Leenalchi, the Seoul, Korea based band led by composer Jang Young Gyu (occasionally written Youngkyu Jang), will release their new album, Sugungga, on October 2nd via Luaka Bop, the announcement arrives with lead single/video, “Crying Softshell Turtle.” Their line-up features two bassists, drums, keys, no guitar, and four pansori singers. The two bassists — Jang and his artistic collaborator Ejae — lay down bass riffs combined with a synthesizer, along with traditional pansori vocalists Park Soo Bum, Ahn Yi Ho, Ra Seo Jin, and Choi Su.

Today’s single, “Crying Softshell Turtle,” tells the story of an enterprising turtle on a quest to cure the dragon king by bringing him a sacrificial rabbit, whose liver is the greatest medicine. Assuming the role of the turtle, they sing “I beg you to open his belly, and I pray to god there is a liver in there. But if there isn’t a liver, you can execute my whole family and tear me to pieces, and I won’t have any regrets. I beseech you, open his belly.”

Earlier this month, Leenalchi wrapped up first-ever North American tour, making stops in Canada and the West coast, including Stern Grove Festival in San Francisco where they supported Japanese Breakfast. Next October, they begin a fall North American tour which begins with opening for Geese at Forest Hills in New York on the day Sugungga is released, followed by an appearance at Sylvan Esso’s Good Moon Festival in Durham, alongside shows in Washington, DC (at Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art) Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Chicago, Pittsburg, Minneapolis, and more.

The band’s fall tour will also include a mid-career retrospective of Jang’s film scores at The Metrograph in New York. In addition to showing some of his more well known films, they will screen a selection of his many collaborations with celebrated South Korean director, Park Chan-wook.

Leenalchi
Sugungga
Track List:
Luaka Bop

1. Mao Mao Mao (마오마오마오)
2. Tiger is Coming (범 내려온다 )
3. Catch a Rabbit (좌우나졸)
4. A Fish Map (어류도감)
5. Ultimate Prescription (약성가)
6. If You Want Me to Say (말을 허라니, 허오리다)
7. You Know Who I Am? (신의 고향)
8. Crying Softshell Turtle (별주부가 울며 여짜오되)
9. Ddiddiroo Diroo Diroo (약일레라)
10. Please Don’t Go (여보나리)

Film Screenings (in partnership with GYOPO)
Sat. Oct. 3 – Sun. Oct. 4 – New York, NY @ Metrograph (Career Retrospective)
Sat. October 10 – Durham, NC @ Good Moon Festival (various)
Sat. Oct 31 – Amherst, MA @ Amherst Cinema (The Wailing)
Wed. Nov. 25 – London, UK @ Rio Cinema (Train to Busan)

Leenalchi 2026 Tour Dates:

Fri. Oct. 2 – Queens, NY @ Forest Hills (w/ Geese)
Wed. Oct. 7 – Baltimore, MD @ Current Space
Thu. Oct. 8 – Washington, DC @ Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art
Fri. Oct. 9 – Durham, NC @ Good Moon Festival
Wed. Oct. 28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Asian Arts Initiative
Thu. Oct. 29 – Brooklyn, NY @ Pioneer Works
Sat. Oct. 31 – Amherst, MA @ Drake
Sun. Nov. 1 – Kingston, NY @ Assembly
Mon. Nov. 2 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Warhol Museum
Wed. Nov. 4 – Cleveland, OH @ Cleveland Museum of Art
Fri. Nov. 6 – Chicago, IL Sleeping Village
Sat. Nov. 7 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Cedar Cultural Center
Thu. Nov 12 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso (Upstairs)
Fri. Nov 13 – Rotterdam, NL @ Grounds
Sun. Nov 15 – Berlin, DE @ Gretchen
Tue. Nov 17 – Hamburg, DE @ Knust
Wed. Nov 18 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA Musikkens Hus
Fri. Nov 20 – Aarhus, DK @ Turkis
Sat. Nov 21 – Groningen, NL @ VERA
Tue. Nov 24 – Dublin, IE @ Whelan’s
Thu. Nov 26 – London, UK @ Jazz Cafe
Fri. Nov 27 – Bristol, UK @ The Jam Jar
Sat. Nov 28 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Sun. Nov 29 – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall

Pre-order Sugungga by Leenalchi HERE