Honey Jam Sam reflects on foreign experience in Korea in latest album
The cover of Honey Jam Sam's latest album, "East of Yeadon" / Courtesy of Honey Jam Sam
Seoul is one of the world's largest cities, but when you're in a creative community or other subculture, it can feel almost more like a small town.
Right in the center of this metropolis, in a hillside neighborhood that once was a refugee settlement, Rob Nichols, the British frontman of local alt-country band Honey Jam Sam, lives in a rooftop apartment overlooking a two-lane road, where he can encounter people from all walks of life. In his apartment, he has set up his own home recording studio, which he named Sky Cottage Studios.
"Somehow we have our own little community, and I have my own little space within that," he told The Korea Times. "Sometimes it doesn’t feel real, disconnected from the larger picture. I guess I’m just carving out my own little niche with my band while I can."
He's preparing for the release of Honey Jam Sam's latest album, due out on Saturday, titled "East of Yeadon."
The name is a reference to Yeadon Airport, now Leeds Bradford Airport in Yeadon, West Yorkshire, where he began his journey to Korea in 2009.
"I was looking for a title that incorporated both elements of home and the East, and this seemed to cover both nicely," he said. "The album is made up of songs about leaving home, making a new home (in the East) and everything in between."
Rob Nichols appears with his white cowboy hat in Itaewon, July 24. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
The album starts off with "If This Is A Dream," a dreamy song filled with vivid biographical details. Nichols describes the song as a "fictionalized story of how (he) came to Korea, based on true events."
"I came here after a breakup and I felt trapped in England," he said. "I needed to get out."
Throughout the album, certain elements keep arising, picking up narrative throughlines from earlier songs that touch on love, regret and living with mistakes.
The song "Old Town" references an old Itaewon bar, and the song references incidents that may or may not have happened to Nichols there.
"When something — I don’t remember exactly what — untoward happened, my friend just said to me, 'You’re in Old Town now,'" he said. "I haven’t decided which place I’m actually referring to yet- maybe everywhere is like that. Wherever you go, there you are."
One of the highlights of the album, and Nichols' live performances, is "Waygookin Blues." Between the catchy singalong chorus, the song is crammed full of observations about life as a foreign resident of Korea, from small apartments, teaching English to young kids, language acquisition difficulties, the forced ritual of work dinners, drinking outside a convenience store and MBTI.
"The title line I’ve had for about 10 years, but it always seemed like a song for a different kind of band," Nichols said. "It didn’t feel like something I’d sing. Then about a year ago, I thought I’d make up some dumb lyrics and sing it and everyone seemed to love it. It’s a joke song really, but a love letter to Korea and its expat community in particular. I didn’t want it to be explicitly for the teachers but that’s how the lyrics came out. It’s weird to be known for something I wrote as a joke but it’s an amazing feeling to have everyone singing my lyrics back at me."
That song and "On My Way" are two of the crowd favorites whenever Nichols performs.
"They’re such a big part of our live shows with audience interaction, that I had to find a way to get them recorded and do them justice somehow," he said. "I hope I got them right."
His effort paid off, after working on the recordings almost every day since June. By handling things himself and not paying for studio time, he was able to slow down and work more on arrangements and recording.
"The downside, is that, producing it solely by myself, I’m sensitive to every bum note and instruments being too high, or low, in the mix," he said.
"I wanted to make an album that sounded more like the band this time, and strip it back so that only the essential elements were there, which for the most part, I’ve done. I wanted to have something where you could picture all the instruments in front of you, where in the past I’ve basically asked everyone I know to join in."
Honey Jam Sam performs at Dialogue in central Seoul's multicultural Haebangchon neighborhood, Sept. 12, for this year's Block Party Music & Art Festival. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
The album has a bit more of a country grit to it than previous albums, and while his recording techniques certainly contributed, it also comes through with the musicians he collaborated with. This includes guitarist Sean-og McKiernan, bassist Jeremy Heaven, violinist Zee Dolfina, Brad Wheeler on drums and various background vocalists.
Nichols expressed his love for country music, adding that he was named after Bob Dylan, whose music led him to discover other figures like Hank Williams, Gram Parsons and the Byrds.
"One of the biggest influences on me over the past few years is that I got a record player and have bought too many records, devouring every kind of roots music I could find," he said. "I’ve always loved country music and have wanted to make something in that vein. Personally, I think this only goes halfway in doing that."
Nichols will celebrate the latest album with a launch party at Uplift this Saturday at 8 p.m. Visit honeyjamsam.bandcamp.com to hear the album, or follow @honeyjamsam on Instagram for more information.