CÚT LỘN: A Vietnamese Punk Band's Journey to Radical Sound

Photo by Cá koi lang thang (@cakoilangthang)
CÚT LỘN has been making music for a long time and is still getting better. Their new album, 'Dzữa', is full of energy and poetry. The band used to wear funny costumes, but now they are more serious and sincere in their music.
Quang Sọt (far right) and Sergey are in the band.
Quang Sọt and Sergey started the band in 2018. Quang Sọt plays guitar, and Sergey plays drums because he couldn't find a good drummer.
The band has changed over time. Nguyên Lê joined on bass, and Vui Qá became the lead singer. They found Vui Qá when he sang a song on stage, and they liked him.
Quang Sọt performs live. Photo by @saxichuongduong.
CÚT LỘN used to wear Pikachu costumes, but now they are more serious. They grew up and wanted to show more emotions in their music.
The band said they had fun at first, but the costumes didn't fit their music anymore.
They stopped wearing costumes and started making new music.
The band used to wear Pikachu costumes.
As CÚT LỘN grows up, their music gets darker. Their album titles are about eggs, which show how they have changed.
Their new album, 'Dzữa', is about the world falling apart. The egg on the cover is rotten but still edible, which shows the state of the world.
Dzữa by CÚT LỘN
Making the album was hard because the band members were busy. They worked on the music in layers, adding new parts and emotions.
The band worked on the album with a sound engineer. They made a music video using old concert footage.
Cà Phê Sáng (Official VHS Video).
CÚT LỘN wants to be known worldwide. They have toured Asia and met people who share their values.
The band says that everywhere they go, they feel like they're with friends because they share the same spirit.
Touring is expensive, but the band sells merchandise to pay for it. They even made hot sauce with their name on it.
The band's hot sauce is called Cayvailon.
CÚT LỘN has seen the Saigon punk scene grow. More bands are forming, and more people are listening to their music.
But it's hard for clubs and concert venues to stay open. CÚT LỘN wishes there were better places to play.
CÚT LỘN performs live. Photo by Martin Kong.
The band is going on a European tour. They're excited to play in many countries and meet new people.
The tour will be tiring, but the band is ready. Quang Sọt will drive the tour van and play music every day.
We know where we are, and we want to share our music.
CÚT LỘN's European tour poster.
The band wants to be true to themselves. They don't want to act tough just because they're a hardcore band.