Four young
Asian American men of Korean and Vietnamese
descent who grew up in Orange County California,
the members of this adverbially-named band,
Seriously are Chris Pham (Vocals/ Acoustic
Guitar), Joshua Baek (Bass), Alex Yi (Electric
Guitar) and Philip Park (Drums). Seriously’s debut EP is a refreshing
introduction to an emerging Asian American music
scene that takes a nod from the growing interest
in Asian popular culture around the globe akin
to international stars Rain and Boa. The subject
matter of Seriously’s songs seem typical
enough—about lost love and relationships, yet
their CD is peppered with moments of wisdom and
raw honesty which reveal their youthful sense of
idealism and hope. Seriously’s signature
melancholy-hued optimism is effortlessly blended
in a sonic mix of K-pop’s over-the-top drama,
the catchy hooks of ‘90s Britpop bands, and the
edginess of American rock.
Seriously is blazing a path for other Asian
American rock star hopefuls as they win over new
fans at every show. Hordes of teenage girls ask
for photos and autographs from the band members,
charmed and captivated by these musicians who,
in many ways, look like American counterparts to
their favorite K-pop stars from Asia.
(reference: www.cdbaby.com)
INTERVIEW:: conducted
by
JiZO Jewles
JIZO: Wassap
SERIOUSLY! Thanks for doing this interview
with us. So what is y'all's background? (Who
are you and your band members? Please tell
your story.)
CHRIS PHAM: We
are an asian bunch from the OC. Chris Pham
is the lead vocals/acoustic, Nathan Park is
the electric guitarist, Josh Baek is the
bassist, Philip Park is the drummer/violist.
All started by the original electric
guitarist, Alex Yi, who decided to enter
this competition, Kollaboration, last year
to compete against another band called The
Pocket. Alex chose some people to enter
Kollaboration with him and it happened to be
Chris Pham, Philip Park, and Josh Baek that
was lucky to be chosen for this. We entered
Kollaboration, took first place, and now we
are where we are now.
JOSH BAEK: my
name is josh. i am the only child of two
korean immigrants. i was born in Texas and
raised in California.
NATHAN PARK: My
name is Nathan Park and I am Seriously's
electric guitarist. After Alex stepped down
from the band, the members asked me to join
since we all knew each other through church
and school. Because I am originally a
bassist, playing electric in this band has
placed me out of my comfort zone and forced
me to stretch my limits. Needless to say,
it is a very humbling and gratifying
experience--I love the the guys like
brothers and I love playing with the band.
PHILIP PARK: My
name is Philip Park and I'm the drummer from
"Seriously".
JIZO: Why do you
guys call yourself "Seriously"?
PHILIP: We call
ourselves "Seriously" because we signed up
for an event called Kollaboration at the
very last minute. With little to no time,
we were desperate to come up with a name
FAST. So, we just happened to call
ourselves "Seriously"
CHRIS PHAM: We
call ourselves Seriously because we needed
an immediate band name for Kollaboration,
since we were never a band at all before the
competition. We decided upon it because this
guy at our church said so excessively that
it was catchy.
JOSH BAEK: ASK
CHRIS
NATHAN PARK: A
friend at church always seemed to say
"Seriously!" in any given situation. Still
clueless to what our name should be, we
decided to call ourselves Seriously. Little
did we know we'd make it this far; now we
are forever stuck with the name. Seriously.
JIZO: How long
has each member been making music?
PHILIP PARK: Hm...I'm
not sure how long each member have been
making music. All I know is that each and
every one of us played and enjoyed music our
whole lives. Being in a band has pretty much
always been...ALL OF OUR DREAMS.
CHRIS PHAM: I,
myself, have been playing since freshman
year in high school and didn't start writing
my own stuff until senior year. I was
compelled to do so, so that I may woo the
ladies.
JOSH: ON AND OFF
FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS
NATHAN PARK: I
fell in love with music when I first touched
the piano in first grade. The rest is
history.
JIZO: For those
who have not heard you, what type of music
do you play?
PHILIP PARK: I
believe we play music that incorporates many
different styles and types of music. But to
narrow things down, our music has a pop,
rock, and blues feel to it...a very nice
combination I must say.
CHRIS PHAM: We
are rock pop alternative.
JOSH BAEK: ROCK
AND/OR ROLL WITH SOME POP.
NATHAN PARK:
Indie-Blues-Rock
JIZO: Who do you
believe you were mainly influenced by?
PHILIP PARK:
Riley Breckenridge, Matt Flynn, Carter
Beauford, and John Blackwell.
CHRIS PHAM: John
Mayer, definitely.
JOSH BAEK: I
LOVE THE WHOLE SINGER/SONGWRITER SCENE. THEY
ARE VERY LYRIC CENTRIC AND THATS WHAT I
FOCUS ON THE MOST WHEN IT COMES TO SONGS. I
THINK THE WHOLE AMBIENT STYLE OF U2 AND
SLEEPING AT LAST IS AWESOME TOO.
NATHAN PARK:
Maroon5
JIZO: Have your
influences changed since you started
playing?
PHILIP PARK: Oh
yeah DEFINITELY. I used to be an "All-Rock"
drummer. Ever since I joined this band,
I've been influenced by many jazz and funk
incorporated drummers. I pretty much opened
myself up to all styles of drumming; taking
different styles and mixing it together.
CHRIS PHAM: Yes,
I started listening to jazz singers like
Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Horn, etc. to gain
some influence and to study their vocal
styles. Other than that, Muse is really also
amazing.
JOSH BAEK: YEA.
YOU START TO APPRECIATE EVERY BAND OUT THERE
CAUSE YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO CREATE
SOMETHING GREAT WITH A GROUP.
NATHAN PARK: We
have many influences, including things that
may not necessarily be related to music.
Every experience shapes us into who we are;
what we write and play are influenced by
life and all that comes with it.
JIZO: How did
all of you get into music and when did you
start playing?
PHILIP PARK: I
believe we all started to play music at
different times. I started to get into
music when I was in kindergarten, playing
the viola. I'm not sure when the other
members started, but I think we all started
music at a very young age.
CHRIS PHAM: I
started singing in 8th grade, when this girl
asked me to sing for her on the phone. So I
sang her the P.Diddy featuring Usher song "I
Need a Girl" and she liked it. That was all
the encouragement I needed to start singing.
I picked up guitar spring of my freshman
year and have played on praise team for
church.
JOSH BAEK: I WAS
BASICALLY THROWN INTO A PRAISE BAND AT
CHURCH FOR LACK OF A BASS PLAYER. I HAD TO
LEARN ON THE FLY STARTING ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO.
NATHAN PARK: For
as long as I can remember, we all had a
passion for music. We would have random jam
sessions at church and what-not, but we
never thought we'd be signed to a music
label. Thanks to Chaos Theory Music for
giving us a chance to make our dreams a
reality.
JIZO: Do you
think the American mainstream music scene
has room for you?
PHILIP PARK:
YES!!!
CHRIS PHAM:
Hopefully so, it'd be something if we were
to ever make it on MTV. We have a pretty
good chance, I mean cmon! How often do you
see an Asian band?!
JOSH BAEK: WE
ARE ALL RELATIVELY THIN, SO I THINK WE CAN
SQUEEZE IN.
NATHAN PARK:
They'd better!
JIZO: Would you
actually care if you were only big in Japan
or Korea and not the US?
PHILIP PARK: I
really do not care. All I want is people to
enjoy our music...nothing more and nothing
less.
CHRIS PHAM:
Well, as long as we get to play our souls
out on stage, it doesn't matter!
JOSH BAEK: THAT
WOULD BE INTERESTING.
NATHAN PARK:
That is a feat in itself. However, we are
more than happy to just play music; where we
go with it is up to the big man upstairs.
JIZO: Do your
friends and relatives support you for what
you are doing?
PHILIP PARK: Our
friends and relatives support us all the
time. God is very good to us for giving us
such loving family and friends.
CHRIS PHAM: They
all seem supportive. All the support I
really need is from my mom. The rest is all
a big bonus.
JOSH BAEK: MY
MOM HAS YET TO BELIEVE THAT I AM IN A BAND.
NATHAN PARK:
Yes, thankfully.
JIZO: What has
been your best show so far?
PHILIP PARK:
Dodgers Stadium...wow what an experience!!!
CHRIS PHAM: For
me they are getting better and better. We're
learning so many different things and
meeting so many different people, but all in
all, Viet Model Project was the funniest. Met
a lot of pretty ladies and played on
television, there's not a whole lot to ask
for after that.... well maybe money.
JOSH BAEK: THE
VIET MODEL PROJECT WAS A LOT OF FUN. PLAYING
FOR PRETTY GIRLS IS ALWAYS A PLUS.
NATHAN PARK::
Viet Model Project
JIZO: Where do
you guys see yourself in 5 years from now?
PHILIP PARK: I
see us releasing a third album and touring
across the states. Ha it may seem like a
BIG dream but I believe it's possible.
CHRIS PHAM:
Hard to tell honestly, we seem to be
progressing fairly quickly in this and it's
all thanks to the record company and manager
that we have. Possibly 5 years from now
we'll be doing a world tour!
JOSH BAEK:
PROBABLY IN A SUBURB WITH A HOUSE, WHITE
PICKET FENCE, AND 2.5 KIDS. NAW, ILL
PROBABLY STILL BE PLAYING MUSIC AND DECIDING
ON NEW GOALS.
NATHAN PARK:
Touring the world at sold out shows :]
JIZO: Are you
guys recording or working on new stuff for
an album?
PHILIP PARK: Of
course, always!!!
CHRIS PHAM: We
always have to be constantly writing and
practicing, so yes.
JOSH BAEK: YEA
WE ARE WORKING ON SOME NEW SONGS. YOU CANT
PLAY 5 SONGS FOREVER.
NATHAN PARK:
Yes, we are currently in the process of
writing new songs.
JIZO: What will
the title of the album be?
PHILIP PARK: Ha
ha ha (nooo this is not the titles...)
CHRIS PHAM: That
will be announced when that album is put
together.
JOSH BAEK: THAT
IS TOP SECRET. MEANING WE HAVE NO IDEA.
NATHAN PARK: We
aren't sure as of now.
JIZO: When will
it be out?
PHILIP PARK:
It's a surprise...SURPRISE!!!
CHRIS PHAM: It
all depends what we can muster as we're all
very busy with college, jobs, and home life.
Hopefully within the next year or two.
JOSH BAEK: THAT
IS ALSO TOP SECRET.
NATHAN PARK:
Hopefully sooner than later.
JIZO: Thanks for
the interview guys. I hope to see ya guys
playing "live" sometimes soon! ROCK ON BABY!
