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| Members of Juck Juck Gunzie perform at a performance hall near Hongik University. / Courtesy of Juck Juck Gunzie |
By John Redmond
Korean psychedelic indie rock band Juck Juck Grunzie will continue its tour of Europe with shows in Berlin tonight and Saturday. The quartet features three female members and a male drummer.
The group started making music together in 2007. Originally formed as an all-girl post-punk outfit, the quartet made its debut in Seoul's underground scene at a Nirvana tribute show.
Playing a cover of "Hairspray Queen" in nothing but their underwear, they quickly attracted attention in the alternative scene in the traditionally conservative South Korea.
Over the next three years, the band members made a name for themselves by performing abrasive post-punk rock songs while dressed in everything from soccer uniforms to pajamas.
After the addition of bassist Shim Hyo-jeong in May 2011, Juck Juck Grunzie recorded its first EP, "Soundchecking." The EP was recorded in one take at a live indie club in Seoul. The songs on the EP, as well as the recording process, reflect the punk-ethos which has guided the band's music.
The group came in second place at 2012's Hello Rookie finals in Korea and in 2013 it toured overseas in Taiwan. In November 2013, it released a full-length album, "Psycho." Included in the tracks was an inspired take on a Dead Kennedys' song.
Shortly before their performance at the Glastonbury Festival and Windmill Brixton in London, the U.K., vocalist and synthesizer player Lee Ah-reum of Juck Juck Grunzie spoke to The Korea Times regarding the European tour.
Q: Are you excited to be touring Europe?
A: This will be Juck Juck Grunzie's first time to perform in Europe. And we still can't believe we'll be playing our first gig there at one of the top music events in the world.
When we got the news that we would be playing at Glastonbury, we actually started crying! It is such an amazing opportunity for us. And we're really happy to be playing in London and Berlin too. Hopefully this is the first of many European tours for us.
Q: What are you looking forward to about Glastonbury, London and Berlin?
A: We've heard lots and lots of stories about Glastonbury, so we're looking forward to experiencing the craziness of this massive, renowned event for ourselves. We're really excited about being able to meet other bands and new music fans during our European tour.
Q: It's been two years since the release of your first full-length album, "Psycho." Will you be playing any new material during your concerts in Europe?
A: We're working on songs for the follow-up to Psycho now and hope to release our second album next spring. We'll actually be previewing two new tracks from the album during our European gigs. We hope people like what they hear!
