South-Korean punks Rumkicks came over to the UK for the first time in 2022, to play Rebellion Festival. They wowed everyone on the introducing stage, and returned last year to play the Empress Ballroom stage. With some new material since then, they’re back for a third time, and I’m willing to bet it will be their strongest set yet.
Read on, and get to know Rumkicks better…
For anyone not familiar with your music, how would you describe your sound?
Joo: Pure punk. I’m proud of myself about the strength and sensitive rhythm.
Yeawon: Fast and fun music.
If you had to recommend one of your songs to a new listener, which one would it be?
Koda: I recommend Let’s go, the single released right before US tour. And our new single, Birthday Rock.
Joo: I recommend ‘Let’s go’. It will give you fuel and the strength to go forward when you’ve been through a hard time.
Yeawon: I like Don’t Touch My Head, I just like this song with no reason. And if you prefer more deep one, I will recommend Proud of Madness.
You’ve definitely gained a lot of fans in the UK from playing at Rebellion. How does the punk scene in South Korea compare to in the UK?
Yeawon: I don’t know if we have many fans in UK, but I’m so appreciative that I always feel so welcome at Rebellion. Korean punk scene is something similar and something quite different from UK. Here, there would never be a ‘punk festival’ – it’s a relatively small scene, but we still have good bands.
Last year, you talked about how hostile people can be back home because of the way you look and dress. How you cope with that?
Yeawon: I usually wear a wig because I don’t wanna make any trouble in ‘official’ place (when I work, meet parents, etc..). When we do spikes and mohawks, we try to avoid roaming around and just go straight the venue.
Are there any bands you’re particularly excited to see over the weekend?
Yeawon: Cocksparrer, Stiff Little Fingers, Cockney Rejects
What else are you up to this year?
Yeawon: We will be touring Europe in the summer! It will be the biggest one tour I’ve ever done. And in September, we will go to Singapore and Malaysia, and October we have our Japan tour!
My plan is make many new songs during this winter and release early next year!
Rumkicks will be performing on the Empress Ballroom stage on the Sunday of Rebellion Festival this year – tickets and info here.
You can find Rumkicks on Facebook // Instagram // Bandcamp
