Lil Cherry & GOLDBUUDA: The genre-defying siblings kicking off K-Music Festival

W: George Gray

As the long summer retreats so does the festival calendar, with fewer and fewer chances for the weekend warriors who love their fix of music… or so they might think. As we enter autumn a whole different breed of festivals are kicking into gear, spread over multiple weekends, locations and sounds, celebrating pockets of the world’s music culture. One perfect example of that, only weeks away, is the K-Music Festival, London’s largest celebration of Korean music and culture.

This year, returning for its 13th edition, it offers its most ambitious lineup yet, broadcasting to the capital and beyond just why Korea’s music scene is so thriving. So we sat down with a standout duo from the line-up, brother and sister Lil Cherry & GOLDBUUDA, to get a taste of what’s to come.

Raised between Miami, New York and Seoul these siblings have taken inspiration from around the world, building a cult following through their eclectically experimental sound that’s prone to blowing up online. But with that virality comes a hectic lifestyle, one that I quickly realised was fuelled by the pair’s multi-faceted talents and expansive creative outlets.

“It’s been a very busy, very hectic summer”, Lil Cherry opens, “one of celebration”. A fitting start to our conversation as the duo reveal, that week alone they've packed in three gigs, the new venture of Lil Cherry DJ sets and the release of BUUDA's new EP, 'Level Up Or Shut Up'. It’s a work ethic catalysed by their collaboration they underline, where even though their dreams might sometimes differ, working together is always central.

The origins of that collaboration? Well they can be traced back to the siblings' school days. “Poetry slam was mandatory in our high school” Lil Cherry tells me, exposure to the “first form of rap” in BUUDA’s own words, that inspired her to major in poetry at university. Lil Cherry had always written poems, but it was returning to her brother’s room in Seoul where she began to rap for the first time, or at least realised she had been doing so her whole life without realising.

Although Lil Cherry had no formal background in music in her own words it felt “the most natural it ever had been” as she took out her poetry book “and just dived in” musically. All it took was that one moment, and as GOLDBUUDA introduced her to one of his nostalgia laden beats, blending dirty south rap, edm-production and a touch of K-pop, the siblings journey began. As time went on they just kept thinking “more and more about music”, reflecting on the diverse inspirations and trends that had informed their childhood travelling from place to place.

It explains why their sound now fits into a much broader web of creative practices, because for the duo it clearly comes all back to “world-building”. BUUDA's spoken before about how important it is for an artist to create a universe around their work, and with their joint project it’s no different. Take viral hit, 'Dresskill'. In both song and video GOLDBUUDA makes his closest step towards K-pop yet but still doesn’t sacrifice his hardstyle sound, and it’s clear that Lil Cherry's collaboration was central to the process.

A process, they reveal, that equally discusses the visuals as it does the music. “Maximalist, forward thinking” is key, they tell me, both for making the music more intriguing for the listener and for building their artistic universe. So what if they were to invite a collaborator into that universe, who or what would that look like I wondered. “A president,” BUUDA jokes, “or maybe a certain image or word, and just skyrocket with that single idea”, he adds, quickly sliding across his creative spectrum.

It’s a topic that clearly entertains the duo, and next on that list is the next generation, “we love working with up and coming artists,” they agree, “it opens the door for niche ideas to shine, and feels like a fresh page for each new idea”. And new ideas are definitely something the duo enjoy, “we can adapt that’s one of our strengths, as many genres as possible,” but key to that is ensuring there’s always “real friendship and pure synergy there” BUUDA outlines.

But back to the festival, as their opening Monday set grows ever closer, what are the duo themselves most excited for. “We’re longtime fans of Chang and will most definitely leave with new ideas,” they tell me with a clear admiration for the artist sharing Monday’s bill, before teasing something that’ll be sure to excite fans. “There’ll be a collaboration with ADG7 too, a couple of songs with them - we’ll see if we can remix their tracks and style live,” a prospect that’s sure to break down classic musical barriers as they take on the folk innovators sound.

As we wrapped things up I had one final question, what’s the secret for their sibling success, we all know it can be hard so how do they do it. “Peace through understanding and listening instead of projecting,” BUUDA says first, before Lil Cherry adds “being friends in the studio,” their shared love and inspiration palpable. A mentality that is already taking them far, and one they’ll surely keep running with, “always think about Bonnie & Clyde, when it comes to the mission we have to stay focused.”

Be sure to catch these two at the opening, multi-artist showcase night of the London K-Music festival this Monday, September 28th, at the special EartH Theatre. And keep an eye out for the rest of the festival, as they present ‘the Korean artists drawing on centuries-old traditions while pushing boldly into new creative territory’.