The musicians participating in the “K-Pop Night Out” stage, jointly hosted by the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Culture Ministry, discussed their goals for the events during a press event Tuesday in Seoul.

The annual concert, launched in 2013, showcases artists from a wide range of genres — including garage rock, hip-hop and punk rock. The concerts typically feature mostly underground or lesser-known artists with one or two big names or idol singers thrown in.

Tiger JK (left) and Yoon Mi-rae pose for a photo during Tuesday‘s press conference in Seoul for the K-Pop Night Out at the SXSW and TGE. (Korea Creative Content Agency)

Members of girl group Red Velvet speak during Tuesday’s press conference in Seoul for the K-Pop Night Out at the SXSW and TGE. (Korea Creative Content Agency)

Members of girl group Red Velvet speak during Tuesday’s press conference in Seoul for the K-Pop Night Out at the SXSW and TGE. (Korea Creative Content Agency)

Korean artists pose for a photo during Tuesday’s press conference in Seoul for the K-Pop Night Out at the SXSW and TGE. (Korea Creative Content Agency)

Last year’s line-up consisted of Epik High, Crayon Pop, Asian Chairshot, EE, Eastern sidekick, Hitchhiker and the Barberettes.

This year‘s lineup boasts more starpower than usual, with popular girl group Red Velvet along with star rapper couple Tiger JK and Yoon Mi-rae on the stage. Hyolyn of girl group Sistar will make an appearance, Big Phony will also make their SXSW debut, while No Brain and Galaxy Express return for the second time.

“I think it’s important to show off our own colors (as an artist). Some Asian artists tend to get timid in a foreign country, but the music is a language in itself,” said Lee Sung-woo, the leader and vocalist for No Brain, a punk rock band.

Tiger JK, considered one of the pioneers of Korean hip-hop, advised fellow musicians not to blindly mimic other musicians and to establish their own unique styles of music.

“There’s no exact answer (on how to be successful overseas), but I think trying your best to make your own kind of music would give you the best shot,” he said.

SXSW is an annual festival in Austin, Texas which showcases films, interactive media, music festivals and conferences. This year’s event will be held from March 10 to March 19.

In addition to the state-funded concert, other Korea-based artists including Kim Ban-jang and Windy City, Glen Check, Luna Lee, Neon Bunny, and XXX have been invited by the SXSW’s organizers to take part in the festival.

The K-pop showcase for TGE in Britain will feature bands Sultan of the Disco, the Barberettes, the Monotones and rapper MC Sniper.

The band Sultan of the Disco said that they became confident that they could succeed overseas during their two past performances in Britain when they noticed many of the same fans made repeat appearances at their show.

TGE, a three-day music festival held in Brighton and Hove, UK, hosts around 300 bands from various genres throughout the city. This year’s event will be held from May 18 to May 20.

“In the past, (my music) was very ‘heavy’ and aggressive. This is quite energy-consuming. I think I’m now at that stage where I can expand my view (in music), as opposed to what I’ve been done in the past,” he said.

MC Sniper poses for a photo after participating in a press event for Korea Creative Content Agency’s “K-Pop Night Out” on Tuesday in Seoul. (Korea Creative Content Agency)

MC Sniper last month released his latest album “Scope Music,” for which the 36-year-old played as a member of band for the first time in his career.

He said he hoped the new songs were not “too serious.” The songs by the Scope Band indeed reflect a more personal side of MC sniper, including the main track “She Loves Me,” which is a tribute to his mother.

“It’s my favorite one, and I think it came out all right. It’s my own story, and it’s not too heavy,” he said.

“Inspirations for my music always came from my personal life, but now the difference is that I get to build on it with my bandmates. Sometimes the idea is formed during a jam, other times while we’re having fun. I don’t want to seperate work from playing.”

The rapper has seen changes in both his life and music in the course of his 20 year career, which he says is only natural as music always goes through changes in trend. The most notable change came with the birth of his son in 2015.

“I’ve became more … gentle. So instead of making aggressive-sounding tracks, I tend to make songs that are easy to listen to,” he said.

This, however, does not mean that the rapper has stopped talking about pressing social issues.

“There are songs that I’ve written concerning the current social affairs. But I feel that these types of songs should be written naturally, not because I feel compelled to say something,” he said. “In some ways, music is a form of politics and contributing to society via music is an enjoyable thing. But if that doesn’t happen, so be it.”

This year, MC Sniper is performing at a music festival abroad for the first time ever. He is one of the four teams slated to appear at the Korea Creative Content Agency’s “K-Pop Night Out” held at The Great Escape in Brighton, England, in May.

“I’m really looking forward to working with other artists and experiencing different genres of music. Particularly showcasing Korean music to fans in other countries.”