I talked to Park Bench Club about their distinct sound, what to expect from their debut mini-album, their creative process, and much more. Read on to find out what makes this up-and-coming band’s music timeless and unique. Photo courtesy of Park Bench Club How did you come up with the band name Park Bench Club? Is there a story behind it? Actually, we were struggling with our band name for weeks, maybe months. Then one day, we were tossing around names for the band and the words “park bench” came to mind. It suits our color of music. We want our music to be as comfortable and as easily accessible as a park bench. Besides, the three of us each have a personality somewhat resembling it. So we all agreed on the name “Park Bench Club,” a club for people with a similar taste in music to ours. How would you describe the sound and image of Park Bench Club to someone unfamiliar with your music? Basically, our approach to making sounds and images is to make listeners feel as comfortable as sitting on a park bench. We also want to mix and reinterpret various genre elements such as rock, soul, jazz, funk, AOR, synth pop, and R&B in the simplest way, within the framework of “contemporary pop.” We want to make music that contains various colors yet is not complicated. For people who have never listened to your music before, which song should they listen to first, and why? We have released only three singles so far, yet they each carry very different scents. If you are feeling light and breezy, you should first listen to “Love Breeze.” If you are looking for some organic and natural-sounding music, “Drive-Thru” would be your answer. If you are up for a rhythmic, synth-wave vibe, you should listen to “Say You’ll Be Back Again.” Which musicians inspire you? Who would you like to collaborate with someday? Jae Hyun Ryu (lead singer): For me, they are Damien Rice, Sunset Rollercoaster, John Mayer, Louis Cole, and Tom Misch. And if I ever get a chance to collaborate with one of them, I would pick John Mayer. Just thinking about it gives me chills. Sook Hyun Kwon (keyboardist): I would say BTS, Lauv, Jungle, and soul music in general. I would choose Jungle if I got a chance to collaborate with one of them. Hyunjun Yim (guitarist): Musicians with unique atmospheres such as The Smashing Pumpkins, King Krule, Nick Hakim, and Kurt Rosenwinkel inspire me a lot. I want to collaborate with King Krule someday. What unique skills or ideas does each member of the band add to the group? Sook Hyun is very versatile in terms of chords and rhythm progressions. Hyunjun provides us with soulful guitar lines and creative sounds. Jae Hyun takes care of recording and most of the mixing. We each have very different sets of skills. We think that is why we work best as a group. What is your songwriting process like, and where do you find inspiration for song lyrics? We meet every weekend and just jam. Once we come up with some loopable chords or drums, we stack up a few more layers of different sounds, such as synth pads or guitar lines, and start to form a structure of the overall song. We tend to add vocals and solos later after we are finished with the song’s form. Jae Hyun Ryu (lead singer): I get inspiration for song lyrics mostly from my own experiences or from movies. It is usually a mixture of them. I think writing lyrics is like acting. I always think of a fictional character for the song and write from [that person’s] point-of-view. It is quite fun and helps me to be that person when I sing it. What is the new single “Say You’ll Be Back Again” all about? What is the meaning of the song’s music video? The music contains post-breakup emotions, the emptiness of the morning, the desperate feeling of wanting a loved one to come back…We’ve all been there at least once, right? Before we talk about the music video, it is conceived and produced by ROOSTER AMONG CRANES. We want to give huge thanks to this awesome video production team for their fantastic work. In the music video, we tried to express the music’s message into a cute, yet lonely, image of a ghost. The ghost follows the woman in the video and interrupts her date with another guy. The ghost seems to be around her because [the ghost] cannot get over her. But in fact, she also cannot leave the ghost, recalling memories with her ex-lover. The ghost may be her past lover covered in a long white cloth. Or it could be a long-cherished feeling that lingers in her mind. It may be a regret towards her ex-lover, an excuse, memories that come from time to time without a notice, or nothing. What the ghost really [represents] depends on each listener’s mind. Photo courtesy of Park Bench Club Do you plan to keep releasing singles, or is a full album in the works? Which do you prefer to make? Actually, we are working on an EP! We are expecting it to be 6-7 tracks long. We have been releasing our music only as singles, so we cannot say for sure, but [we] think we prefer albums to singles given that we all prefer listening to albums. Also, albums are like short stories or movies. They are easier to express what we want. We are really thrilled to release our first EP and think this one represents our musical style the best. It will be out hopefully in September, so stay tuned! What is next for Park Bench Club? Are there any upcoming projects you can give hints about? There are many interesting projects we want to do. For the time being, however, we will focus on working on our new EP and songs. We often upload songs from other artists we like on YouTube or Instagram in our home studio. Ultimately, by the time our released songs become more popular, we plan to shoot and upload live videos with a concept similar to NPR’s “Tiny Desk” series. There are also plans to collaborate with other musicians. Above all, we hope that the Covid situation will get better and that we can perform at a live concert. Where can people follow Park Bench Club on social media to stay updated on the band’s new releases? You can check out new releases on our Instagram. We have plans to start YouTube in addition to Instagram, but so far that’s the only [social media account for the band]. Is there anything else you’d like to say to fans of your music? Are there any key messages or feelings you hope they take from Park Bench Club’s music? First of all, we would like to say thank you to those who listen to our music. We hope people listen to our music whenever they are happy, sad and in need of comfort, or bored, to refresh themselves. For example, we made our song “Drive-Thru” hoping that people could refresh themselves in frustrating [COVID-19-related] situations. The music combines with certain moments of [people’s lives] to become a catalyst for recalling memories. Check out Park Bench Club’s music here, and watch their newest music video here! Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.
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