Busan's Goths on the Beach crafts hilarious new take on new wave, surf rock

Goths on the Beach / Courtesy of Goths on the Beach

By Ali Safavi

Combining 1980s new wave and surf rock with a tongue-in-cheek theatrical element, Goths on the Beach (GotB) is an exciting new band on the local scene.

The Busan band has been making sad, gothy waves since forming last October. In that short time the group has already released an album, garnered international radio play (featured on BBC Stereo Underground, A1M Records Indie Rocks, Rock Rage Radio and Sounds from the Korean Underground, among other shows) and done a number of shows and festivals around the southern region of the Korean Peninsula, gaining a loyal fan base with their atypical stage performances and catchy songs. In a world that can be dominated by generic, plodding guitar bands, GotB is a last breath of fresh salt-sea air.

The band's name in fact led to the style of music played by GotB. After a day on the beach in Busan, the band's two founders who introduced themselves as Kimberly Grave Roberts and Isaac Guillotine noticed there were a lot of goths on the beach. "We left Haeundae about an hour after thinking it up and started writing music. It was too good of a name to not make a band," Isaac told The Korea Times.

With this simple premise GotB creates songs and live performances that mix two contrasting ideas. Goth subculture on the one hand ― that can stereotypically be dark, serious, brooding and morbid, and on the other hand beach life that comes with a typically sunnier view of the world. "You'd think it'd be a challenge blending goth and surf rock, but it comes naturally for us," Isaac said.

"Yeah it's definitely fun," Kim added. "People think goths are all doom and gloom, but actually they're not."

Kim and Isaac, the leading couple of the band, share singing duties and write most ― but not all ― of the music. Isaac believes that mixing their relationship with the band helps with songwriting.

"It probably makes it easier because we're around each other so often so we use a lot of real-life occurrences for material," he said.

The band also includes Claire 'McFearlan' on bass, Oscar 'Terrorbeigi' on guitar and Jarrod 'Beastman' on Drums. The band was originally planned to be just Kim and Isaac on stage dancing to backing tracks, but it quickly grew into a full band, initially with just bass and drums and then guitar after the first few gigs. "We did an open mic with just the two of us...in Vietnam," he said. "People liked it but, for me, it felt lacking. Ideally we'd like to have every citizen of Busan in the band in some capacity."

Goths on the Beach / Courtesy of Goths on the Beach

While the band has grown, becoming a mix of Canadians, Brits, and Aussies, the performance element of GotB has remained integral to their style. There is an almost theatrical core to their live shows. A typical live band will play their songs and maybe chat to the audience a little and that's it, whereas a GotB set is a full-on experience with dance moves, stories and even a bit of a comedic element, tying in with Isaac's other life running Busan's monthly comedy stand-up open mic event the Ha-Ha Hole.

Rather than these elements being an afterthought, it is a conscious choice on the part of the band. "Choreography is a big part of our songwriting process. I've watched a ridiculous amount of K-/J-pop videos and that definitely has an influence on the dance moves." She added that her theater experience is limited to "once playing a tree in a play," Kim said. "Performing (in South Korea) has been great. We've always get good reactions from foreign crowds and Korean crowds have really been into it as well despite any language barriers."

Comedy and music can be tricky bedfellows but GotB walks the right side of the line. With groups like Tenacious D or Flight Of The Conchords, comedy is the central element, and the music takes a backseat. However, GotB writes catchy songs with superb hooks that are dancy and energetic. The tongue-in-cheek combination of goth and beach cultures shows in songs such as "Bela Lugosi is Dead Serious about Surfing" and "Don't Hang (Ten) Yourself." The German language song "Du Liebst Da Surfing" (You Love Surfing) is a pastiche of the Rammstein song "Du Hast (Mich)" (You Hate (Me).

Again the simple idea that led to the band's moniker has proved fruitful. "I think the concept is inherently comical, so whatever we do tends to crack people up," Isaac said. "Our main goal is to write killer tunes though."

"So far we've ran with whatever we think is funny and have not gotten bored with it yet," Kim added. "Maybe ask us again in five years…"

The two-track ender to the GotB album "The Boat Party/The Boat Party Is Cancelled" plays out a conversation between Barbie and Ken, based on real events that happened to Kim and Isaac. This sing-along number usually ends a GotB set. "The songs truly encapsulate the duality of life. Ideally we'll be put on the 'Barbie 2' soundtrack as well as any future soundtracks for surf- or goth-related films," Isaac said, adding a final request to any filmmakers out there. "Please, filmmakers, put us in your soundtracks. We're really, really good."

Goths on the Beach live in concert / Courtesy of Goths on the Beach

The members of GotB have a lot planned for their second year as a band. As well as their first show in Seoul at The Studio HBC on Sept. 9, they will also be playing at this year's Block Party on Oct. 8 organized by Platform Magazine. The band also plans to return to the new Geoje Island venue Und Space as well as more Busan gigs on the horizon. Another aim is to complete a follow-up to their appropriately named debut album, "Goths on the Beach Greatest Hits: Vol 1," released Feb. 18.

"We're planning a double album," Isaac said. "We've got some fire tracks in the works."

Visit linktr.ee/gothsonthebeach for more information.

Ali Safavi is a British national who lives in South Korea.