While I’ve only been going to Rebellion Festival for a couple of years, one of the things I quickly noticed, and loved, is how many overseas bands are on the line-up. 18 Fevers are one example of this, hailing from Seoul, Republic of Korea. I was blown away by them when they played the Introducing Stage last year. They packed out the room, and are returning this year (stage and time to be announced), so make sure you check them out!
Read on to see what the band had to say about their influences, and how the punk scene in Seoul differs from here in the UK.
For anyone not familiar with your music, how would you describe your sound?
Christmas (lead vocals/guitar): Good old LA punk with a little bit of extra spice!
Matt (bass): We jokingly started calling ourselves death punk disco but it fits. Death because we have a darker sound, punk because of our aggressive music and philosophy, disco because we like to throw in some fun dance elements and just have a good time.
Garik (drums): Dope ass beats.
YUHEE (lead guitar): Ruthless, just, and righteous.
I’ve seen quite a few people online compare you to The Distillers, are they an influence of yours? Who would you say your biggest influences are?
Christmas: First of all, I am so grateful that people say that my voice reminds them of The Distillers. Brody Dalle is one of my favorite punk artists and I grew up listening to her A LOT. Definitely I would say The Distillers had a big impact on me and my music style, but the musician I was most influenced by was Seotaiji, the Korean artist.
He’s not a punk rock musician per say, he started his career in a hip hop group, and when he became a solo musician, he brought lots of alternative genres to Korea. His passion and love for different kinds of music really widened my music taste and he was a gateway musician for me to listen to Korean punk rock bands.
Matt: I bring a lot of the LA deathrock sound like TSOL, with some UK post punk like Killing Joke, and with a heavy slathering of late 90’s spooky aggressive AFI energy.
YUHEE: We are influenced by 18 Fevers. We respect and reconcile each other’s inclinations and ideals. It seems that we gain influence when compromises are reached. Personally, I am most influenced by the worldviews of composers and lyricists.
If you had to recommend one of your songs to a new listener, which one would it be?
Christmas: ‘Danse Macabre’ is our most popular song, but I recommend ‘Let Me Live’, personally. It’s the song we wrote for Sergeant Byeon Hee-su who sadly passed away due to Korean society’s cyber bullying and extreme transphobia. May she rest in peace.
Matt: I would go with Save Your Venom because I love all the guitar work Christmas and YUHEE do on that song.
YUHEE: Never fall. It’s an intense and short song that shows the colour of 18 Fevers well.
You played Rebellion for the first time last year. How was that experience?
Christmas: It was mind blowing!!! We loved every single moment there, even when we were not on stage. The opportunity to see legendary bands, and new bands I didn’t know about, was super amazing. Being able to perform overseas and get to show our music to UK listeners gave me chills, and I loved every interaction I had there. I can’t wait to go back.
Matt: Rebellion was amazing for a lot of reasons. For me, the big thing was being a fairly new band coming from Korea and being treated as equals by some grizzled veterans and legends in the punk world. We gained a lot of confidence in our sound and identity as a band. It was like “Oh shit, this seems to work outside of Korea!”
Garik: We felt a welcoming energy from the whole music community. Everyone is cheerful for the festival and excited to see good bands and have good laughs. Big shoutouts to the Rebellion staff! From audio directors, to van drivers, to door security, and everything in between. There are many people behind the scenes that keep the event running smoothly.
YUHEE: It was my first time performing abroad, but I felt that maybe a stage is the same everywhere. I did my best and had fun as always. It was also a refreshing experience because musicians from all over the world and audiences of various ages rarely meet in Korea.
You gained a lot of UK fans from last year. What’s the punk scene in South Korea like? How do the shows you play there compare to over here?
Christmas: Korean punk scene is not that big, but very passionate. We only have a handful of punk bands, and everybody knows everybody here, and that kinda makes it more fun. We always show up at each others shows and make a mess all the time haha.
The only thing I don’t like is that most of them do not want to talk about “sensitive” topics. Feminist is used as an insult in Korea, it is a very xenophobic and queerphobic country (even in the punk scene) so lots of people act like they’re walking on eggshells whenever those kinds of things are brought up. I hope that changes, and I hope to make a contribution to make that change.
Matt: The scene is tiny and still relatively young compared to most places, not extremely diverse but full of amazing talent, with some fantastic fans that bring an energy to every show. When we go overseas and come back to Korea, that energy welcomes us and makes us feel at home.
Garik: A lot of shows in Korea are underground. Literally, you must walk downstairs to get to the venue below the street level. It makes for an awesome intimate setting with the crowd. If we perform for 2 people, or 200 people, the vibes are always great. UK fans are super down to earth and easy to talk with. They love and respect the art of music, especially anything punk or even close to punk.
What can we expect from your set at Rebellion this year?
Christmas: Honestly, I don’t know! I always get super nervous right before going up on stage but try to pour myself out every time I’m out there. I can tell you I will do my fucking best!
Matt: I think we’re tighter while being more chaotic on stage. New tricks up our sleeves and a handful of new songs to add to the favorites.
Garik: Come hang out with us! Come say hello or tell us we suck. Boo us. Either way, let’s have a good time and jam out together. If someone falls in the pit, help them up.
YUHEE: We are preparing new songs and better performances than the previous year.
Are there any bands you’re particularly excited to see over the weekend?
Christmas: Of course one of them has to be Rumkicks, our fellow Korean punk band. Super excited to see Cock Sparrer since we didn’t get to see them last year. Cockney Rejects will be awesome too!
Matt: Gogol Bordello, The Baboon Show, Half Naked Headline, The Pawns, Dummy Toys, Cock Sparrer, Channel 3
Garik: Dummy Toys, Slackrr
YUHEE: The Pawns, Dummy Toys
What else are you up to this year?
Christmas: Well, at the point of this interview, we are currently recording 3 songs of ours, so hopefully those will be released before we get to the UK. Also, we did this awesome collaboration with an electronic musician in Korea called Fat Hamster and I’m sure that one will come out beautifully too.
Matt: We’ve been recording stuff to release, as well as collaborating with a local electronic artist for a song. Maybe another trip to Japan? A few other surprises?
Garik: We aim to bring that gothic aggression. That dark drive from deep within the shadows of the unknown. There might be a fun groove here and there as well, who knows…
YUHEE: Like Matt said, we’re preparing for a new album and a variety of performances. Punk is hard work.
18 Fevers will be playing Day One (Thursday) of Rebellion Festival – tickets and info here
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