Misun Interview

BBM Live interview LA based four-piece Misun. Following up their ‘Aquawave’ sound of EP ‘The Sea,’ the group recently released a double AA side single of expressive feel-good Pop. Misun have come a long way from their beginnings as friends working in a restaurant together and deciding to form a band. The now successful experimenters of Pop, Nostalgia and Hip-Hop, swapping menus and dishes for music making, had this to answer…

As a band you have self-proclaimed your sound as ‘Aquawave’ after your marine inspired EP ‘The Sea’. Could you explain what that means, and how you guys came up with th
e term?
We thought it was a good description especially at the time. That EP came out during the summer and a lot of inspiration came from the beach, sunshine and all of that. We thought lyrics and textures captured that and we tacked the name onto it.

How would you describe how your ‘Aquawave’ sound has now developed further since the summer of 2012 saw ‘The Sea’s release?
We spent most of 2013 writing songs, and pretty much let go of any limitations on what we could do. We all love rock & roll, lo-fi, and hip-hop. We went ham on trying different things.

BBM hear the band met working in a restaurant together. How did the friendship blossom from serving dishes and taking orders, to creating music?
Pretty much a combination of tequila and long shifts.

Misun often experiment with sounds from the 60s to the 80s adding a funky modern twist. If you had a time machine what era or period of music would you most like to travel back to?
Right now, the 90’s into the early 2000’s, or any time when Ja Rule was #1 on TRL.

Lead, Misun Wojcik has a vocal range which suits the numerous genres the band approach, from Soul or Pop to Funk. Has Wojcik been learning to sing from a young age or does the talent just come naturally?
She started singing in her early teens, right around the time Ja Rule was killing it on TRL. Just kidding. She wasn’t classically trained, but always loved to sing and comes from a musical family (Check out her brother’s band PLOY).

Who would the band list as their major musical influences in experimenting with a broad range of genres?
Diplo, Beach House, anything Motown, The Strokes,

Your 2014 release has been released as an AA-side limited edition 7 inch single. What made the band want to release on vinyl? Do you feel music is more precious if it is physically owned rather than in download format?
It was something we always wanted to do, and we were stoked to connect with B3SCI who wanted to put out the songs on physical media. It’s a badass thing to have.

The A side to the new release, ‘Travel With Me’ takes a more Pop and catchier approach than previous releases. Was this song written with an incentive to get people singing along and to get the song stuck in their heads?
At the time we had the goal of wanting to make people dance and feel good. It’s actually one of the first songs we ever wrote and we’re happy to have finally released it.

‘Travel With Me’ describes growing apart from an old friend. Is this something the band have experienced? Who is the mastermind behind the tracks intriguing lyrics?
Misun’s behind all of the lyrics in our songs. This one in particular is about hanging onto someone even after they’re gone.

The flip side to the release, ‘Sleep’ describes waking up from a dream and realising the importance of following your dreams in reality, and doing your best to make them happen. What dreams do Misun wish to accomplish?
To be able to express ourselves and be heard.

Could 2014 see an eventual album for the band, and an even further advancement in sound experimentation?
It’s in the back of our heads for sure. We’re happy with writing singles and just putting them out there for now. It’s amazing to us how much has happened just as a result of that.

You recently moved from Washington DC to LA, have the band got any tour plans for 2014? Will Misun be spreading their sound overseas?
We just moved to LA a few months ago, and are gearing up for our release show on Febuary 18th at Bootleg Bar. After that it’s SXSW and we’re working on a west coast tour for May!

Fantastic, we look forward to new releases and catching you on tour!

Listen to Misun here:

By Emily Schofield

Photo credit: Lani Lee