A Sit Down with JOSEON, the Experimental Korean Alt-Rock Band

Interview & Photos by Sarah Hyun

Q and A disclaimer: Responses have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity, and trimmed for length

Interview & Photos by Sarah Hyun

JOSEON, a Los Angeles-based psychedelic rock trio, describe their sound as "Korean Radiohead." Their music merges Radiohead’s experimental instrumentals, Elliott Smith’s vulnerable lyricism, and the haunting ambiance of Duster. Consisting of Grant Spitzer, Jonah Cho, and Brennan Shin, the band has built steady momentum within California’s indie scene. In recent interviews with HAZZE, JOSEON discussed their SXSW experience, creative process, and the stories behind their latest EP, “YOUTHiNASiA.”

Getting To Know the Band

Q: How did you come up with the name JOSEON? Can you also share the backstory of how you formed, and what brought you all together? 

Cho: JOSEON is the name of the last Korean dynasty. So think with that what you will.

Shin: Grant and I, we knew each other since before we were born. Our parents were friends before we even came out of the womb. During 2020, we decided to take a trip to the motherland. Some say, as in us, it was love at first sight. 

Cho: It was pretty much a chance meeting. One of my friends that I made at school happened to know Brennan and Grant from before, and he kind of introduced us. That friend invited me to come to Korea during our gap year, and so I decided to go, and then I ended up meeting these two guys and now, here we are.

Q: If you could collaborate with any artist or person dead or alive, who would it be?

Spitzer: For me, honestly, it would be David Lynch because I like how he uses music as part of the plot, like diegetic music. When we released our first song, “Amfal,” somebody told me that it reminded them of David Lynch music. And that's always kind of stuck in my brain. I don't know if they meant it that way, but I took it as a huge compliment.

Shin: I guess on the music front, it'd be really cool to work with David Bowie or Johnny Greenwood, who I think all of us admire for their sense of soundscaping, and their experimentation in the studio. I think that inspires us a lot.

Cho: I'm gonna say Elliott Smith, the fact that he did it all. You know, he played guitar, played drums, and sang. The fact that he could just compose a whole song in his head and feel the song, you know, and be able to translate that into actual music, I think that's a really dope skill.

Q: What's one thing each of you brings to the band that wouldn't be the same without you? 

Spitzer: I think Brennan has a very like, we say zen sometimes, but it's a bit more than that. I think Brennan is very centered within himself. Very grounded. And even though he's definitely a daydreamer type, his energy keeps us afloat and excited about what's to come next. Helps us stay present and engaged in what we're doing and keeps things in perspective. 

Cho: I can do Grant. Grant is a very inspiring person, just by the way he carries himself, but also, how he talks and presents what he's feeling and his ideas. He gives very inspirational and motivational speeches. Monologues, if you will, feels like we're about to go to war. I love the energy. I love the passion, you know? 

Shin: I think Jonah is super even-keeled and level-headed in all situations. He really does put a lot of things into perspective like, “It's good to be here today. We get to play today. Man, that was so fun to do.” And he's a damn hard worker. It's nice to have someone who can keep us all together and keep us all even. Never too high, never too low, and understanding that where we are today is a damn great place to be, you know? I remember we played our most recent show, and Jonah just told me like, “Man, that was so fun to play. I'm so happy to have just played to a group of people and have had them experience what we have to offer.” 

YOUTHiNASiA

Q: So tell us about “YOUTHiNASiA” — what inspired the name, and what was your creative process like when writing and recording the EP?

Spitzer: I mean that was honestly a stupid pun that I would make up while we were meeting each other in Korea. I think at one point we were talking about how it was gonna be the band name. Because it was Local Fiends, Han, Leech Bong. For writing it, a lot of the writing for that actually happened while we were apart from each other and still in school. 

Shin: In terms of recording, we definitely did a lot of home recording, but we gained a connection, shout-out to Michael Gove. He recorded, mixed and mastered “YOUTHiNASiA.” It was cool to work with somebody else, definitely.

Q: Can you share the story behind one of your songs on the EP? Maybe the one you're most proud of, or one that means a lot to you.

Shin: I'll talk about “Where To Go,” the closer on our album that was written two to three years ago. I remember Grant and I talking on the phone and we were like, “You know, in a year or two or whenever this next project comes out, that is going to be the [closing song] because it really encompasses that era.” Underrated track. It’s pretty much the same exactly as it was then, except for, I'd say some lyrical changes.

Cho: I was gonna say “Vertigo.” I think it also has to do with how we play it live and, not even live, but also in the rehearsal room with no one watching. It's always a very emotionally draining song. Not that that's a bad thing, but it just takes a part of you out, which is always fun. And, I don't know, it's an experience playing that song as I hope it is listening to it, or, being a part of it, you know?

Spitzer: “Sleepwalking” was the only song that we've ever written where the words came first. I wrote a poem for a creative writing class that was about my experiences when I was a kid with sleepwalking episodes. The whole song came together in like ten minutes and I put it into Ableton and did a demo that I think is out there somewhere. I remember sending it to both of the guys and they were both very excited about it. I was a little anxious about putting it on the EP because I felt like it was kind of different from what we were doing. But everybody else liked that.

SXSW & More

Q: So you're playing SXSW again this year. What are you most looking forward to and which artists are you most excited to see? 

Spitzer: One of the artists for sure is Her New Knife, who opened up for Julie's national tour, the Anti-Aircraft Friend tour.

Shin: untitled halo, Bleary Eyed, Archer Oh.

Spitzer: I think in terms of what we're really excited for, we're playing a lot of shows over six days. I think we're at nine shows in six days. So, you know, there's nothing like being on tour as a band. It’s a lot of fun and I think after the week, even though we'll be really tired, it'll be a good tired. You know what I mean?

Cho: I remember last year at SXSW just walking through the streets and seeing a bunch of bands going in and out of venues, a bunch of fans going, walking around the streets, eating food, and having a good time. I think that picture in time is what I'm excited for.

Shin: Something that's new for us is we're going to be playing a live electric set on the radio, on UT Austin's KVRX. So that's going to be pretty cool. They've got the green screen and stuff. We're going to have fishes in the back. Weird fishes.

Favorite Memories

Q: What's your favorite memory at one of your shows or perhaps the craziest? 

Shin: We were playing at USC Village, almost a year ago now. There was this Korean couple that was right in front of us sitting there. And then the whole time they had the biggest smile on their faces. They came up to us afterwards and they were like, “Oh, it's so nice to see you, you know, Korean rockers.” I think that was the sentiment. People that look like us doing that, what you guys do.”

Spitzer: That was a very exciting feeling, to hear that from somebody else. I have one that's really early into our career. We were playing at one of our college campuses, like a backyard show, you know? We were doing a cover song. So people knew it. I remember during those days, a lot of us played with our eyes closed a little bit just to make sure that we’re staying in the moment. But I remember opening my eyes and seeing the whole crowd's heads moving in sync, up and down, and hearing them sing along to it too. I was like, “Oh my God, we need to write a song like this.” I think from being on the stage side, having been in a crowd for most of my life and a music enjoyer, it was weird being on the other side of that.

Cho: I was going to talk about the cops coming down. Back on our college tour, when we were doing shows at all of our colleges, we were at Northwestern doing another backyard show. We were just playing our set, nothing crazy. And the cops came to shut us down because we were too loud. And then Brennan's friend talked them off. 

Spitzer: Yeah. I think they bought us an extra fifteen minutes and they ate the fine too. They bought us burritos. Those guys were great, dude. That was a fun show. 

Q: What would each of you consider your, “I made it” moment or what's a turning point for you guys in the band?

Shin: Maybe not an “I made it” moment, but definitely a cool moment was when we played on an all-Asian bill, for Jaded at SXSW last year. We were listening to a lot of these artists online, and it was pretty surreal to be sharing the stage with them. 

Cho: In the early days of playing shows, a lot of it was just our friends and family and outside circles coming through. Playing to like five people. But once people that we didn't know or people that found us through Instagram or whatnot started coming to the shows and showing love and saying “what's up” after the shows — that was a cool moment to be part of, for sure. 

Spitzer: A cool moment too was hearing people singing lyrics from the songs for the first time live. What a weird feeling, you know? I remember thinking, Jonah always sings along in the back of the room. So, I could recognize his voice, and I know the lines he likes to sing. But then all of a sudden there were these other voices. I'm thinking, “What the hell? Who's that? What's going on?” I think that was at The Smell. Hearing people singing along to the EP and “Snows” was very surreal.

As JOSEON continues to carve a name for themselves in the psychedelic-rock world of Los Angeles and beyond, it is clear that their introspective lyricism and sonic experimentation will reach beyond just their circle of friends. From playing backyard shows to sharing the stage with their favorite artists at SXSW, Spitzer, Shin, and Cho are proving that success in a niche music genre is possible.