Q&A: Korean American Band JOSEON Reflects on SXSW and EP "YOUTHiNASiA"
SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCES AS ASIAN AMERICANS IN MUSIC — LA–based band JOSEON is inspired by much of their culture, which is the foundation of their band, making their music completely unique. Recently, the trio, composed of Brennan Shin (guitar, vocals), Jonah Cho (drums), and Grant Spitzer (vocals, guitar) have released their debut EP, YOUTHiNASiA, and performed at SXSW 2024.
The band is known for combining a variety of influences spanning from the ’60s to the ’90s to create an experimental sound. The creative composition of their songs place a focus on the storytelling of their music.
Read below to learn about JOSEON’s newest experiences as a band.
Photography Credit: Bella Lee
LUNA: What was your experience like at SXSW? I heard about your showcase and I wanted to go.
SPITZER: What did you hear?
LUNA: I saw your band name and I was like, “they look pretty cool. I want to go to that showcase.”
SPITZER: That’s funny because we did get a couple of people being like, “oh, you're Jo-son. I love your guy's name,” or, “oh, you're Jo-say-on.” It was fun to be around other artists that were so talented. And to feel like we were really part of a scene as musicians.
SHIN: Playing the Jaded Presents showcase at Empire Garage was eye-opening. It was the first time we’d played on an all-Asian bill, and it was great.
LUNA: Do you feel a sense of community as an Asian American band in LA?
CHO: We’re still looking for it.
LUNA: Did it feel different playing in Austin versus LA?
SPITZER: I would say that it was different because in LA we’re usually the only all-Asian band on the bill. But [Austin was the] first time we were surrounded by a bunch of Asian artists who were so good. It was a privilege to feel like we were part of a community [and] saying something important about our culture.
LUNA: I get it. Everytime I see a South Asian artist performing, I’m like, you’re literally me.
SPITZER: We have a lot of literally me moments.
LUNA: How did you form JOSEON?
SHIN: Grant and I have known each other all our lives because our parents are longtime friends. During COVID we went back to Korea, the motherland. We were looking for a drummer and met Jonah, who turned out to be a great dancer. We said, “that’ll have to do.”
LUNA: So what’s this about Jonah being a dancer?
CHO: They love to bring this up. Back in my previous life I did like to dance a little bit, but I'm nowhere near professional, or anything like that.
SPITZER: Yeah, he hung up the ballet shoes.
LUNA: How does your Korean American heritage influence your work as a band?
SPITZER: Having immigrant parents, and then us being born in the US… living in both worlds and understanding both cultures definitely influences our music. Feeling like we're in two places at once, but also in neither place at the same time. That emotional dissonance manifests in our music.
SHIN: We feel like that limbo space is captured sonically, especially on this EP, which we're very proud of.
LUNA. How would you describe the sound of YOUTHiNASiA?
SHIN: Swirling, immersive, and hypnotic, while also raw in some moments.
LUNA: What inspiration went behind the creation of the record?
CHO: I think one of our inspirations was trying to give a full story to this EP. If you listen to it straight through, we were very intentional about the transitions and ordering of the songs, so that it [felt like] a journey that we can take the listener on. That was really important for us.
SPITZER: We weren't looking to make a genre record. We were looking to collect six songs in a way that would make sense for us. I think the inspirations are very diverse.
LUNA: Why do you say “collect” songs? That is a different word choice from what artists normally use.
SPITZER: What we were trying to do with [the songs on the EP] was to kind of have them be a whole miniature world for four to five minutes. When I say collect, I think it's [related to] ideas. It feels like you've just kind of caught them out of the air, instead of sat down and wrote it. [There is] more of a looseness.
LUNA: What was the process behind making the EP?
SHIN: I think in terms of the writing process, especially for this EP, we really leaned into trying to generate something that can only be found when the three of us are working. I think it makes a very unique sound. Somebody comes in with a beat, lyric, riff, a few chords, and then we all bang it out together. Some only stand the test of time because we think they tell a true coherent story.
LUNA: Is there a particular song that tells a story on the EP?
SHIN: I mean, the problem is, we're all going to disagree. My first instinct was to say "WHERE TO GO.” I feel like that one encompasses the lyrics. Like we actually wrote some lyrics.
SPITZER: I would say “WHERE TO GO” is one of the most compelling moments. I think it's very capable of standing on its own two legs.
CHO: [The band proceeds to all agree] There's a very real sincerity in “WHERE TO GO” that I think speaks to the album, especially because it's stripped back.
SPITZER: It's just a phone recording of Brennan and I playing acoustic guitars in the living room.
SHIN: For some reason that rawness tells more than the really big moments of the record.
LUNA: Any final words?
SHIN: Thanks for listening to our music. We hope that somebody gets their own story or inspiration from this project. That's huge for us.
