The global rise of K-Pop has been hard to miss, showcasing the talents of artists from Korea and other East Asian nations. Even so, Korea’s music scene is much more diverse. If K-Pop isn’t your bag (and even if it is), you definitely need to check out these three Korean musical acts with their own distinct sound who deserve more international attention.

The Grapes

This brand new guitar driven indie rock brother duo, debuted this year with an EP bringing original music with an early 2000s alt rock style. They already tag themselves as “you’re girlfriend’s favorite fruit” and “you’re boyfriend’s least favorite band”, which I love. They are getting some love for their hit “Summertime” and single “Repeat Mode,” and they already have a follow up EP on the way this month. Here’s their first MV for “Flying Jacket”:

Hodge

KDrama fans might best know Kim Hodge through his many beautiful contributions to their drama’s soundtracks, most recently “Waltz The Moon” for Can This Love Be Translated. He prefers to hang out in his farm house producing and performing peaceful, jazzy acoustic melodies. His voice is immediately distinctive and his sound is refreshingly old fashioned at times..in the best possible way. Listening to him is an instance remedy to stress.

HOA

This four-piece group has been around since about 2015, and has often been noted for their style inspired by The Beatles. This isn’t unintentional, as the oldies and 60s aesthetic is one of the things they do well. Their name HOA loosely translates to “a good me” (no Homeowners’ Association reference for us American listeners). Their sound is very nostalgic, and highly addictive. The worst thing about them is picking just one song to showcase, how here’s a newer one:

One of the biggest musical groups in the world, BTS, created a huge stir earlier this year for saying “thanks, but no thanks” to Grammy Awards after an “Asian Pop” category was introduced. Good for them. ALL music is for ALL people. Little gold trophies mean nothing.

One thing if for sure, it made people take notice of the diversity of sounds coming from Korea that go way beyond K-Pop.