Small Comfort on a Rainy Day, Lee In-gyu's Quiet Confession

The moment the first note rings out, you feel like you're sitting by a window on a rainy day. Lee In-gyu's voice has the power to change the weather. When you listen to his songs, it feels like raindrops will fall even on clear days, and warm comfort seeps in even during cold winters.

Born in 1997, singer-songwriter Lee In-gyu has been gaining attention in the indie music scene with his calm yet profound lyricism since his debut with the 2022 EP 'Nonetheless'. A practical music major from Howon University, he showcases his multifaceted talent as a guitarist, composer, and music director for short films.

Lee In-gyu's Story

It's difficult to define Lee In-gyu's music in one sentence. The warmth of indie folk is layered with pop's accessibility, and sometimes rock's dynamism emerges. However, what remains constant is his honest portrayal of everyday emotions through song.

His signature songs like 'Rewind', 'Nonetheless', and 'Everything About You' all deal with the universal themes of love and separation, but each carries a different temperature. Some songs embrace you warmly, while others hold you in melancholy.

Currently active under Your Summer, Lee In-gyu recently appeared on Gwangju MBC Radio's 'Noon Hope Songs' as 'Lee In-gyu Blues Band', expanding his range of activities. His challenge into the new genre of blues reveals the aspect of a continuously growing musician.

Lee In-gyu's Music

Meet Lee In-gyu at Nonol

Meet their music live at the Singing Playground.

🎵 "Originals — Stories Written by His Own Hand"

If you want to know Lee In-gyu's true colors, you must start with his original compositions.

"Between Us"

The moment the first note rings out, you feel like you're sitting by a window on a rainy day. 'Between Us' is a song that sings of the pain of separation alongside rain. This song, performed on a natural stage at Daegwallyeong Sky Ranch, feels particularly poignant. Lee In-gyu's vocals flow steadily in the mid-low range, then show a slight tremor on the word "between." This subtle emotional change heightens the immersion of the entire song.

Looking into the background of this song's creation makes it even more interesting. As the composer explained, it's "a song that captures the traces of separation that become clearer every time it rains," and it was actually completed in the studio on a rainy day. Compared to the original, the Nonol version rearranged the full band sound around guitar and keyboards. 18,716 people stopped in front of this stage, and comments like "The melody of this song is absolutely beautiful" from international listeners stand out in the comment section.

"Only I Know"

It sings of moments when small habits become the language of love. Like the song title, the little quirks of that person that 'only I know' are woven into the lyrics. Lee In-gyu's vocal line flows naturally like conversation, and the acoustic guitar arpeggios heard during the interlude are reminiscent of Ed Sheeran's early works.

While the original focused on vocals with minimal arrangement, the Nonol version added string sessions to create a richer sound. 21,013 listeners were captivated by this song, and a comment saying "All clips are fireee" proves the completeness of this performance.

"Take"

This song captures the flutter of unrequited love that bloomed from small moments in daily life. The uniqueness lies in expressing love as the active act of 'taking' as the title suggests. While the song structure follows typical pop song format, the electric guitar solo heard in the bridge reminiscent of John Mayer's style adds depth to the song.

What's notable in this song is Lee In-gyu's vocal technique. He expresses intimacy with a whisper voice in the verses, then suddenly switches to belting in the chorus, creating an emotional explosion. 17,490 people joined this emotional journey. In terms of arrangement, while preserving the acoustic feel of the original, the rhythm of drums and bass was strengthened to bring out the dynamism unique to live performance.

"Prologue"

It sings of longing that remains like an unending sentence. As the title 'Prologue' suggests, this is both the beginning and end of some story. The lyrics that express the emptiness after separation through the literary metaphor of "sentences without periods" are impressive.

The background story of this song being created with metaphors from novels is interesting. This song, completed after being inspired while reading a novel in his studio during winter 2023, shows Lee In-gyu's literary sensibility. 19,025 people resonated with this lyrical stage, and the arrangement that exquisitely combines rock sound and ballad stands out.

"Rewind"

"A song about thinking of past relationships as movies that have already ended and occasionally replaying them in my heart." This single, released on February 20, 2023, became one of Lee In-gyu's signature songs. The electric guitar solo heard in the latter part of the song clearly demonstrates his guitar skills.

"Nonetheless"

"A song made hoping that the dazzling days that came one by one would not disappear," as introduced, it's a song where hope and regret coexist. As the title track of his 2022 EP album, it's also Lee In-gyu's debut work. The lyrics that convey a positive message even within regret have provided comfort to many listeners.

"Everything About You"

This song delicately captures "the moment when everything about the other person gradually seeps into daily life." It looks at the process of a loved one naturally permeating into everyday life with a warm gaze. Lee In-gyu's vocals stand out even more in the minimal arrangement.

"Goodbye"

"A song that expresses the moment of accepting rather than trying to fill empty spaces, like the feeling of pleasant summer wind." What's special is that it doesn't sing of separation sadly, but portrays it as a calm process of acceptance. It sings of a mature adult's farewell.

🎵 "Special — Full Versions, MVs, Special Stages"

Discovering another charm through live full versions and special videos.

Lee In-gyu Live Full Version

A comment saying "Thank you In-gyu for quietly making music, your voice is truly national treasure level" speaks to the completeness of this stage. In this full version featuring four songs consecutively, you can see Lee In-gyu's musical spectrum at a glance. The fact that 20,616 people watched this 40-minute stage to the end proves his stage presence.

This is a full version from his early Nonol appearance. This video, which begins with the lyrical introduction "On an autumn day when the whole world was dyed yellow," allows you to meet the freshness of Lee In-gyu's first Nonol appearance. The harmony of his voice awakening the morning with warm tones and the refreshing band instruments is impressive.

Music Videos and Special Videos

This is the official music video for 'Rewind'. A video personally produced by the artist for the Nonol project, it was simultaneously released on various streaming platforms at 6 PM on February 20, 2023. The narrative that touches the hearts of separated lovers was completed with high quality alongside the visual aesthetics.

This is an AI-produced music video for 'Rewind'. This video, created with motifs from director Makoto Shinkai's '5 Centimeters Per Second', was produced using various AI tools including ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Runway. It gained attention as a new form of music video where technology meets emotion.

Radio and Broadcast Appearances

These are videos of his appearance on Gwangju MBC Radio's 'Noon Hope Songs' as 'Lee In-gyu Blues Band'. You can glimpse his new attempt to expand from his existing indie folk style to blues. Even in the tension of live broadcasting, he shows stable performance, confirming his ability to handle various genres.

Compilations and Collaborations

This is a compilation video titled "Full of Emotion, Autumn Begins!". In this video introduced alongside Sim Ga-eul, Choi On, and Sung Hae-bin, Lee In-gyu established himself as one of Nonol's representative emotional artists. With a high view count of 24,838, he was recognized as a representative of autumn emotional music.

Special Projects

This is OST work for the full-length novel 'Revenge Game'. This song, with lyrics written by Lee In-gyu and AI composition by Oh Chang-heon, was sung by Blue Whale. Through the unique attempt of collaboration between novel and music, Lee In-gyu's literary sensibility met his musical capability.

This is the lyric video for the new song 'Rain' released on March 30, 2024. This indie ballad genre song was released through Your Summer and shows Lee In-gyu's recent musical changes.

What Fans Say About Lee In-gyu

Learn More About Lee In-gyu

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Lee In-gyu's music doesn't offer grand comfort. Instead, it quietly sits beside you and stays with you. It becomes clearer on rainy days and remains beautiful even on clear days.

In his recent challenge into the new genre of blues, we see the aspect of a continuously growing musician. The musical diary written by this young man born in 1997 is not yet finished. If you're curious about his next chapter, meet him first at Singing Playground.