Going the Extra Myles
Written by Seoul Journal
Singer Myles Kennedy on Alter Bridge, Slash and Led Zeppelin
Myles Kennedy is a stellar vocalist with one of the most unique voices in rock today. Born Myles Richard Bass, he is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Alter Bridge. While on hiatus with Alter Bridge, he sang for one of the greatest guitarists in rock today — Slash, as part of his backing band Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, and to top it off, he has even jammed with members of one of rock’s most hallowed bands — Led Zeppelin. Seoul Journal talked with Myles Kennedy about his early introduction to music, bands that he has worked with and the rock music industry as a whole.
A Musician Sharing Her Music Globally Through Performance and Film
KT Tunstall is a Scottish musician best known for her 2004 song “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.” Her passion for music began at a young age. Since her first performance of her original song.Tunstall has gone on to become a successful singer. She is currently living in L.A., composing original film scores for movies. Her most recent release is the 2016 album KIN. Seoul Journal’s Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie talked with her during a break in her very busy schedule to discuss her career and her origins.
Lumineers Light Up the Charts
Written by Anthony Al-Jamie
American Folk Rock Band Tours the World with Long-Awaited Second Album
It was back in 2012 that the Lumineers, an American folk rock band from Denver, made a dashing debut with their self-titled album The Lumineers. Among the many refreshing and inventive tracks in the album, “Ho Hey” became a massive hit and went on to drive the album up to the second spot of the Billboard 200. In 2013, the New York Times described the Lumineers as a “young band." Now four years later, the band has become a major player in the American music scene and has recently released its long-awaited second album titled Cleopatra. The band consists of three members, Wesley Schultz (vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, piano) who are the founding members and co-songwriters, with NeylaPekarek, the cellist and backing vocalist. The band is currently on its world tour, taking on the globe with their original music and showcasing their growth ever since they released their debut album. Seoul Journal conducted an interview with Jeremiah Fraites, who talked about their new album Cleopatra and his experiences of being a member of the Lumineers.
Sumi Jo Singing with Seoul
Written by Anthony Al-Jamie
An Interview With Grammy Award Winner Sumi Jo
Sumi Jo was born Jo Su-gyeong. She is a lyric colotura soprano opera singer, which means when she sings she will often switch between very high notes. Sumi Jo began taking music lessons as a young child; she was put on a strict regimen and would practice for hours every day. She later went on to study at Sun Hwa Arts School, Seoul National University and the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. She made her European debut in 1986 in Rigelletto, and continued to preform operas throughout the European continent. She has also appeared on the small screen; in 2011 she provided the singing voice for Veda Pierce for Mildred Pierce on the HBO mini-series, Mildred Pierce. Sumi Jo has also appeared in the movies, she was nominated for a 2016 Academy Award for her performance of David Lang’s “Simple Song Number 3” in the film Youth. She currently lives in Rome and has two dogs.
Indie Group Thornapple
Written by Anthony Al-Jamie
An Indie Group With a Unique Image
Thornapple is an indie band from Seoul that began in 2009. Their first album was an overnight success that helped to cement the boy group in the small niche of Korean indie music. While their music is not as popular overseas as their K-Pop counterparts, the band stays committed to writing and creating new songs and to their fans. The band focuses on music and lyrics that allow the listeners to feel and connect with their emotions and are heavily inspired by band-member Yoon”s struggles with mental illness. The Seoul Journal managed to sit down with them recently to discuss their latest songs, their inspirations and their listeners.
Taking Dance from One Generation to the Next
From dancing as a hobby to performing on the big stage in dance crews, Ben Chung has made a name and a place for himself in the dance world. Chung started out practicing and performing with friends in local competitions around 2000 to 2001. Several years later in 2007, Chung joined the Jabbawockeez dance crew and shined on the stage and screen when the Jabbawockeez won the America’s Best Dance Crew T.V. competition in 2008 and 2010. His successes did not stop with those victories though, as he later moved on to the Kinjaz dance crew and helped bring them to prominence when the crew made it to the finals in Season 8 of America’s Best Dance Crew. With Kinjaz, Chung has traveled around the world teaching and learning about dance moves from dancers of other cultures. Back home in the United States, he works on developing and maintaining the Kinjaz dance studio where he hopes to pass on his techniques and experiences to a new generation of dancers. Chung still dances himself, but he looks ahead to a future where he can more strategically help Kinjaz make its mark on the dancing world just as the Jabbawockeez did years before. If anything, he wants Kinjaz to be even bigger than his old dance crew to the point where Kinjaz dazzles audiences across the globe with fantastically choreographed moves. Seoul Journal Executive Editor Anthony Al-Jamie spoke with Ben Chung about Chung’s origins in dance, his transition from the Jabbawockeez to Kinjaz and how he wants to make dance a positive creative force that benefits future generations of dancers.
Marvel Concept Artist Andy Park
Written by Anthony Al-Jamie
Bringing Comics to the Big Screen
After debuting in the 90’s with his artwork in the best-selling comic book series: Tomb Raider, Excalibur,Weapon X, and The Uncanny X-Men, Andy Park made a name for himself in the entertainment industry. Currently working as a professional concept artist for Marvel Studios, he has provided illustrations and designs for top-tier projects such as The Avengers, Thor, True Blood, God of War and Iron Man. Park talked to Seoul Journal about his career in the unique developing field of concept art, his love for comics and his Korean heritage.
Linkin Park’s Joe Hahn
Written by Anthony Al-Jamie
From DJ to Director
Joe Hahn is not only the DJ for band Linkin Park, but also directs music videos and movies. Linkin Park, formed in 1996, rose to fame with their debut album Hybrid Theory in 2000. Since then, they have won two Grammys and came out with six studio albums with hits such as “In the End” in 2000 and “Numb” in 2003. Hahn co-directed many of Linkin Park’s hit music videos, and most recently directed 2014’s “Until It’s Gone.” Hahn also directed the 2014 full-length feature film Mall. Hahn became the first Korean-American to win a Grammy in 2002 for Best Hard Rock Performance with band Linkin Park. Seoul Journal talked with Hahn about his start in the music industry, balancing his many projects, and his connection to his Korean heritage.
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