Sailor Honeymoon announce their arrival with riotous debut single, Cockroach

By Jamie Finn (@jamiefinn2209)
Photography by Kim Taeyoung (@kimtaeold)

Sailor Honeymoon are a Korean-indie supergroup of sorts. The band features three musicians from disparate mediums who are all well-established in their own medium. Photographer and vocalist for new-wave band Deadbeat Club, Abi Raymaker, is on drums. Techno DJ Zaeeun Shin plays guitar. Indie icon Jimin Kim (aka Meaningful Stone) plays bass. Here, Abi and Zaeeun talk to us about their riotous new single, Cockroach and the genesis of their new band.

There's something confrontational baked into the DNA of Sailor Honeymoon. Their very DIY-live shows and the uncompromising debut single belie a band that are not going to take prisoners. "For us," explains drummer and singer Abi Raymaker, "Sailor Honeymoon is our chance to express ourselves without being edited or corrected."

Today she is joined by techno DJ Zaeeun Shin who plays guitar in the band. "I've wanted to be in a punk band. So, when Abi suggested it to me, I was very excited. It's a fun project to be part of."

"I love punk music because it doesn't try to be part of the mainstream," she goes on to say. "Profit and popularity aren't part of the equation. The punk community is growing, especially in Korea. We want to be part of that."

"I think punk has evolved beyond a music genre," says Abi. "It's more a form of expression now. Though we are specifically inspired by a lot of more historically grounded punk movements, like riot grrrl, for example, the idea that you can rebel against something and express yourself unfiltered is a really limitless idea. We take inspiration from stuff directly around us, too, from women in our scene or from each other, and run with it rather than trying to make something clean or perfect. We're not perfect musicians, and we're not mimicking anything in particular."

While it's true that Sailor Honeymoon want to use their voices to create something unique, they are unashamedly wearing their influences on their sleeves. The blood of bands like Bikini Kill, Pixies, Sonic Youth, and Chicks on Speed is smeared all over this. Even some locally sourced noise like Beacon and Soumbalgwang can be heard here.

Their music comes from improvisation and not having a fear of getting things wrong. To achieve this rawness, the members have switched instruments. It's an admirable ethos, especially in a country where often even indie bands fall into the trap of perfection. "Korean culture often encourages artists to be flawless and pristine. Talent here is often meticulously manufactured. We've tried to break away from that. To add a little unorthodoxy.”

It's here that we find their debut single, Cockroach. The deadpan vocal delivery of Kim Deal, the biting humour of Kim Gordon, and the raw calamity of Bikini Kill - all layered very new, very original, very Sailor Honeymoon.

"It is about trying to get rid of an unwanted pest," explains Zaeeun. "The idea is comparing those with negative energy to cockroaches." Both the music and the lyrics really captured the all-too-familiar feeling of seeing or feeling creepy shit. Its off-beat timing and, crunchy-fat bass and menacing guitar give this track a sinister vibe. Yet there's a lot of fun here, especially from the lyrics and Abi's aloof kinda-singing.

"They're objectively the most disgusting bug," says Abi. "No one likes them. Honestly, I'm really scared of cockroaches, but I would rather yell at them than be afraid of them."

Despite their infancy, the future is already looking bright for the two-and-a-half-piece. "We're heading to England soon to record with the amazing Luke Smith (Foals, Crystal Fighters, Depeche Mode) and are excited to see what comes out of it. We're aiming for an EP. And we will have a show at the end of summer to be announced a bit later."

"I'm just hoping we can keep learning, keep having fun, and keep collaborating with everyone who's been helping us so far."

For more information, follow Sailor Honeymoon here.