The studio is not the only place where new music is created. Sometimes it starts with a single line jotted down in passing. Sometimes it’s a melody that you find yourself humming. And sometimes an idea can take shape from an image or even a feeling.

CORTIS – the five-member group consisting of MARTIN, JAMES, JUHOON, SEONGHYEON and KEONHO – is a young creator crew known for distilling these inspirations into tracks, then transforming them into stage performances. One example is its latest EP, GREENGREEN, in which every member contributed to the writing, composition, choreography and videography.

Here are their go-to apps to make sure the decisive moment of creation never slips away.

For leader MARTIN, creation often starts on his iPhone. “I always write stuff down in the Notes app first. If I can’t get it down as text, I use the voice memo function so I don’t lose my ideas.” JAMES works the same way. “I jot it down first, then act on it the moment I get a chance.”

For SEONGHYEON, the source of inspiration is daily life itself. “Often times, things said in conversation with the members, scenery seen while travelling and thoughts or feelings in the studio naturally become part of the music or a concept. I keep my Notes app open at all times while working, so I can put down ideas or lyrics on the spot.”

JUHOON adds that while working on the demo for “REDRED”, he wrote down a simple phrase as a rhyme. That was how “green green” became the message of the song, and ultimately the album.

Once an idea starts taking shape, CORTIS reaches for GarageBand. As MARTIN puts it: “I focus on sketching ideas quickly. Rather than chasing perfection, I think it’s about catching that feeling in the moment, before it slips away.” For this group that pours out explosive energy on stage but works with deep introspection when making music, GarageBand is the canvas where the first outlines of an idea are drawn.

JAMES says he loves using the piano in GarageBand. “I use it when there’s no piano around, like when I’m overseas or just before stepping on stage. I also use it a lot for vocal practice.”

SEONGHYEON, meanwhile, has been discovering new ways to use GarageBand lately. “The virtual instruments are really good and easy to use, so they come in handy when I want to use instruments I can’t actually play in a track.”

KEONHO uses GarageBand to clear his head, taking advantage of how easily it travels with him. “I tend to use it when I need a fresh perspective. Sometimes a change of environment really helps the work.”

Once the sketch is done, full-on production begins in Logic Pro. Powerful features such as Chord ID, which automatically detects a track’s chords and makes overall harmony easy to fine-tune, and Stem Splitter, which isolates individual parts from a combined file of vocals and instruments, are available across Mac and iPad.

JUHOON uses these tools to flesh out the ideas in his head. “They’re so helpful in turning the inspiration in my head into actual music. And the way we work with Apple products can itself become inspiration.”

Even the opening line of “YOUNGCREATORCREW” – “Teppanyaki on my Mac” – came from a real moment. The members were working on a beat together on MARTIN’s MacBook when someone said, “Oh, that’s fire”. Just like that, a quick comment became material for the song.

The next stage is performance, building something that fits seamlessly with the music. For that, CORTIS turn to a tool that’s always at hand and ready to capture the moment whenever they need it. MARTIN explains, “We shoot with iPhone and then monitor it together on iPad.”

JAMES says their approach has evolved since their debut. “Before, we focused on what made for good listening. Now, we think about how we’ll connect with the audience on stage as we make the songs and performances.” The choreography for “TNT” came together the same way.

JAMES adds, “Even the moves we did jokingly, laughing with each other, made it into the choreography.” They chose the natural chemistry between the five of them over polish. And KEONHO is already imagining what comes next: “When I listen to these songs, a really huge stage with a huge crowd just comes to mind. I can’t wait to perform them.”

Here’s how MARTIN defines CORTIS: “A team where each member’s own colour comes through, but together we’re building one story.” All together, every piece, from start to finish reflects is how the five members work, and that’s the CORTIS identity.

From a line in Notes, to sketches in GarageBand, to shaping tracks in Logic Pro, to shining on stage – this is how GREENGREEN came to be.

Logic Pro is available on iPad.