Expat band Foreign Object releases 1st single
Foreign Object performs at Bucket Beach on May 25 as part of HBC Fest. Courtesy of Foreign Object
By Jon Dunbar
Expat band
is releasing its first single, titled “Hearts and Embers,” this Friday, with a show at Club FF the next day to celebrate.
“Hearts and Embers is a simple song about someone you thought you loved using you and leaving you for worse, with complex metaphors that hit hard,” vocalist Matt Makowski told The Korea Times. “However, there's a positive takeaway about finding strength. We have been getting really awesome praise to the song itself.”
Recorded at Union Studios Seoul, the track itself is a well-recorded rock song reminiscent of late 1990s alternative and post-rock. “We've been told we sound like a mix of Spill Canvas with Queens of the Stone Age, Alexisonfire with Motion City Soundtrack and even Rise Against,” Makowski said.
“Our influences are all very different as are our ages and what we grew up with, but some of that influence can easily be heard. They are all passive influences as we aren't actively trying to sound like anyone, we're just trying to make what we like!”
The members all come from the U.S., all working here as teachers, although Makowski said this wasn't intentional. “Though the States are so culturally diverse, we still come from wildly different walks of life,” he said. “However, we live that waygook lifestyle where anyone can come or go at any moment and we are prepared to accept anyone in the future if it ever comes a time to replace someone.”
With one single recorded and released, Makowski is eyeing his next big project with the band, which only started earlier this year.
“Recording is very expensive and we're primarily all English teachers here making peanuts,” he said. “Most of the funding comes from doing several shows and out of our own pockets. We're hoping that the song is received very well to give us the motivation to perhaps start a crowdfund so that we can get an album rolling.”
The members of Foreign Object / Courtesy of Foreign Object
The song will be available this Friday on streaming services and
, where it can be downloaded for free or with donation.
The show will be
this Saturday. Other bands playing include Youthlim, Bamyeki, Gorymurgy and YAWP. The show starts at 9 p.m. and there are numerous drink specials throughout the night, including an hour of free cocktails starting at 11 p.m. Entry costs 15,000 won.