East to West, North to South, Korean-American trio Royal Pirates is slowly but surely gaining popularity across the globe with their own brand of pop-rock music.

The talented group, made up of lead singer and guitarist Moon (Kim Moon Chul), drummer Kim Sooyoon, and bassist James Lee, are known for their high energy performances and boy-next-door charms. Royal Pirates released their second studio album, Love Toxic, in late August 2014.

The three members recently sat down with KpopStarz during their early May promotional tour of Malaysia for an exclusive interview where they talked about how they got started, band dynamics, dealing with criticism, their visions for the future of the group, and life beyond Royal Pirates.

From YouTube to the Stage

Although they officially debuted in August 2013, Royal Pirates actually had their start several years earlier in 2008 (before the addition of James) when they first uploaded their cover version of “Time is Running Out” by Muse to YouTube. While that original cover song did not get much attention at the time, the group persisted and uploaded a cover of “Nobody” by the Korean girl group Wonder Girls, which Sooyoon said was done just for fun while they were hanging out. “We just wanted to make it funny, like a different version of [the song]. We did not expect so much love for it,” he admitted.

“People loved it, so we just kept on doing more K-pop rock covers, and we started getting more viewers and fans,” Moon added. They followed up the initial recognition with other pop covers including “Sorry Sorry” from Korean male idol group Super Junior and Britney Spears’s “Circus.” When James joined the band later on, they released their first original song, “Disappear,” and the rest, as they say, is history.

After gaining traction, Royal Pirates made their official debut in the Korean music industry in August 2013 with the single “Shout Out.” Soon the home-recorded cover songs were a thing of the past and the band found themselves in recording studios working with a variety of producers and sound technicians. There was a big difference between uploading videos to YouTube and having the recording process handled by professions and Moon said doing it themselves in the beginning gave them more satisfaction finishing projects.

“However,” he added, “right now, we do take part [in the recording process], but there are more people involved and it's fun because we're growing.” The other members agreed that even though it was really satisfying to do it all by themselves at first, they are still grateful for the experiences now because they have so much yet to learn in order to grow as musicians.

Overcoming Different Dynamics in the Band

Living together for the past three to four years, in addition to working together, James says that it is interesting to see how everyone in the band has changed since the group’s pre-debut days. “Moon was really soft-spoken when I first met him,” James explained. “He puts more thought into his words, but now he just lets it flow.”

As for Sooyoon, “he was quiet then and now he talks a lot more,” remarked James. He also admitted that it was vice versa for him, so trying to live with that kind of dynamic was rather tough at first.

“Our friendship is like a scab, it keeps growing!” he exclaimed when asked how they overcome the different dynamic within the band in the beginning. “We had to fight, talk it out and rip open whatever was wrong. We just stay open-minded and from there, our friendship grows.” Meanwhile, Sooyoon said that the key to working so well together is to accept that everybody is different, concluding that “the time we spent together is the most important thing to make us bond together.”

Dealing with Criticism

Although their rising popularity means the group is awarded opportunities to share their music with fans all around the world, Sooyoon also noted that since people notice them more these days, the band tends to get criticized more often than they did in their YouTube days. When they were first starting out, he explained, people were more generous and did not have many criticisms. He argued that people were more understanding of the group’s shortcomings in the early days as they were not professionals.

While harsh comments can make things tough, the group mentality is to take it all in stride. Like true professionals, Royal Pirates say they made it their goal to match people's expectations. “Above all,” Sooyoon said, “I'm very thankful that there are people who care about us.”

When Royal Pirates first released “Shout Out,” a lot of fans who had been following the band since the early days found it hard to accept their new music as it included pop undertones, a shift from the rock sound the group started with. However, according to Moon, it is all part of their evolving process as musicians. “Our sound is still there, it's not like we lost it,” he said. “It's just a matter of time when we are going to bring it back.”

He also explained that they want to keep on growing as artists and therefore do not want to be stuck doing the same thing forever. The members want to explore different styles and genres, and hope their fans can be more patient with them so they can achieve that. “We'll get there, we'll try and make everybody happy,” said Sooyoon.

James added that he sees criticism from fans as a reminder that he has to stay true to himself, no matter what the situation. “When I see the fans and their passion, I realize that I can't give up,” he said. “I realize that if they care this much about us, then how can I let them down?”

Changing the Game in the South Korean Rock Music Industry

In a market notoriously saturated with bubbly pop songs, cute dance moves, and catchy hooks, Royal Pirates admit that it is, at times, very difficult for them to compete with other K-pop acts. Although there are some rock bands that have made a name for themselves in the Korean music industry, the rock platform itself is small. However, Moon said that isn’t going to hold them back. “We believe that people have seen our potential to be the game-changers and we're all working together to penetrate the rock scene.”

James also added that aside from good marketing, the most important factor in making a name for themselves in the rock scene, is the content of their music. He says they need to stay true to themselves and to write music that they believe in. He also revealed that he regularly listens to their own songs and that “Supernatural,” written by Sooyoon, is the most played song in his phone.

While talking about the group’s upcoming album, Sooyoon said that while their previous albums contain more of the members’ general ideas and thoughts, the new album will be much more personal. “We've been holding on to our deep emotions and thoughts, but now we're trying to release them.”

“We do feel vulnerable in sharing our thoughts but we feel like it's our job to share the message,” added James. Meanwhile, Moon also expressed the hope that fans will hear the group’s original musical color in their upcoming release.

Life Beyond Royal Pirates

Even with their ever-growing international fan base, Royal Pirates admitted that they are just like any other normal guys in their 20's. When they’re not on the road performing or working on new songs, Moon, Sooyoon, and James like to relax and have fun.

For James, exercising and watching sports are important parts of his social life. “For James, exercise is fun but for me it's work,” remarked Moon, who says he prefers going out for beers with friends. Moon added that he also makes and collects Gundam figures and is an avid fan of variety shows, citing Infinite Challenge as a personal favorite. Sooyoon, on the other hand, enjoys traveling when he has down time and revealed he recently took a trip to Jeonju, a South Korean city recognized by UNESCO for its rich culinary traditions.

Because he was born and raised in California, overcoming the language barrier has also become an important part of James’s life. He admitted that when he first started, his Korean language skills were quite bad, but by using his spare time to study and practice, he improved so much over time. He said that Korean is not necessarily a difficult language to learn, but that he still struggles with the cultural nuances, in which different word might mean different thing in certain situations.

Currently, Royal Pirates are working on a new album and a revamped official website is scheduled to accompany their return. In the meantime, check out the group’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channel for updates from the band.

More KpopStarz coverage of the Royal Pirates Malaysia promotional tour:
 Royal Pirates Explain The Makings Of A Perfect Rock Song At 'Love Toxic' Press Conference In Malaysia
 Royal Pirates Treat 800 Fans To High-Energy Performance At Intimate 'Love Toxic' Showcase In Malaysia
Fan Gathering: Royal Pirates As Baristas For Lucky Fans In Malaysia - May 2, 2015 [PHOTOS]

Thank you to Universal Music Malaysia for the opportunity to interview Royal Pirates.