juee jung, the bassist of Korean metal band Seaweed Mustache
Spirit Interview 05 - Artist <juee jung>, Bassist of Seaweed Mustache.
Part 1: Introduction and Music Journey
Q1. Thank you so much for taking the time for this interview! To begin, could you briefly introduce yourself?
juee jung Hello, I'm juee jung from the band Miyeoksooyeom(Seaweed Mustache).
Q2. What’s the story or meaning behind your band name, Miyeoksooyeom (literally “Seaweed Mustache”)?
juee jung There's not really a deep meaning behind it — it's just a combination of random words. Our members are big fans of Kyosuke Usuta’s manga Sugoi yo!! Masaru-san, and I think our taste in that kind of absurd humor naturally influenced the name. One practical hope we had was that, when typed into a search bar, our band would be the only result to come up.
Q3. Since your debut in 2016, you’ve released several albums and gone through various changes and growth. As a bassist, what has been the biggest change you’ve felt in that journey?
juee jung We’ve mostly focused on instrumental music in the past, but lately, the vocal parts have been taking up more space. So I’ve been thinking a lot about how to arrange bass lines in a way that allows me to play and sing at the same time.
Part 2: Your Music Style
Q4. Many fans are curious about your bass playing style. How would you define it yourself?
juee jung Honestly, it still feels a bit strange when people refer to me as a “bassist.” I often feel like I’m not skilled enough to deserve that title. That said, I believe that, in a band setting, no matter which part you play, the most important thing is to play in a way that fits the music and the direction the band is aiming for. In Miyeoksooyeom, my playing tends to center around strong, straightforward picking, and our songs are usually written to reflect that vibe.
Q5. Are there any bassists or artists who have particularly influenced your playing or musical tastes?
juee jung I’ve been heavily influenced by bands like Sonic Youth, The Cure, and My Bloody Valentine — and more broadly by the indie, grunge, and punk scenes of the ’90s in the UK and US.
Q6. On recent tracks like “FALL” and “HEX,” are there any bass-specific elements or details you paid particular attention to?
juee jung I think one of the defining traits of Miyeoksooyeom’s sound is the floating guitar textures paired with intense energy. To really amplify that feeling, I tried to make the basslines as simple and forceful as possible — minimalistic, but repeated with power.
Part 3: Seaweed Mustache’s Identity
Q7. Seaweed Mustache’s songs often have unconventional structures and unpredictable developments. Where do these ideas usually come from, and what’s your creative process like?
juee jung I think people are kind enough to label it “experimental,” but honestly, a lot of it is just us making whatever we want, without trying to fit into any genre or established mold. Sometimes we focus on raw emotions — unpolished and unadorned — conveyed through simple lyrics or minimal structures.
To be more candid, it might just be the natural expression of my long-standing love for rock music. I’ve been a rock kid since I was young, and all that built-up taste and influence is just flowing out now, I think.
Q8. As a band, what does the “ideal live band” look like to you? What do you value most on stage?
juee jung We believe that “a band should feel like a band.” We put our energy into delivering the kind of emotion and power on stage that you can’t capture in a recording. And that’s something no individual effort can achieve alone — it takes the full band.
To me, band live shows are supposed to be messy sometimes — the tempo can be off, the pitch can waver, and every show sounds a bit different depending on the venue or your condition. But these days, I notice some audiences only say a live show is “good” if it sounds exactly like the recording. I guess it’s just a difference in perspective.
Part 4: Looking Ahead & Final Words
Q9. Lastly, is there anything you’d like to say to the readers of this interview?
juee jung Thank you always for remembering us — we truly love and appreciate you.