do you feel you’ve grown and changed the most with your recent singles “Red Wine 레드와인” or “Re.Bold?”
Iree: I think we’ve learned a little more about what we can do.
Yeong-eun: I think we’ve incorporated the strengths of each member into our music really well.
Arem: If “Blaze” had a more energetic feel, I think “Red Wine” and “Re.Bold” have a more mature and powerful feel.
Hyun-jung: If I had to answer musically, I would say it’s the performance. Compared to “Blaze”, my skills have improved, so I can play more difficult pieces, and I think my attitude toward the guitar has changed.
Ja-young: My vocal expressiveness and dynamics have improved a lot! I practice a lot so listeners can feel a range of emotions in one song.
So far on the Stand Up tour, what have been your biggest joys and what have been your biggest challenges?
Iree: The most surprising — and exciting — thing is when audiences I’m seeing for the first time sing along to our songs. The first thing that comes to mind is, “How do they know our songs?!” This is our first time on a long-term tour for two months, so it’s a challenge for us. There will be physical problems, communication problems, and coping with stressful situations, and there are many things we need to overcome and learn. I hope we can finish safely and without any problems.
Yeong-eun: I was so excited and happy to be able to meet overseas fans in person, and I was a little worried because this is my first time on a long-term tour and doing so many solo concerts.
Arem: I was so excited that we could visit the various places where the Diadems live and meet them. I was a little worried about my physical health because I’ve never done so many shows in such a short period of time, but whenever I see the Diadems from the stage, I’m just so happy and excited for that moment.
Hyun-jung: The biggest joy is that I can meet fans from all over the world. The challenge is the tour itself. I’ve never done so many shows in a short period of time, so I thought that was a challenge.
Ja-young: This is the first Rolling Quartz tour in our history with this many cities and such a long duration, so I think our physical recovery and stamina distribution are vital. I hope we can have a great time with the American and Canadian Diadems, so we can finish our tour well and be proud of ourselves!
Although the name of your band is Rolling Quartz, do you have any favorite gemstones besides quartz? Diadems need to know!
Iree: I’m not particularly interested in gems, so I don’t know much about them! I heard that these days, synthetic diamonds are purer and cheaper than natural diamonds. But because of this question, I researched types of gems and found one called Alexandrite! It’s said to be a gem that changes color, so I think it’s an interesting one.
Yeong-eun: Diamonds — because they never change.
Arem: Ruby! I like red things, and [in the Korean alphabet] my name is similar to [the Korean word for] “ruby” and it’s a symbol of love and passion too!
Ja-young: Aquamarine!!! 🩵
Rolling Quartz
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Doors at 6:00 p.m.
Show at 7:00 p.m.
PORTAL
1535 Lytle St.
Louisville, KY 40203
Tickets available here.
This article appears in Apr 11-24, 2025.