Interview: Catching Up With Used Cassettes + Stream “It’s My Night”

They say that breaking up is the hardest thing to do. An exception to the rule; rockers Used Cassettes who have enjoyed a wild ride both on and off the stage.

With a backstory that would make any wanderluster drool, the band is paying homage to its more active days with a farewell-of-sorts album led by the single “It’s My Night.” The track works like a warm hug from a friend you know that you may not be seeing for a while, so why not make it a night to remember?

To celebrate the release of “It’s My Night,” we sent Used Cassettes some interview questions. Check it out all out below and look for the band’s new album out soon.

If you were to categorize or describe the style of your music, what would it be and why?

We usually just say we play rock n roll, straight up. One layer deeper and we’d say down and dirty garage rock + 1960’s rock n roll. Or maybe: a bit of surf, some lo-fi punk, some left-field tex mex, 90’s indie, desert rock. Another layer deeper and then, well, we’re just a band that made a great album. You gotta listen and tell us what genre we’re in.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

We write all of our songs together while freestyle jamming in our practice space; something interesting usually emerges after a while. We take phone recordings of the more inspired moments and then flesh them out later.

What made you want to start a music project and how did you come up with the name?

When we met out in Seoul in 2009 we all had different musical projects on the go. We became close just by being around the scene that existed in Hongdae (Hongdae is the main creative stomping ground for artists and musicians in Seoul). The band formed naturally after that. A lot of Cass beer and jam sessions in a friend’s half-basement. It was humble beginnings but some of the best times of our lives.

Used Cassettes is also the name of a song we used to play during our early live sets, written by one of our founding members, Adam. We thought it had a good ring to it. Also, when we started playing we used to switch instruments a lot which gave us a range of different sounds. It reminded us of when we were kids recording our favorite tracks off the radio onto cassette, leaving us tapes of our favorite, albeit disjointed, tracks. The name Used Cassettes summed up our sound pretty well we thought.

Can you talk a little bit about what your creative thought process is like when starting a new album?

As soon as one album is laid down we are always itchy to start cooking up some new material. It really all starts with letting go during our freestyle jams in the practice space. There’s not so much of a thought process as there is a natural desire for each of us to express ourselves through the Used Cassettes format. It could be Ollie messing around with a bassline, Matt or Danny testing out an interesting guitar riff, or Pat practicing a new rhythm on the drum kit. From there we each kind of join in. Our first few EP’s and first full length were all songs that individual members wrote alone and brought to the band. But ever since Rock n Rills (2014-ish) we write all of our songs together in the moment. Deep down that was kind of an unstated goal for us. Sure, it’s a great feeling to write a song alone, but to improvise a new song with the four of us together is a serious buzz. All the tracks on our new album “Used Cassettes” were written that way. Danny ended up writing a lot of the lyrics for this record – Pat did a lot of lyric writing as well.

What would you want people/ the listener to take from your music?

Someone once told us that our music rocks out really hard, but that there’s always a butterfly within it. We love this description. We hope that listeners get a chance to rock out but also get inspired by that butterfly.

Can you talk a little bit about your lifestyle as an artist and what that is like?

As an ex-pat band in Korea we were never strictly artists. We’ve always been ambitious as a band but that is a quality that we took from our day-to-day hustle. We’ve pushed each other to be better musicians, but we also support each member’s individual growth and goals outside of the band. At the time, recording this album felt like a long, slow goodbye to each member. It was like each member was moving towards their next chapter, fueled by the ambition that we’d all acquired through years of devotion and support for each other and our music. That’s why, although geographically separated, we are always Used Cassettes. Patiently waiting for the time when the world needs us most.

When starting out an artistic task, do you think it is better to have a particular direction/set plan guiding your way? Or, is it better to act on impulse and go from there?

There are a thousand paths to making an album, but we prefer to act on impulse with total freedom. Once we have a stockpile of demos that we like, then we bring planning into the picture. We always get serious when the time comes to prep for recording at the studio. But until then we like to keep it loose – trying off the wall things in practice and testing out new songs at our live shows.

That said, each of our full-lengths have always had an underlying but unspoken emotional tone. Rock n Rills was definitely our middle finger to the world record. This album, Used Cassettes, is our bittersweet breakup LP. But we never spoke about these themes explicitly. The vibe just came out naturally as we jammed together because we are so close and share so many common experiences.

What is one major lesson you’ve learned as an artist?

Do it for the money or don’t do it all haha. It’s way easier when other people are paying.

Do you regard personal style & taste to be of the highest importance?

All the members think style and taste are important to varying degrees – but we don’t all agree on which kind of style or taste is best. But more than anything we’d say staying true to our vision as a band is of the highest importance to us.

What do you consider to be the hardest thing about being an artist?

Maintaining close personal relationships can be tough when living the U.C. life. When a lot of our friends are going out to meet up on a Friday and get deep in the streets we’re in a practice space or getting ready for a show. Sometimes striking the right balance with close friends can be hard when you’re really committed to the band thing.

What is one thing you love about being an artist?

Most of our energy has come from playing live shows together. When you’re up there as four best friends and connecting with the audience it is the ultimate high. Everything becomes totally about the moment and the songs are in their ultimate form. We always record our albums live off the floor together in the same room to try to capture that energy.

Is there anyone in particular, any artists that inspire you in any way?

We’ve always been inspired by our peers here in Seoul. There have been some amazing bands over the years: Table People, Genius, New Blue Death, Mineri, On Sparrow Hills, Grey Watson and The Killer Drones, Les Sales, Love X Stereo, Juck Juck Grunzie, DTSQ and so many more. The scene was so tight and vibrant for a solid while. We had to practice our asses off to carve out our own place in the smog. These bands all inspired us but also they pushed us (they didn’t know they were doing this).

What do you think of technology in terms of being a useful tool for artists today?

Technology is definitely useful – and cost-effective. But we keep things pretty old school. Probably the best new technology we use is the voice memo function on our iPhones. Everything else is amps, pedals and drums.

Do you think being an artist allows you to view the world differently from those who don’t follow creative paths?

Not necessarily. But I do think it offers a chance to experience human relationships and connection in a unique way, just like playing on a weekend golf league would give you a different way to bond with friends and the world around you. We like rock n roll so the U.C. worldview works out pretty well for us.

Do you enjoy traveling? If so, do you have a favorite city?

We have definitely enjoyed traveling the beautiful peninsula of the Republic of South Korea! Daegu is a personal favorite of our band. Daegu is a very slept on city. We’ve torn apart a couple noraebangs (karaoke rooms) there. Daegu’s got decent food and a small but lively scene. You can get yourself into the right kind of trouble there.

Do you have a favorite author or book?

The whole band read “Life” by Keith Richards. The stories in that book really inspired some of the sounds on our previous album, Rock n Rills. This new record is more like a long twisted romance gone wrong. Enjoy.

Any future goals or plans for your music?

Right now we’re just focussing letting this “Used Cassettes” album set sail. This is our last record before our hiatus so we’re not sure about the immediate future of the band. Maybe after this: “Used Cassettes Greatest Hits”? Then the reunion tour …

What does being an artist mean to you?

“Reunion Tour”, because true rock n roll never dies.

Any last words on the aesthetic of your music?

The aesthetic of our music is the relationship of the band. When we first formed we didn’t know we would end up being such close friends, but over time our differences became an amazing strength – both as friends and as bandmates. Our songs have always come from the different personalities that we all possess. We would create something together and work at making it an enjoyable experience for ourselves first and foremost. It was always rad to get to share this joy and connection with audiences when we played live. We’ve done our best to have that emotional aesthetic translate through the recordings as honestly as possible. Keep an ear out for that butterfly 🙂