The 17-year veteran band Daybreak has returned with a new album that captures the past, present, and future of the band, infused with their enduring passion.

The band's 3rd mini album, “Semicolon,” is its first album since their 2016 full-length 4th album, “With.” In the interim, the band had been active through collaborations with other artists and the release of singles.

The title “Semicolon” reflects the punctuation mark’s role in adding to a sentence. The members explained that they used this album to tell the stories they hadn’t been able to share previously.

“While two lead tracks were created through collaboration with new producers for this album, tracks 3 and 4 are re-arranged versions of songs we wrote in the past. This album showcases Daybreak’s past, present, and future,” explained vocalist Won-seok.

The album features two titular tracks, “Semicolon” and “Old and Wise,” which showcase distinctly different styles. While “Old and Wise” is a major-key track reminiscent of Daybreak’s previous hit songs like “Flower Road” and “Love Actually,” “Semicolon” represents a bold new musical experiment for the band with melancholy sound.

“When people think of Daybreak, they often associate us with bright, upbeat, and positive songs. But we wanted to show that we can also express a wider range of emotions,” said Won-seok.

“Old and Wise” addresses themes of life and growth, and the band selected it as a title track due to its relatable message. Won-seok, who wrote the lyrics for all the songs on the album, revealed that “Old and Wise” lyrics were completed in just five hours.

“Writing the lyrics for ‘Old and Wise’ was the easiest process. Usually, I make lots of edits, but this time, we recorded it as it was. Even though it’s a bit rough, it felt more sincere, and that’s exactly what the song needed,” he said.

On the other hand, “Semicolon” proved to be the most challenging track to complete. “In its demo state, whether the song should feel sad, hip, or stylish wasn't clear. We had many discussions about how to convey the song’s emotional tone best,” shared Won-seok.

Earlier this year, the band made a major career move by switching agencies from MPMG, the band's home of 17 years, to Mystic Story. Bassist Sun-il noted, “We had a deep connection with our former agency, but we felt like we were in a rut. We wanted to tighten things up and take on new challenges.”

Daybreak plans to wrap up the year with a two-day solo concert at Yes24 Hall on Dec. 28-29. Since its flagship concert series, “Summer Madness,” was not held this year due to the agency switch, the members have vowed to put everything they have into the year-end show.

“This year’s concert will have three acts. The first, 'Comma,' will focus on our past. The second, 'Semicolon,' will highlight the stories we’ve always wanted to tell. Finally, the third act, 'Period,' will be a culmination of Daybreak’s journey so far. We want to show our fans the direction we’re headed in the future,” said Won-seok.

Amid the so-called “Band Boom” -- a rise of band music -- currently taking place in South Korea, Daybreak expressed excitement.

“This boom could act as a catalyst for artists who’ve been stuck in a slump to become more active again,” said Sun-il. Keyboardist Jang-won echoed this sentiment, noting that listening to music from younger bands motivates him to do even better.

Won-seok promised that Daybreak would release new music more frequently next year.

“Next year, we plan to release more of the songs we’ve been stockpiling. Honestly, it’s disheartening how quickly new songs are forgotten in today’s fast-paced industry, but next year, we’re committed to staying active and releasing music more consistently,” he said.