"Music saved me" - vinyl shopping with Dajung

written by Jamie Finn (@jamiefinn2209)
photography by Ella Kaill (@ellakaill)

"Have you heard this album? It's amazing". Dajung's passion for music is palpable. Flicking through the "new albums" section of Dope Records, she chats enthusiastically about the bands she loves. Her fervor is contagious, and it is hard not to get drawn into lengthy discussions about different artists. Even at 17 years old, Dajung really knows her stuff. She reels off titbits of information, backstories about album artwork, the production history, who worked on what, and with whom. It's all mixed in with some insightful takes of her own. The album she is holding right now is St Vincent's latest album Daddy's Home. "She wrote that album about her father getting out of prison," she tells us. "He went because of financial crimes. I love the 70s New York sound it has." After an in-depth discussion about which St Vincent album is best, Dajung carefully places the LP under her arm, and we continue to browse through the records.

Listening to Jay Knife, the debut album from Dajung, you can clearly hear her deep appreciation for music and the influence it has had on her. It's an intimate and personal album from a unique new voice in the Korean indie scene. It traverses her creative approach to songwriting with the familiar sounds and themes taken from her influences. Dajung doesn't shy away from talking about her love of music and the effect it has had. "I constantly think about it," she confesses. "If I didn't have music, something bad could easily have happened. to me. Music saved me. I am so grateful that music was there for me." For her, it's not just about the outlet of writing and recording, though. "Talking to other musicians, watching performances online, you start to see that there's a community that is like you, that like the same stuff that you do."

Mental health is a central theme to Dajung's lyrics and something she has had to battle with for much of her life. "I sometimes think it would have been better if my parents got me therapy. But that was difficult because there's such a stigma around mental health issues in Korea. Then when we moved to China, it was almost impossible because I could only speak Korean." Dajung moved to China when she was 12. She attended an international school that only taught in English, a language that she couldn't speak at the time. "This was a very difficult time for me. These are supposed to be your formative years, and here I was, in a completely new environment and unable to communicate with the people around me".

It was during this time that Dajung started getting into music as a creative outlet. She had completed some guitar lessons when she was eight but only did them for about a month before quitting. "I hated it. I think I just hate learning", she laughs. "Being told to sit in a room, read sheet music, and play what I was told to play, I just hated that." During her time in China, Dajung began teaching herself how to play guitar, piano and how to use the computer programs that she would need to record music. 

Dajung would later channel the difficulty of this period into her songs. "All the songs on Jay Knife were written between the ages of 14 and 16. They reflect what I was going through at the time."

As we continue to browse through the vinyl, we get to the "J" section, and Dajung spots one of her heroes, Julien Baker. She starts to tell the story of the time she saw her live. "That was the best night of my life, I think. I was 14 at the time and living in China. I flew all the way back over to Seoul on my own just to see her. She played in a small venue, so I was really close. Actually, that was only the second gig I had ever been to in my life." She thinks for a second, then adds, "my parents were really supportive. They said, "how often are you going to get the opportunity to see one of your favourite artists." So, they helped me make the journey."

Her relationship with her parents is an important one for Dajung, and she speaks passionately about the role they play in her life, the times they have connected, and even the times when a connection has been difficult. Because of the dark subject matter in Dajung's songs, it can be tough for her parents to get entirely on board with her music. "They're very proud of me," she says when asked what they think of her music, "but sometimes they're not sure how to react. The first time they heard my songs, they thought it sounded "depressing," like "what is wrong with you?" They could tell that I wasn't really in a good place when I made it. Their response wasn't really that positive, but that just fueled me to create more. They didn't exactly tell me not to make music but were like, "your music is weird." I told them that I know it's weird, but hopefully, it still says something".

"Actually," Dajung tells us, gesturing back to the Julien Baker album, "I included a sample from one of her interviews in one of my songs. She was saying how you need to experience an amount of grief in order to experience the same amount of joy. Like a balanced equation. I really liked that and wanted to use it in my work." She places the record under her arm, nestled with the other additions, and begins to talk about that sample. "So, you know that weird really sound at the start of (album opener) Familiar Sounds? That's the Julien Baker interviewer. I ran it through a couple of filters, then reversed it and cut it up a little." Dajung recorded and produced the whole album by herself in her bedroom. The album is full of these clever quirks; little innovations are added to give the songs a richer, fuller sound. "Right now, I just use Logic and my electric keyboard." It's hard not to be impressed by this. The album, while undeniably lo-fi, is incredibly well recorded with lots of depth and nuance. She has a natural ear for song structure and production, and she's hoping to build on her work so far in the future. "I'll be producing my next album, too. But next time it won't be at home. It'll be in Electric Muses's studio".

Electric Muse is an independent music label in Korea that features some firm Platform Magazine favourites such as Say Sue Me, Billy Carter, Bigbet, Secret Asian Men, to name but a few. They are well known for giving their artists a platform while allowing them to stay true to their own vision. It's the perfect home for Dajung, who released Jay Knife with them earlier this year. "I'm going to one of their shows after this interview. It's Drinking Boys and Girls Choir album release party. It will be my fourth ever show."

“Sometimes my parents are not sure how to react. The first time they heard my songs, they thought it sounded “depressing,” like “what is wrong with you?” They could tell that I wasn’t really in a good place when I made it. Their response wasn’t really that positive, but that just fueled me to create more.”

There are other Korean artists outside of Electric Muse that Dajung admires. She's a big fan of Jambinai and was blown away by the last Ahn Dayoung album. "After releasing Jay Knife," she tells us, "lots of other Korean artists reached out to me, so I got to know more Korean music. One album I fell in love with is Ahn Dayoung's Antihero. It came out in December. I heard it just as I was starting my senior year in high school. It was a difficult time with a heavy workload. I felt depressed. And when I heard that album, it just got me. It made me feel better."

Working with other performers is important to her and something she feels optimistic about doing in her career. "It's my dream to open for some artists that I love. Acts like Lucy Dakers, Pheobe Bridgers, Japanese Breakfast. Acts like this are going to start coming back to Korea soon, right?" She smiles confidently. "I think I'd be a great choice for the opening act."

Music is a passion of hers, but it's not the only one. "I'm hoping to study English literature at college," she says when asked about what's next for her. "I wrote my graduating thesis on Alison Bechdel. She is a genius. I can really identify with the themes of depression and homophobia in her work. They have influenced my music and lyrics".

The role of lyrics is an important one for her. She writes deeply personal and frank words about her battles over the years. Her songs feel intimate and confessional like they're specific to just her. And yet, she writes in a way that makes them broadly relatable. She sings about universal ideas and personal reflection, poignant momentary thoughts presented in an inclusive way. 

She is also a very empathetic writer and often writes from the perspective of other people. On songs like Pride and untitled 2, Dajung adopts others' voices, using first-person pronouns for different characters. "I was listening to Declan McKenna's Paracetamol. He was singing about his friends and about people who have been marginalised by society. He was singing for these people, telling different stories. This is why I write from the perspective of different people. I wanted to tell stories from their viewpoint."

“I write from the perspective of different people. I want to tell stories from their viewpoint.”

Her interest in lyricism as an art form is one of the driving forces behind her decision to study English literature. "I've been fortunate to have teachers that have exposed me to some amazing lyricists. In English class, our teacher would read us Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell lyrics as poetry. This really stuck with me". Joni Mitchell, another hero of hers, is someone Dajung thinks is currently having a cultural reappraisal. "I love her! I think many people are changing the way they think about Joni's place in music. Lots of people are discovering her for the first time, and I think it makes us all collectively rethink her work."

Joni's confessional style of writing makes her an apt comparison to Dajung. But despite the personal nature of her writing, She has no issue with people interpreting her work however they want. "I see that as part of the process," she says. "Once the music leaves my hands and is listened to by others, it's theirs too. I think a lot of musicians feel that way. Different listeners have different ideas, and that's for them. I don't really say, "oh, this song isn't about that" ."

We leave Dope Records with our purchases (Dajung got the St. Vincent album, and we got Its Raining Men), heading towards Gimbab Records. On the way, we talk about the response she has had for Jay Knife. "It's been amazing; people have been so positive," she says. "One of the weirdest moments was when the organisers of that Julien Baker show wrote about me. They called my album "best new music"! Like, you guys organised the best night of my life, and now you're talking about my album. That was surreal."

This weirdness continues when we walk into Gimbab Records and find a CD of Jay Knife on display. The staff member behind the counter doesn't recognise that the artist is in the store. They tell us they've been recommending the album to people and getting lots of good feedback. Dajung stays humble. She is flattered and grateful but not overly surprised. She believes in herself and the value of her work. "Hopefully," she says as we're leaving the store, "next time, they'll have my LP, too."

For more information on Dajung, click here.