[EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW] Korea’s Indie Punk Band – Crying Nut

HypnoticAsia has an exclusive interview with Korean Indie Punk band Crying Nut! They’ll be returning to the U.S. for their tour and to play at SXSW yet again this year.

Through this interview, the members speak about their upcoming U.S. Tour, what they want to do here, their set list, and what it was like performing at SXSW back in 2012, as well as, why they are excited to perform once again this year.

Read their interview below!

HYPNOTICASIA: We heard you are holding a U.S. Tour this March, why did you choose the United States this time?

• Sangmyun Lee: The main reason for our US tour is to play at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas.  We wanted to do more than just play at the festival, so we added some extra dates in Pomona, Los Angeles, and San Antonio too.  We previously played at SXSW in 2012.  The fest was a lot of fun and we got to see so many good acts play there.
• Sanghyuk Lee: SXSW has a great atmosphere, so that’s why I think all of us really wanted to come back to the US and play there again.
• Insoo Kim:  And of course we wanted to tour the US again because it’s a fun place to visit!  Having fun is always important!

HYPNOTICASIA: Is there anything you do differently while performing here in the U.S. versus performing in Korea?

• Insoo Kim:  I don’t think we really do anything different when performing overseas.  We plan to play hard and have a lot of fun onstage, which is the exact same thing we do in Korea.

HYPNOTICASIA: For this upcoming tour, do you plan to perform any unheard songs or covers?

• Sangmyun Lee: We released our seventh album, “Flaming Nuts,” last year.  We’re going to play music from that album and maybe a few covers too just for fun.  I think we’re also going to play some older songs that we usually don’t play very often anymore.
• Sanghyuk Lee: A few of those older songs we used to play a lot when we were younger.  So this will be a rare chance for people to hear them again.

HYPNOTICASIA: What can U.S. fans expect from your upcoming tour?  Will the set-list be the same for all stops?

• Sangmyun Lee: People can expect to receive the full-on Crying Nut experience.  We’re going to have a lot of fun during the shows and hope everyone else does too.  We’re going to change our set list a lot while we’re in the US, so feel free to come see us play more than once if you can!
• Insoo Kim:  You can expect to see five drunken men playing the music they love and having a blast.  I think we play much stronger when we drink during shows.  So please buy us a drink or two if you come!

HYPNOTICASIA: What is the band doing to prepare for all the U.S. shows?

• Sangmyun Lee: Drinking and practicing.
• Sanghyuk Lee: We’re keeping our preparations secret!

HYPNOTICASIA: We heard that you performed as part of the SXSW tour in 2012; what was it like? Also, any memorable moments from the shows?

• Yoonsik Park: We had an amazing time at SXSW in 2012!  Our official showcase during the festival was held at a place called Soho Lounge.  The venue was an old wooden building and lots of people were going crazy and jumping around while we played.  The police actually showed up during the show because they were worried the venue would collapse from so many people jumping!
• Insoo Kim:  SXSW was a great experience for us.  I don’t think any of us realized how big and great the festival is before we played there.  My favorite memories from our visit to SXSW in 2012 are meeting some really cool bands like Melvoy, Pinata Protest, and Bonaparte.

HYPNOTICASIA: Are there any U.S. bands out there that have been an influence on the band as well as its music?

• Sangmyun Lee: There are too many to write!  Especially the mindset of early ‘90s alternative bands was a big influence on me.
• Insoo Kim:  The US has a lot of good bands.  I like Dead Kennedys a lot.  And nowadays I really love Ricky Skaggs.
• Yoonsik Park: Dead Kennedys have been a big influence on me too.  They are true punk rockers.

HYPNOTICASIA: In the United States, is there anywhere you’d like to visit, eat, tour or shop?

• Sangmyun Lee: There are tons of places, we’d like to visit in the US to eat, tour, and shop.  For this tour, though, I think we’re all really looking forward to eating lots of delicious barbecue in Austin during SXSW.

HYPNOTICASIA:  Can we expect any new albums or music in 2014 from Crying Nut?

• Yoonsik Park: After our American concerts, we plan to record a new single.  I’m not sure when we’ll release it yet, though.

5 Fun Questions:

Texas or California?

• Sanghyuk Lee: Texas
• Insoo Kim:  I like them both!
• Yoonsik Park: Um … which place has hotter girls?  That’s where I want to go!

Favorite K-POP group/band?

• Sangmyun Lee: I love Crayon Pop.  They’re really cute!
• Insoo Kim:  Crayon Pop
• Yoonsik Park: Crayon Pop

Favorite Crying Nut song?

• Sangmyun Lee: “Let’s Drink” and “Summer”
• Sanghyuk Lee: “Give Me the Money”
• Insoo Kim:  “My World”
• Yoonsik Park: “Speed Up Losers”

Favorite movie or drama?

• Sangmyun Lee: Machete
• Sanghyuk Lee: Sherlock and Machete
• Insoo Kim:  Machete and Machete Kills

Coffee or Tea? (or Beer?)

• Sangmyun Lee: Beer.
• Sanghyuk Lee: Beer, beer, and more beer.
• Yoonsik Park: Absolutely beer.
• Insoo Kim:  I’m not a big fan of American coffee.  I like bourbon.

U.S. Tour dates & stops:

• March 8 Pomona, CA @ Characters
• March 9 Los Angeles, CA @ Redwood Bar & Grill
• March 11 Austin, TX @ (10:30 pm) Elysium (Official SXSW Showcase)
• March 13 Austin, TX @ (5:15 pm) Spider House Cafe and Ballroom (The Texas Rock N Roll Massacre 2)
• March 14 Austin, TX @ (4:30 pm) The Dog & Duck Pub (Exchange Entertainment presents)
• March 15 Austin, TX @ (6 pm) Antone’s Records (Freddie Steady’s 14th Annual Frontier a Go Go Rock & Roll Hootenanny)
• March 16 San Antonio, TX @ Limelight
• March 18 Los Angeles, CA @ Cafe Nela