There’s something quietly powerful about music that doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is. No overthinking, no forced direction – just moments captured as they come. That’s exactly where The Grapes exist.Made up of two brothers, the duo build their sound instinctively, moving between styles without feeling tied to any one genre. Their music feels less like a calculated project and more like a reflection of time shaped by personal experiences.

Their latest EP trivial, was built from fragments of everyday life and written like pages from a diary, the moments and experiences that don’t always seem important at the time, but end up meaning the most. In this conversation with The Chord Chat, The Grapes open up about the story behind trivial, their creative process, and the personal moments that shaped the project.

TCC : For those just discovering you, how would you introduce The Grapes and your sound?

The Grapes is a band with 2 brothers. We make music that we love regardless of genre.

TCC : How did The Grapes come together and what is the story behind your name?

Minhyeok : I was making music on my own and uploaded it on Soundcloud by the name of The Grapes, until I convinced my cousin Kiwon to start a band with me. Grapes is my favourite fruit so.. I named it as the band name haha

TCC : Your new EP “trivial” has just been released – how would you describe the project in your own words?

Kiwon : ‘The beginning of a legend’ haha

TCC : What was the main inspiration behind the EP, and what story does it tell as a whole?

Minhyeok : When I write songs, I treat them like writing in a diary. I didn’t write these songs for the album, so frankly, there’s no intended message as a whole. You don’t write in a diary to tell something. But there’s a story. This Album tells the story of my early-mid twenties. Without big worries, without overthinking the future, just living in that time(Though I wasn’t young enough to get away with it). Personal, insignificant, trivial stories. And everybody knows those kind of stories are what make us feel relatable. Because you all have your own Wendy, and your own Caroline

TCC : Is there a track on “trivial” that feels the most meaningful or personal to you?

Minhyeok : Every song is personal to me. In a way of ‘meaningful’, I would say <Flying Jacket> is the most meaningful song. It’s about my childhood dream. To make music, to live with music. Every time I sing it, I feel like I’m talking to myself and to my brothers. Also, it feels like a promise to myself.

TCC : Can you tell us more about the creative process behind the project?

Minhyeok : What I’m proud of our EP is it’s all made by ourselves. Composing, writing, producing, recording.. every part of the process happened in my room.
And especially about <Flying Jacket>, the song’s inspiration from <Wendy was late>, the story my brother Minseok wrote for his students. To me, the Flying Jacket (the jacket in that story) felt like something kids would love but adults would frown upon. And that’s exactly what made it feel like a symbol of childhood dreams. Once I read the story, the songwriting just fell into place.

TCC : Did you explore anything new or different with this EP compared to your previous work?

Minhyeok : Previously, I worked on the songs individually, sporadically, one at a time. Satisfying whatever urge I had at the time. But once we decided to make an album, things got more complicated. The hardest part was deciding what to cut out.
Since we were overseeing everything ourselves, there were so many things we were doing for the first time. Reaching out to people, planning on a bigger scale, being in front of the camera, making a music video, acting, and so on.

TCC : What’s next for The Grapes following this release?

Kiwon: I expect we’ll be back to practicing hard and writing new music. While Minhyeok took the lead on songwriting for this first project, I’m really looking forward to stepping up and contributing my own tracks and creative input for the next album

TCC : Your track ‘summertime’ gives us a glimpse into your sound- how does it connect to or differ from the direction you’ve taken with ‘trivial’?

Kiwon: It’s still upbeat, and it’ll still make you want to get up and dance. This EP is packed with tracks that carry a different charm from ‘Summertime’. So you can definitely look forward to it.

TCC : What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from ‘trivial’?

Kiwon: I want them to think, “Wow this track is insane, I need to see them live”

TCC : How had your sound identity evolved since we first started?

Minhyeok : As Baeminhyeok, 2006 would be the beginning of my desire to make music. Back then, BIGBANG was my role model. So I would say my journey started with hip-hop and K-pop.
As The Grapes, we’ve gone through many different styles that we still can’t quite pinpoint where our sound started or where it’s heading. But one thing’s for sure, it’s rooted in a band sound.

TCC : Are there any genres or styles you want to explore in future releases?

Kiwon: I’d love to release songs written in Korean. Since it’s our native language, I believe we’ll be able to express a wider and deeper range of emotions.

TCC : How do you usually know when a song is ‘finished’?

Minhyeok: I don’t think l’ve ever felt like a song is finished. It always feels incomplete, there’s always something to fix, always another direction might’ve been better. So in the end, I release songs without ever truly feeling like they’re done. It’s almost like someone else has to be the one to say “this song is finished”

TCC : Favourite track from ‘trivial’?

Minhyeok : <Flying Jacket>

Kiwon : <Wish You the Best>

TCC : Studio or stage?

Minhyeok : Studio, for now

Kiwon : Stage, without a doubt

TCC : Song you’re most excited for fans to hear?

Minhyeok : <Flying Jacket>

Kiwon : <Flying Jacket>

TCC : 3 words to describe your music?

Minhyeok : myself, ourselves, joy

Kiwon : cool, sexy, stunning

What makes trivial stand out isn’t just the music itself, but the honesty behind it. There’s no pressure for perfection, just real moments captured as they were lived. Through their process, The Grapes show us that not every story needs to be loud to be meaningful, but sometimes it’s the smaller, more personal experiences that resonate the most. As they continue to grow and evolve, one thing is clear: they’re allowing their sound to develop naturally, with a shared passion for music. And with trivial marking this chapter, this is only the beginning.