[INTERVIEW] Jieun and the Wolves - Part 1

From left, Jieun and the Wolves members Park Min-su, Park Soon-chul, Oh Ji-eun, Jeong Jung-yeop and Shin Dong-hoon. [Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

They said they skipped on lunch because they were so busy so how on earth are they so energetic? Jieun and the Wolves was closer to a vigorous and mischievous idol group whose members are in their teens -- one yelled out "The main pose for new bands is the jump," another jokingly said to our photographer "You have pretty legs." Jieun and the Wolves is a five-member band composed of 'The Witch of Hongdae' Oh Ji-eun and the four members of her session. Their album "Jieun and the Wolves" released last December contains both the excitement of a woman who is dating and members who have just started up a band. Oh Ji-eun, who released two solo albums, one in 2008 and the other in 2009, had focused on the life and concerns of women in their twenties but after meeting the 'wolves,' says she created "fun songs that would have never made it into my solo albums." Below is 10Asia's interview with its five members Park Min-su (keyboard), Park Soon-chul (bassist), Oh Ji-eun (vocalist), Jeong Jung-yeop (guitarist) and Shin Dong-hoon (drummer).

10: I had fun listening to your album. Oh Ji-eun's 'cute' vocals in "I'm Not Going Out" and "Sorry Mister" stood out in particular. (laugh)
Oh Ji-eun: I didn't have to beautify my voice in any way in particular for my solo album, I just sang songs in my natural tone, but it wasn't easy recording this album. I had to become completely possessed by the girl who is experiencing the emotions in the songs, but it was difficult to listen to them with a straight mind because I sounded completely different and it wasn't me at all personality-wise either. I sometimes even stopped recording on the days I couldn't make myself to be the person that feels the emotions I have to sing of.

10: But weren't you able to break free of the image of your nickname 'The Witch of Hongdae [Hong-ik University]' somewhat thanks to that voice?
Park Min-su: I actually can't tell why that's her nickname.
Oh Ji-eun: It's all because of my eyeline make-up.
Shin Dong-hoon: She's like the girl next door. She usually doesn't wear make-up and only brushes her teeth when she comes to the ensemble room.
Jeong Jung-yeop: She actually brushes her teeth?
Oh Ji-eun: I brush them thoroughly.

Oh Ji-eun [Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

10: Well it's not just the vocals but the overall atmosphere of your album is much more cheerful and straightforward than your solo album Oh Ji-eun.
Oh Ji-eun: I really wanted to organize the numerous emotions I felt as well as restraining myself from overly expressing myself in my two solo albums but with this album, it was as if I was simmering with an emotion you feel when something is about to occur. I was excited about the lyrics as well. I would say it's an album which scooped out whatever it is that was floating atop what's inside a crock rather than it being the sediment on the bottom of it.

10: In the summer of 2009, you Oh Ji-eun visited Hokkaido after wrapping up your activities for your second album and before forming Jieun and the Wolves. Did that trip by any chance influence the style of music that your band does?
Oh Ji-eun: I sang mostly about myself in my solo album so when someone says something bad about my songs, I got hurt because it would seem like they had pointed out something about my life. That's why I went to Hokkaido. And I took a lot of Pizzicato Five's live albums with me which contained a lot of exciting songs. That's when I started to wonder why I hadn't been able to express such emotions in my music and decided that I want to do fun music as well that you can listen to during the day.

10: But why is it that you needed to do such fun music with a band? I'm sure you would've been able to produce the sound of a band through your own session.
Oh Ji-eun: I had wanted to create a band with my session because all four of them had great energy. But with band sessions, you have to go in the direction that you have set, no matter what. But with normal bands, I could come up with just the rough outline or vibe the lyrics and melody should go by and we'd all work together to coming up with everything. Simply put, it wouldn't be about me almost completing the entire puzzle and letting the few missing parts added in but five different puzzles coming together. And the overall picture would change depending on which puzzles come together. That's the great power bands have.

Park Min-su [Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

10: When did you start working with the members of your band session?
Oh Ji-eun: With Jeong Jung-yeop and Shin Dong-hoon from before my second album and Park Soon-chul and Park Min-su after the second album.

10: And how did you first get to know them?
Oh Ji-eun: I asked Jeong Jung-yeop to introduce me to a good keyboard played and that's when he brought Park Min-su, his colleague from school.
Park Min-su: I was dying to work in a band because I'd always worked alone.
Jeong Jung-yeop: Park Min-su started as a composer but he had been playing with the computer, talking to the computer and programming with the computer. (laugh) When he presented his song at school, he did everything alone including playing the guitar, the keyboard and flute. Then he told me he wanted to join a band. I guess he got lonely.
Oh Ji-eun: I asked Shin Dong-hoon to join my session on the day he was discharged from the military. (laugh) I called Dear Cloud's Yong-rin and asked him to recommend a drummer to me. She immediately said there's one person.
Shin Dong-hoon: On the day of my military discharge, Yong-rin came to pick me up with his car. And he asked me if I wanted to become part of a band session to which I said "Yes sir!"

10: How did everyone respond to your proposal to form a band? Did they accept it willingly?
Oh Ji-eun: I had to persuade them over an extremely long time. A long time!

10: Why were you so hesitant?
Jeong Jung-yeop: I wasn't too worried about the music because there were things we all found interesting while working as her session. The problems were about time and responsibility. I work with Jang Ki-ha and Faces right now who are set to release an album in April but I didn't know if I'd be able to do that as well as be a member of a band and whether I would be burdened if I'm tied down.
Shin Dong-hoon: I was a member of another session as well so I was worried whether I'd be able to focus on just this.
Oh Ji-eun: Simply put, they were having to decide whether they want to get married after just dating someone. With dating, you can happily meet and do whatever you want but you have resonsibilities once you're married. You need to go to your in-laws, do the dishes, you don't know why you're the only one who has to do the laundry...
Jeong Jung-yeop: You need to decide who will change the baby's diapers.
Oh Ji-eun: Yes, things like that.
Shin Dong-hoon: Where does the baby come in?
Jeong Jung-yeop: The album is the baby.
Shin Dong-hoon: The album's the baby?
All: ......

Reporter : Lee Ga-on
Photographer : Chae ki-won ten@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@, Lee Ji-Hye seven@