Balming Tiger sat down with NME backstage at Reading 2025 to talk about their love for the UK and their recent collaborations with ATARASHII GAKKO! and IU. You can watch the full interview above or check it out below.
“It’s a very iconic, cultural festival,” Omega Sapien shared with NME, while Sogumm added that it felt “perfect to be here.”
These festival appearances are part of Balming Tiger’s World Expo Tour 2025, which has already included shows at Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival, South Korea’s Pentaport Festival, Ulaanbaatar’s Playtime Festival, and several others. As part of this run, they will also headline London’s KOKO on Tuesday (August 26).
“Tour has been great,” Omega Sapien said. “We’ve been remembering our very first UK tour, which was in 2022. We went to Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol… Brighton, and many, many different cities. Back then, we were a tiny team, just four of us and our tour manager in a van, and we would play for crowds of 20 or 30 people.
“That was one of the first tours we ever did outside Korea. The UK holds a lot of meaning for us, filled with many great memories. So coming back feels amazing. The team is bigger now. We’re at Reading & Leeds, sitting here with NME, it’s incredible.”
He continued, “The UK has always shown us a lot of love. It’s a very special place for us, and we’ve been lucky to meet so many good people here who work with us. It feels beautiful.”
“Balming Tiger couldn’t even tour within Korea at that point, but we somehow ended up touring in the UK instead,” Sogumm added. “Through that experience, I learned so much. It helped us grow, and it became a really special chapter for Balming Tiger that gave us a unique perspective. Coming back now to play Reading & Leeds feels really special, and I am honestly super excited.”
Along with their tour, Balming Tiger have released several songs in 2025, including Narani Narani, a collaboration with Japanese group ATARASHII GAKKO!, which dropped in June. “We always thought ATARASHII GAKKO! were such a cool band, and I guess they felt the same about us,” Omega Sapien explained. “They show their culture with no hesitation, just like Balming Tiger – no apologies. That’s what connected us even before we spoke directly.
“In a video [interview], ATARASHII GAKKO! were asked which artists they wanted to work with, and they mentioned Balming Tiger. So we sent them an email right away with the screenshot. They are amazing people, and the whole project was enjoyable. I remember going to their studio in Japan and watching their DVD tour clips, seeing them play in massive stadiums. I thought, ‘Wow, they’re huge.’ It was a big chance for us.”
In May, Balming Tiger also collaborated with K-pop legend IU on her A Flower Bookmark, Pt . 3 EP, which reimagines classic Korean tracks. The group contributed to a new version of Shin Jung-hyun and The Yupjuns’ 1974 song A Beautiful Person.
“It was an amazing time. We ended up making a few versions – maybe three or four,” BJ Wnjn said. “The original artist is someone I admire a lot, so it was a significant project for me. My version didn’t get picked, but it was still really cool to work on.”
“Shin Jung-hyun is the greatest in Korean music. He is a psychedelic rock legend, and Wonjin is such a big fan of his that he put everything into showing respect to his hero,” Omega Sapien added. “But another producer called Unsinkable created a version that was ultimately chosen instead.”
Sogumm wrote new lyrics for part of the cover, something she described as “a big challenge.” She explained, “He puts his Korean spirit into his psychedelic rock, and that’s why I admire him. I also want to put my Korean spirit into my own music. It was a true honor to reinterpret this track.
“I didn’t expect to be allowed to add my own lyrics. I just tried it without knowing, so when I was told yes, I felt so happy. It was such a fun challenge.”
Right now, Balming Tiger are working on more new music. According to Omega Sapien, they are “trying many new things.” He said, “There’s so much talent in Balming Tiger, so the challenge is bringing all of it together into one shared vision. If we can focus our energy into a single light, I think it will be something compelling.”
Mudd The Student added, “Our first album, January Never Dies, is, to me, a strong record. But what matters most is not just our individual strength, but Balming Tiger’s strength as a whole. We need to work through things together and communicate deeply. That unique power is what makes Balming Tiger special.”
“Making music is my favorite thing, so I just do it the way I always have,” BJ Wnjn shared, while Sogumm noted that the group is still “learning how to keep expressing Balming Tiger’s own energy.”
Check back at NME for all the latest updates, reviews, interviews, photos, and more from Reading & Leeds 2025.
