Adoy

Lore & Background

In 2016, Juhwan Oh and Zee, then label mates on the Korean record label Fluxus Music, teamed up to form a synth based indie rock project. They soon recruited Dayoung Jeong and Geunchang Park to fully form the quartet. The name Adoy was inspired by Juhwan's cat, Yoda (named after the Star Wars character Yoda), whom the band spent time with during the production of their first release. The band name is simply Yoda spelled backwards. In 2017, Adoy released their first EP Catnip to positive response.

In 2018, the band released their second EP, Love, which included the minor hit song, 'Wonder'. Following this release, Adoy played their first shows abroad in Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Following the success of the EP, the band won the Special Judges Award at the 2019 Seoul Music Awards. In late 2019, Adoy released their first full-length release VIVID. The supporting tour across Asia was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the group still performed numerous online shows over the next few years, including a live performance broadcast for LUCfest 2020.

After their third EP, her, released in 2021, the band toured Asia and the US. In 2023, Adoy released an EP titled us (sometimes called Remake or Remake EP), a collection of other musicians including PREP, Phum Viphurit and Sunet Rollercoaster covering their favorite songs from Adoy. Later that same year, the band released their second album, PLEASURES.

Reader's Guide

Adoy emerged from the South Korean indie scene in 2017, quickly gaining recognition for their synth-based indie rock sound. Their debut EP Catnip established them, and subsequent releases like Love and VIVID expanded their audience. The band's win at the 2019 Seoul Music Awards marked a significant milestone, while their international tours in Asia and the US demonstrated growing global appeal. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of their VIVID tour, but they adapted with online performances, including a broadcast for LUCfest 2020. Their 2023 EP us, featuring covers by other artists, highlighted their influence within the indie community. With two studio albums and multiple EPs, Adoy has maintained a steady presence in the Korean indie landscape, earning multiple Korean Music Awards nominations and a dedicated following.

Did You Know?

• The band name Adoy is Yoda spelled backwards, inspired by Juhwan Oh's cat named after the Star Wars character.
• Adoy won the Special Judges Awards at the 2019 Seoul Music Awards.
• Their 2023 EP us is a collection of other musicians covering Adoy songs, including PREP, Phum Viphurit, and Sunet Rollercoaster.
• The band's first shows abroad were in Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Formation & The Cat Behind the Name

In 2016, two musicians who shared a label home at Fluxus Music in Korea decided to channel their shared love of synth-driven indie rock into a collaborative project. Juhwan Oh and Zee, already familiar with each other's work as label mates, began writing and recording together. The project quickly grew beyond a duo when they brought in Dayoung Jeong on bass and Geunchang Park on drums, locking in the four-piece lineup that would define the group's sound. The naming story is as charming as it is specific: Juhwan's cat, Yoda—herself a nod to the Star Wars character—kept showing up during the recording sessions for the band's debut material. The group simply flipped the cat's name to get "Adoy," a word that stuck and became their identity. The quartet officially debuted on May 17, 2017, with the EP Catnip, a release that landed with positive reception and set the tone for everything that followed.

A Catalogue Built in Layers

Adoy's discography reads like a steady, deliberate climb rather than a series of sudden leaps. After the initial buzz of Catnip in 2017, the band followed up in 2018 with the EP Love, which introduced the minor hit "Wonder" and helped broaden their audience. That momentum carried them into late 2019, when they delivered VIVID, their first full-length album—a significant step up in scope and ambition. The next few years brought the third EP, her, in 2021, and then a remarkable creative pivot in 2023: the EP us (also referred to as the Remake EP), in which fellow musicians such as PREP, Phum Viphurit, and Sunet Rollercoaster reinterpreted Adoy's own songs from their perspectives. That same year, the band capped the cycle with PLEASURES, their second studio album. Across two albums and four EPs, Adoy has consistently paired synth textures with indie rock energy, building a catalogue that rewards repeated listening.

From Regional Stages to a Pandemic Pivot

Adoy's relationship with live performance has been shaped as much by circumstance as by ambition. After the success of their 2018 EP Love, the quartet stepped beyond Korea's borders for the first time, playing shows in Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Taiwan—a clear signal that their synth-driven sound resonated across Southeast Asian indie audiences. When VIVID arrived in late 2019, the band had plans for a supporting tour across Asia, but the global pandemic shut those doors. Rather than going silent, Adoy adapted: over the following years they performed numerous online shows, including a live broadcast for LUCfest 2020, keeping their connection with listeners alive through screens. Once restrictions eased, the group returned to the road with renewed energy, touring both Asia and the United States in support of their 2021 EP her. The experience of performing virtually and then re-emerging on physical stages clearly informed the confidence they brought to later shows.

Recognition and a Community of Peers

Within the Korean indie music landscape, Adoy has carved out a respected and increasingly visible position. Their work has earned multiple nominations at the Korean Music Awards, a recurring acknowledgment that their output stands out among peers. A particularly notable milestone came at the 2019 Seoul Music Awards, where the band took home the Special Judges Award—a win that validated the trajectory from their 2017 debut through the Love EP. Beyond formal recognition, Adoy's standing in the broader indie community is perhaps best illustrated by the 2023 EP us, in which established artists like PREP, Phum Viphurit, and Sunet Rollercoaster chose to cover Adoy's material. Being selected as the source material for such a project speaks to a level of peer respect that goes beyond chart positions. The four members—Juhwan Oh on vocals, Zee on synths and vocals, Geunchang Park on drums, and Dayoung Jeong on bass and vocals—have built a collective identity that feels both tightly knit and open to collaboration.