Jihae

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JIHAE

Few singers can claim to be as well rounded as Jihae, she is an uber-slashie with a conscience, shifting perspectives from model/singer-songwriter/artist/fashion designer/ business owner/community builder and peacemaker to make sense of an ever-changing world. Marcus Holmlund sat down with South Korean born artist in New York City, to trace the steps that brought her from Christian schoolgirl to artist with a cause.



MARCUS HOLMLUND You were born in South Korea, but travelled the world as a young child. What was that like?

JIHAE It was lonely. It was confusing and exciting at the same time. I had to make new friends and leave them every few years so that was difficult. My father was a diplomat so travelling was just what we did. It was like this until I was 13 years old and I went to a boarding school in South Carolina.



MH Was that your first taste of America?

JIHAE Yes, [laughs]. It was a Christian boarding school. I cried for a month. I missed my mum, you know. But, I really enjoyed it. It helped me grow up quickly. It helped me become independent fast.



MH What do you remember listening to there?

JIHAE We weren’t actually allowed to listen to secular music. The only secular music I heard at that age was from my sister who sent me secret mixtapes with Pink Floyd, Nina Simone, and Peter Gabriel. She was at a boarding school in New York State, which was less strict.



MH At which point in your life did you know you wanted to pursue music?

JIHAE Music has always been in my life. Both my mother and grandmother wanted to be opera singers. My grandmother’s
father wouldn’t let her study it and it didn’t work out for my mother either, even though she was trained. She ended up becoming a piano teacher, a licensed chef and a diplomat’s wife. So, I grew up in a very musical family. My first words were actually in song form. It’s pretty embarrassing. I’m clearly of the TV Generation since my first words were from ‘Lucky Star’ – a jingle from a TV commercial. From there, I grew up singing in church. Music was all around me.



MH Was church big for you?

JIHAE I grew up in it. My father was an ordained pastor before he became a diplomat.



MH Do you still consider yourself a practicing Christian?

JIHAE I’ve found my own faith, which is based on Christianity. For me, God is love, you know. There are so many hypocritical aspects in any institution. People forget you’re not looking at people to figure out what an ideology or a faith is; you’re looking at a very personal thing. It’s something I don’t like putting a title on because there’s no real box that can fit it.



MH What brought you to New York City to start your music career?

JIHAE Honestly, what brought me to New York was to get a visa, [laughs]. The easiest way for me to do this was to go to New York and become a model. I started when I was 20. It was a way to stay in the country and figure out what I wanted to do with my life. In the process of that struggle of not knowing who I was and what I was doing, I never really considered music a career because of my upbringing. I thought that I had to be classically trained to succeed. It really all came into place when my roommate had a band and one of them went to rehab. So they asked if I’d join. I actually forget what they were called [laughs].



One of the members then moved to London and asked me to come because she had heard there were opportunities for labels, producers, and what not, but it was a lie [laughs]. I think she was just lonely and wanted me to come. We also had different ideas for sounds and couldn’t work together. At that point, I just started writing on my own. You know, putting my thoughts down and making them into melodies.



MH You had two demo deals in London though?

JIHAE I did. The first demo deal was with Atlantic Records. The second one was with London Records. I learned quickly that major labels are huge conglomerates, unlike what they were in the 60s and 70s. What’s changed over the years is that it’s not about talent – it’s about the bottom line. The labels were interested in me being more pop. One of them wanted to turn me into an Asian Britney Spears. It was a crazy experience. It got me a little disheartened that the music industry was less interested in originality. It helped me strike out on my own.



MH Was this experience what led you to start Septem?

JIHAE: Yes. Initially I wanted ‘Septem’ to be a fully functioning label. You know, sign acts and everything and then I saw how much work it actually took to put out my own record and how big of a team and staff you need. I didn’t like the idea of taking from artists and owning their copyright: take-take-take and not giving back. So, I wanted to create a platform that would empower people. I was sick of label politics and seeing talented, inspiring artists of any medium fall by the wayside. The goal of Septem as a company is to be an online platform that showcases amazing artists through a rotating curation format done by artists themselves.



MH There is also social component to your work. Tell me about the peace song ‘Simon Says’.

JIHAE It all kind of happened organically. ‘Simon Says’ is a social project that came from my experiences living in Africa when I was younger. Seeing impoverished communities and children suffering, really affected me. When I was 9, I started to learn English and one of the games the kids would play was ‘Simon Says.’ I used to think, ‘Who the fuck is Simon? Why should we do what he tells us to do?’ Now, as an adult, I realise that, no one really knows who Simon is. But, we still follow his rules. So, I decided to take this common theme and repaint this picture of Simon as somebody that’s a freedom fighter, like Ghandi. ‘Simon Says Sings for Peace’ is to inspire people to record their own peace message and fight for peace in a non-violent way.



MH Your own personal music is really far-out. Some of it comes as spoken word and then as full-fledged rock opera.

JIHAE My rock opera also kind of happened through the creativity that comes from having limited resources as an independent artist. For every release, since I don’t have major PR and marketing, I need to come up with art installations or some sort of collaboration. For the last record, ‘Fire Burning Rain’ I ended up doing the rock opera because I wanted to do something very theatrical. Something avant-garde. I wanted a patchwork celebration of every medium of art. It took about three months of preparation. It was interesting because I was working with John Patrick Shanley and all of these great artists and dancers; the show only took final shape once everything hit the stage. At first Shanley thought I needed to see a shrink [laughs], but, after much back and forth, we created something beautiful.



MH You also worked with Leonard Cohen. How did you score that?

JIHAE January 2012 marked the magical flow of the record. Dave Stewart sent me a note with a poem that he had written with Leonard Cohen about an ‘orgasm’ saying, ‘I think you could do this justice.’ When I read it, I was in a state of shock for two days! Once that passed, I wrote music to the piece. I sent it back to Dave and it was recorded! It was towards the end of last fall, when I got a call from Dave saying everyone liked it so much that they decided to give me a writing credit.



MH What’s next for you?

JIHAE Everyone is always changing and everything I do as an artist is an evolution of myself. With my next album, you get a harder sound and there is also a personal evolution in both music and writing. My album, ‘Illusion Of You’, comes out at the end of this summer. It’s more of a ‘rock’n’raw’ kind of album. I collaborated with Dave Stewart and my usual guy, Jean-Luc Sinclair. Dave really took it to the rock level. Also, Lenny Kravitz, who is a good friend and someone I’ve worked with in the past, generously lent me his studio in the Bahamas to record the final vocals. I’m really excited and proud of this album.



MH Are you doing anything different with this release?

JIHAE I am. Before I didn’t really know about crowd-funding. I didn’t know you could get your fans to help you. What I’m doing with this release is the same thing I’ve done before on a creative level but I’m finally going to tour and I get to do this because of the support of my fans.



JIHAE SUCCESSFULLY RAISED HER FUNDING GOAL ON OCT 6TH 2013. SO THANKS TO HER LOYAL FANS SHE WILL GO ON TOUR AND HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING FOR HER MARKETING, PR AND CD.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HER KICKSTART FUNDING PROJECT VISIT KICKSTART.COM - Mykro Mag

I talked to Jihae about the Kickstarter crowdfunding experience and her soon to be released album which she produced in collaboration with Dave Stewart ...

50K MUSIC: You've just finished the funding for your upcoming album "Illusion of You" on Kickstarter. How do you feel now?
Jihae: Relieved, happy, exhausted and over the moon..

50K MUSIC: Please tell us something about this crowdfunding experience. What do you think were the key success factors?
Jihae: It was a painful yet eye-opening experience.. An all-or-nothing platform is high pressure for the entire period of the campaign, but I guess that's what motivates those that care about your music to support.

Key success factors?
Grow thick skin and don't take anything personally. Everyone needs reminders. Even your close friends can forget or put off creating a new account and finding their Amazon password so they can pledge. I think it was also important to have a very clear outline of what I'm trying to achieve with my goal and do my ultimate best to get the word out there.

Having some press does help but personal emails to your fans not just to pre-order an album package but to join your team to help reach the goal together, I found to be very important. It was heartwarming to get to personally know so many champions of my music who cared as I much as I did for this campaign to succeed. They didn't only help with my morale to keep pushing through but they were also very helpful in promoting the project in their own words as they felt inspired.

50K MUSIC: You've already produced the album together with Dave Stewart and Jean-Luc Sinclair. When can we expect it to be released?
Jihae: The new album "Illusion of You" is near completion. I have a new song, "Slaughterhouse of Love" that I still need to record, and a number of other songs where I need to finish mixing. Then there's mastering, album artwork, videos and marketing/pr and distribution plans for the release... "Illusion of You" will be out spring 2014.



50K MUSIC: ... and what kind of album can we expect?
Jihae: Categorically "Alternative Rock" & a raw, soulful, high energy, dynamic and melodic album.

50K MUSIC: On your project page you've stated that "To really make an impact, great marketing, PR, and tours are a must." What does that mean exactly?
Jihae: There are millions of independent artists making music and trying to get it out into the ears of the world. For most of us, all we have is our hearts and souls in sound form, and no resources or experience to tend to the business side of music.

The music industry used to thrive as a business from the 60's until about a couple decades ago but today major labels are considered dinosaurs going extinct. At some point taking 88% from an artist and owning their copyright with no guarantee of release was necessary for the artists to swallow but with technology today you don't really need a label to record or distribute music.

After my experience with 4 prior independent releases and studying what big and small labels do to release an act I learned a few things. Recording the album is just a start. You have to figure out who and where your audience is and tour as much as possible; make creative and compelling videos; come up with a marketing plan and hire the right PR that works specifically with your kind of music and work with all your team members in a synchronized way to get the work out.

50K MUSIC: ... and how are you going to put this into action?
Jihae: I'm working with a marketing consultant for the album release. We have laid out a marketing plan that includes strategic partnerships with brands and finalizing the schedule for execution of album artwork, videos, manufacturing, tours, PR, events and art projects based on the album.



50K MUSIC: Do you think crowdfunding could be the way to finance your music in the future? Would you recommend other artists to crowdfund their music?
Jihae: I can't say at the moment if I'll ever do this again.. It was a rewarding experience but very tough. There is next to no alternative for some artists. There are very few industry people out there that care about original sound, meaning and talent vs. what they consider to be a hit song that will make the bottom line.

I think Kickstarter is a great platform to share your work in process and pre-sell your work at the same time. I'd say to other artists whether it's through Kickstarter or other crowd funding sites, please go connect with people who care about your work and allow them help you get your music out there. The ones who deeply care really want to help you.

50K MUSIC: There were almost 300 people who backed your project. Did you get in touch with all of them? Did you get any feedback about your project?
Jihae: I didn't get in touch with all 300 backers. A lot of them were through word of mouth and sharing of the project. I did personally get in touch with over a thousand people, plus mass emails and reminders. I also had 2 big blogs Garance Doré and Cool Hunting with very kind features on my music also promoting the Kickstarter. Those two garnered over 10k listens on my soundcloud in 2 days.

50K MUSIC: And last one - anything you want your fans and backers to know?
Jihae: Nothing they don't already know.. I'm humbled and grateful.. "Illusion of You" would be a faint melody blowing in the wind if it wasn't for your love and support that allows the album the chance to be heard. The album has become the illusion of you.

And here you can listen to some of Jihae's older stuff... - 50K Music Mag

Many singers these days produce albums that have been laboriously groomed and primped—from almost-too-perfect Autotuned vocals to the overly airbrushed album cover—so it's refreshing to meet a singer and songwriter with a sultry voice and raw energy who's not afraid to express her opinions. JIHAE isn't a new face in the music industry: her debut LP My Heart Is An Elephant featured guest percussion from filmmaker Michel Gondry and Lenny Kravitz on guitar and bass, while 2008's Elvis Is Still Alive showed off her dynamic vocal range and more avant-garde musical influences.

She's performed at Cannes Film Festival, the United Nations and even received a nod from Hillary Clinton, but JIHAE's talents aren't just limited to her smoky voice. The artist has composed scores for The North Face Japan + Nanamica and more, wrote and directed a multimedia rock opera with Academy Award-winning playwright and director John Patrick Shanley and if her face looks at all familiar, it's because JIHAE's been a regular model for Eileen Fisher ads. In the midst of all these creative endeavors, she's somehow also found time to start a hybrid indie label and multimedia company, Septem, to support rising artists as well as social causes.

It's these years of experience and her worldliness (having lived in South Korea, Nigeria and Sweden before settling down in New York) that set JIHAE apart from emerging talent. We sat down with the artist at the High Line Hotel in Chelsea during one of the hottest days this summer and learned about her upcoming studio album, Illusion of You, which is being executive produced by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics.
interview-jihae-3a.jpg
You've been through a wild goose chase in London, jilted by major record labels, to get where you are today—is it about being in the right time in the right place, and not giving up?

I'm so grateful that things didn't work out so early on when I was so underdeveloped, because at that point I wasn't writing music, I was writing lyrics and melodies. And I don't think I was evolved enough to go out into the world.

It reminds me of how the music industry works in Korea, where kids are caught and trained starting at a young age and groomed into other people's ideas of an artist—and can't stand on their own.

There's an artist and an entertainer. But, especially in Korea, they're grooming entertainers, not necessarily artists. There's no real room for artists to grow; it's the same in this country. England is one of those places that really great unique stuff comes out of and it supports that. They have Radio 1, they have NME, they have Camden Crawl–such a support system for new music and for artists. There's no such thing here.
Is that what you're trying to do with your label, Septem?

Yeah, I want to create a community. I'm considered new as well because I'm not as well known but—because I've been through it, I feel like what's lacking is not just the support system but the community of artists. Back in the day, people played on each other's records, they jammed together all the time and had so much fun together. And maybe that's because they were less in number as artists or because people were just more open and friendly and more soulful back then.

I've learned a lot from Dave Stewart; he's a serial collaborator. He's co-written songs with more people than anybody I know—like the most incredible people too. That kind of rubbed off on me because there's something you always gain when you're collaborating with someone, so I'm in the process of collaborating with a number of people.
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Can you tell us more about your upcoming album, Illusion of You?

The theme is based on the concept of illusions. Illusions that we have in our everyday lives as individuals and as societies and groups. There's so many different types of illusions; our lives are an illusion in a sense. It's what we project and what we create in our lives that we manifest.
That's so pertinent right now, Facebook and Twitter are the first thing that come to mind.

I'm working on some art installations based on this crazy, mad world that we created; of always having to show, always having to be seen. But it's an illusion that we show of ourselves. Who are we really inside?

And then there's also such divide in the world. As a society, there's a terrorist or extremist society that really think they're justified in suicide bombings and hurting people. There's also the opposing side of wealthy countries going in and having colonized and having stolen other people's resources and thinking that's justified.
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How does Illusion of You differ from your previous albums?

My first album was very eclectic and very soft as a vocal expression. This new one is more rock and more raw. Dave kind of pushed me in that direction. There's more soaring tracks, a lot more energy, high energy, a different kind of energy. Very dynamic. Probably more friendly than ever—without compromising.
It's also the first album you are funding through Kickstarter.

Kickstarter is such an amazing platform, it really is. It's something great for independent artists of all kinds because every musician and every artist needs help to produce the record, make the record. It's like the modern day patronage. It's turning to your direct fan. It's a good motivator too.
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How did you come to meet Dave Stewart, who's become quite involved with this album?

Through a mutual acquaintance who sent him a cover demo song. He's one of those people that researches stuff. He went through all my work and really liked it. We started communicating on email and we were supposed to meet when he was coming to New York to work with Stevie Nicks for a show. And then he was like, "Oh, I'm so sorry I'm not going to be able to come," because Stevie got pneumonia and ended up canceling the show.

He's based in LA, so I took the initiative of locking down time to write with him. I tried to figure out when he was going to be in New York, if I would ever be in LA—and then he's like, "I'm going to be in Harbor Island [in the Bahamas] over the holidays." I must find a way to go. So I got a group of friends to rent a cheap house and we got to the island. He was only there for a week and that's when I met his sons and he sent me the poem he wrote with Leonard Cohen, saying, "I think you can do this justice." I wrote the music to the poem on the island. It's called "It Just Feels."

And so Dave and Leonard Cohen basically sat down together one day in the '90s to write a song based on an orgasm. I don't think they had it together but… Funny enough, they gave it to a French singer back in the '90s and she did her version of it. And obviously I didn't listen to that before writing it, and I didn't expect any kind of writing credit because the poem itself was previously released—I don't think she had writing credit—but I basically recorded it, performed it live, Dave sent it to Leonard and said, "Hey, what do you think about giving her a co-writing credit on the song?" and he said, "It's beautiful and brilliant." - Cool Hunting

Since I couldn’t capture her voice with photos, I asked if I could give you guys a little sample to listen to and she said yes.
Here’s an exclusive listen of her latest song, Lullaby For The Lonely People, that she recorded with Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics.

Jihae started a Kickstarter on September 4th to get her next album produced.
It’s such an awesome way for indie music to live on.
So there you go! If you want to help Jihae, head on over! - Garance Doré

A croon with this kind of husky, lusty depth does its own PR. Surely drawn to vocals that cross Chrissie Hynde with Aimee Mann, stars from Lenny Kravitz to Michel Gondry got in on this Jihae album. The result is a tidy sonic twists under a singer/songwriter's spirit. - Download.com

I wonder what it's like to have Lenny Kravitz, Michel Gondry, Patrick McCarthy (REM, U2), and Brent Arnold (Modest Mouse, Sleater-Kinney) think highly enough of you to help out on your album, specifically your debut. The object of my affection today, Jihae, would know exactly what I am talking about as all of those people were more than happy to help her out on her debut, My Heart Is An Elephant, which is due out on March 7. Experimental pop is always a point of interest for me so I am more than happy to be kicking off 2007 with some of the most intoxicating music that I have heard in quite some time. Enjoy and be forewarned that Jihae is best experienced with a nice pair of headphones.



:Jihae - Cement Garden: This song puts me into a trance and I guarantee that it will do the same thing to you. The strange thing is that this is probably one of her least experimental songs on My Heart Is An Elephant and in fact what it most reminds me of is mid-90s pop artists like Duncan Sheik, who she has actually worked with in the past. Cement Garden may not provide your ears with anything they haven't heard before but they are at least treated to one fantastic pop song.

:Jihae - Black Pearl: It is hard to exactly describe to you my thoughts on this song because the only word that comes to mind is stunning. Still, I really love the music, which is very intricate and a perfect fit for Jihae's trance-like vocals, and there are little moments throughout the song that I anxiously await every listen; such as the part where she whispers "I like to close my eyes and think of you." Make sure to click on the picture above to visit her Myspace, where the video for this song can be found.

- John Laird - - Side One Track One

Didi from Brazilian Girls and Jihae interview eachother.
Category: Music

Didi's questions, Jihae's answers:

Well, i thought those were fun questions to deal with...so i'm gonna try to
live up to that level me-self....

1. How fucking frustrationg can NY be?

Not as fucking frustrating as advocates of war, but pretty damn frustrating when you're making ends meet in ways you'd rather not, and when chasing
silence to write in midst of construction, demolition,
sirens is a bitch. The NY theme song.

2. How fucking beautifull can NY be?

Usually more beautiful looking from outside in or on a plane.
The first time i met you and Sabena few years back we sailed around the hudson on Milosh's boat at dusk, NY looked stunning then. Not sure if that was the same
time the moon was biggest I've ever seen and tangerine. Whenever that was I had the same feeling.

3. Does it make you happy or sad or what, the fact that the recording industry is a dying dinosaour?

It's crimminal to take %88 from an artist, own their copyright with no guarantee of release. The practice of payolla to get a song on the radio and to get write ups is mind boggling. It's legalized mobbery(mob+robbery=mobbery).
I can't say happy nor sad. I like to think what's happening is mere cause and effect. But who knows, the crippled giants might buy out or partner up with the leaders in technology. I'm only happy that now there's an outlet for independent musicians to come out.

4. What's your favorite writing enviroment?

I rarely get the chance but recently I went to the mountains and woke up to this magical mist and fog. The fire was going in the fireplace i had a coffee in hand. I sat by the window and wrote and wrote.

I just hope one day very soon i can have a place of my
own(with no roomate) where I can wake up in the middle of the night and play a melody floating in my sleep alone with my instruments, and play naked if I want to.

5. What is inspiring you right now?

I can't say that i am inspired now.
Im exhausted.
I'm preparing my album release in March. I've started performing 5 nights a week as a resident guest singer at the box and i've a show every monday
in march at 205 with my band so i haven't got the time nor engergy to be inspired.

6. Why don't we get together and play some music
some time?

With great pleasure!

Jihae's questions, Didi's answers

1. You seem to evolve into different sounds for each new album.
is that dependent on each individual song or do you
plan out an overall musical theme for each album?

Individual songs. Not a whole lot of conceptualizing going on with this bunch.

2. Name 3 favorite contemporary acts and 3 old
school.

To name 3 is quite difficult...

Contemporary:
Franz Ferdinand
Devandra Bernhart
Arcade Fire

Old School:
Astor Piazzolla
Bob Dyland
Steve Reich

3. What is your favorite writing enviroment? (i.e
time of day, with the group, in the studio/on the
beach/mountains)

I was in Tulum for a few weeks. No schedulles. No obligations. No have to's.
I had a lot of ideas. Not necesarily good...nor bad. It seemed ideal: space...
Also: right after the first puff of the day.

4. If you could indulge in another art form than music what would it be?

I would probably have to be born again, but anything from painting, to movie
making, to dancing, photography, poetry, etc..

5. Have you always wanted to be a muscian? When and how did it make sense that music was your passion?

Being born and raised in Argentina, the fact that I was a really bad soccer
player...when I was 13, I became fanatic about playing and practicing music a
whole lot, it was sheltering...that gave me a sense of self confidence. My last year in High School (glad it's over now) I was touring with one of my idols, big influence and mentor, argentinian rock star igrew up listening to. I was 17, making money, making my parents proud, they could not oppose it.

6. What was the worst job you've had before you made a living as an artist?

Handling flyers for a thrift store in Melrose Street in LA. And being a music
whore...many times. - Haystack.com

An electronica feel with some abstract rhythms interspersed describes Jihae’s My Heart Is An Elephant. Each song has lyrics that are filled with clandestine meanings, masked behind carefully crafted metaphors that conceal the true core of the song. Many of the tracks have a calm, cogitative flow, but others are downright eerie, but if you like a puzzle this album will satisfy your compulsion.

The album opens with a child’s voice talking about inventing a time machine. How all her friends think she is nuts for wanting to build one. She goes into her reasons for and against it and it’s a short snippet but it could make listeners wonder the direction in which the rest of the album will take.

The second track begins with birds tweeting and then segues into electronic sounds. Then guitar enters the track as Jihae whispers as if she has just awoken from a peaceful nap and is recounting her dream, with lyrics like, “Every morning, every morning, every morning, I wake up to the same dream…and we’re running away.”

The third track has very low guitar strumming along with fleeting percussion and is a song one could meditate to, with soothing lyrics like, “You will wait, you will wait, you will hear a hum. You will go you will go through half open doors, trace one by one…dim lit the corridors… a lampshade smiles at dusk.” The lyrics have an overt double entendre but the melody is so hypnotic that it grabs hold of you and refuses to let go.

The fourth track has futuristic tone to it with synthesizer work and percussion accompanying it. It could easily be a song heard in your local electronic-funk club and its confusing melody coincides with odd lyrics about an association with an atmospheric phenomenon, with lines like, “I fell in love, I fell in love, I fell in love with a tornado, and he loves me…he blows me kisses and he misses cuz I’m ridin a bicycle away.” Electric guitar chimes in, giving the song an even eerier feeling. Is Jihae talking about a tumultuous relationship or is she communicating the depth of her feelings toward her partner? It’s mystery only the listener can solve.

Jihae’s My Heart Is An Elephant has mesmerizing tracks that are perfect to sit in Lotus position to while practicing your daily Yoga or to listen to while you try to fall asleep after a rough day. The album is also one you can ponder over for hours, maybe even days after you have finished listening to it.

Reviewer: Sari N. Kent
- celebritycafe.com

Diplomacy and music are much alike: both can transcend language, culture and geography to bring a message of hope and dignity to a busy, brash world.

Jihae Kim is a testament to these similarities. Her new album, My Heart is an Elephant (Septem Records), available only through digital outlets such as iTunes, is a soundtrack for solace from a populous but lonely world. The shimmering and sultry release weaves together Nico’s lush longing with Fiona Apple’s ferocity and self-awareness.

As the daughter of a South Korean diplomat and a trained opera singer-piano teacher, the hauntingly seductive singer/songwriter traversed the world in her youth. From Nigeria to Sweden to London and ultimately the United States, a sense of adventure and empathy developed within Jihae, but alongside that, a sense of alienation loomed.

“By the time I went to high school, I had been to ten different schools, different languages. I didn’t like it at all,” she says with a nostalgic laugh. “All this adapting to new cultures and learning a new language and making new friends — that’s a lot of work! So I adapted and I think it made me adaptable to anything.”

Her malleability shines on My Heart is an Elephant, a project that was a long time coming, Jihae admits. After years of flirting with different careers (modeling, law, and even exploring following in her father’s footsteps into diplomacy) and some much-needed soul-searching, she found her voice in the cacophony of New York City, her main haunt for the last nine years.

“I went through a few band projects. I went through the biggest heartbreak of my life. Then I think the band I was in broke up at the same time. This was 2 years ago. I felt like the only thing left in my life that I could hold on to was my music,” she says. “I took a good two, three months off visiting every family member to the next. Then when I came back to New York, all of a sudden I was smart enough to take advantage of what New York offers — amazing art. I love contemporary art: exhibitions and galleries. Read a ton of books, listened to new music. I took in what I needed. Soon thereafter it was like a waterfall of ideas.”

The project came into fruition with the help of some of Jihae’s high-profile friends. With producers Brent Arnold (Modest Mouse, Sleater-Kinney) and Patrick McCarthy (REM, U2) at the helm, and Lenny Kravitz and film director/drummer Michel Gondry offering their musical chops, Elephant isn’t your average singer-songwriter fare. It’s more of an “everything but the kitchen sink” collection. Literally.

“I heard that [Michel] was a drummer, so I asked him if he could play percussion on the record. And he said sure... so we recorded from my apartment. I wasn’t having him over a few times; I wanted him to be the mad scientist that he is. I had one snare in the apartment and I went around looking for other percussion elements of the house, such as kitchen ware, little silver bowls, a kazoo, drumsticks, just a whole lot of stuff. So I said, ‘Here’s the stuff, do whatever you want with it.’

Creative freedom is something that Jihae says she thrives off of, which is why she went strictly digital and independent for this current album. Solid copies may surface in the future but for now the artist is intent on keeping her integrity full intact.

“I didn’t want someone telling me how to express my soul, to doll me up into a product that sells. If you’re spilling your guts out and you have to gloss it, it’s kind of an oxymoron, you know?” she says. “Also, the music industry is going crazy. [Record labels are] folding left and right. It’s such a huge risk to go with someone who’ll take 80 percent from you and there’s no guarantee they’ll release you. To me, it’s more risky to do that than start slow.”

Good things come to those who wait. And the time has come for Jihae’s unique talent to shine. - venuszine interview by Melissa Bobbit

“I made her cry,” says Jihae with an embarassed laugh, recalling her experience with a piano teacher at the age of four. For whatever reason, at that age the singer-songwriter made it quite clear that she was averse to getting pressured into music. “She would place my hands on the keys,” Jihae recalls, “and I would slap her hand away!”
“My mom,” she explains, “was a piano teacher and classically trained opera singer. Coming from a Korean family, she made us all take piano lessons. But I would hide in the playground every time my teacher came around. They gave up on me after six months. So I have almost zero musical background.”
For many years after that, Jihae (pronounced “Jee-heh”) seemed almost destined to live a life devoid of music.
“I went to Christian boarding school where I wasn’t allowed to listen to secular music,” she says, “so I didn’t even discover the Rolling Stones ‘til way past my time!”
It’s hard to believe that the origins of My Heart is an Elephant, Jihae’s engrossing, self-released new debut album, trace back to that musical void. A delicate, soulful hybrid of many styles, Elephant betrays an unmistakably sophisticated arrangement sensibility at work, which Jihae applies to the songs in confident, subtle strokes. When one sees that producers Patrick McCarthy (REM, U2) and Brent Arnold (Modest Mouse) worked on the record, not to mention that both Duncan Sheik and the Fine Young Cannibals/English Beat’s David Steel have taken Jihae under their creative wing in the past, one is tempted to question how much of the music’s artistry stems from Jihae herself.
To hear her tell it, you might get the wrong idea.
“I consider myself a songwriter, not really a musician,” she says. “I play some keys and guitar, but it’s really just to write.”
The grooves tell a different story -- the story of a late-blooming multi-instrumentalist with an innate knack for progressive use of sampling and found-sound sculpture on the one hand and an equally natural ability to fuse dreamy hooks with narrative power on the other. On the song “Black Pearl,” for example, Jihae imbues a line as simple and fundamental to the human experience as “I like to close my eyes and think of you” with layer upon layer of pathos, varying the mood in slight shades and threading them into a convincingly lifelike picture. The wildly imaginative video for the song, which was directed by filmmaker Kevin Thomas in a brilliant nod to Wong Kar Wai, provides the perfect vehicle for Jihae’s emotional range. Meanwhile, the intensity of her acting performance underscores how fullly she inhabits her songs, which simmer with narrative possibility.
“All the overdubs and layers are only there to carry the lyrics,” she explains. “Most singer-songwriters have an acoustic guitar. I like to experiment with different types of sounds and instruments. Every little bit that’s added over the skeleton of the song is there to bring out the meaning of the entire song. When I work with different people and I tell them what kind of sound I want, I don’t give them notes. Sometimes I’ll sing them a melody, but I’ll usually speak in color or emotional terms.”

[Jihae’s residency at 205 continues this week...]
- New York Press

Take a long hard listen to the gender bending "Simple Man" on the new EP Afterthought by Jihae. Try to walk away without singing it to yourself. Try it. Try listening to the Nina Simone remake of "Do I Move You" without getting a little hot & bothered. Chances are, Jihae's voice will entrance you and the gorgeous and trendy beats on this all-too-good EP will make you mark your calendar for her forthcoming album.

n the daunting task of both creating a well received album and tracking down an album that is worth receiving, both parties can be extremely temperamental. In the new EP by Korean artist “Jihae”, she seems to have found some balance along that thin line.

One major help could be the number of established musicians that came along for the re-mixing party. With Lenny Kravitz laying down bass and famed film/music video director Michael Gondry breaking out his percussions, the album seems to have found exactly the sound it is looking for.

Afterthought is a collection of five tracks from the musical newcomer. The musical style falls somewhere between Liz Phair, Belle and Sebastian and the subdued tracks by Bjork. The result is five ultra-hip and ultimately poetic tracks giving way only a taste on what Jihae has up her sleeve.

Starting off the EP is “Simple Man”, the single new track from the solo artist. Comparatively, it is noticeably poppier and musically, much more complex than the tracks that compiled her debut album, “My Heart is an Elephant”. As the title of the track and the content of many of Jihae’s music videos, she seems to be mid-way through a serious identity crisis. This crisis adds not only to the multifaceted layers but also of the mystery shrouding this sensual up-and-coming artist.

The rest of the tracks follow suit. Although not new tracks, they are all remixed to add new musical layers, and in the case of two of the songs, quicken the tempo. “Faint” is one of the first tracks off the debut album and in this case was remixed adding synthetic beats and echoed singers and ultimately a section of string instruments. The veritable blending of the new and old results in an ultra slick track that is part trance and part indie rock in the vein of Beck. Jihae’s smokey vocals, in this track especially, are unforgettable. The melodic blend of that unforgettable voice and intricate music makes this one of the EP’s most memorable songs.
- One Microphone

As I was sitting around yesterday and browsing through the overwhelming two gigabytes of music that currently resides in my review folder I noticed that I had something new from Jihae. Now, it has been roughly forever since I've thought of her or her debut, My Heart Is An Elephant, but the burst of excitement I felt was equal to when you come across $20 in a jacket pocket or something. I know it sounds like fun, but it was really a little depressing. I mean, is there that much music out there that I occasionally forget about artists I like? Weird. At any rate, Jihae has a new digital-only release titled Afterthought, which has a few remixes and a brand new song (it awaits you just below). I highly recommend seeking it out if you like experimental pop. Enjoy.

:Jihae - Simple Man: I'll never know how Jihae manages to use her deep, soulful voice and brooding electronic arrangements to make gems like this one, which is honestly nothing short of effortlessly engaging, but I think it's a pretty incredible feat. Most artists going down the road of what's essentially headphone music never come close to reaching the room-filling prowess of this woman. This song works however you want to hear it, but I recommend just turning it up and kicking back. - Side One: Track One

I got to Nublu just in time for sound check and there was Jihae looking sexy as ever. The scene looked like a video shoot with a dude right in front of her face filming seduction wrapped in a white tank and black vest.

Like a female Thom Yorke, she crooned and sighed her way through the airy music. The evening was comprised of two sets -- the first being songs from the remix EP "Afterthought" and the second set songs from her upcoming EP.

A cover of Nina Simone's "Do I Move You?" was included in the first set and proved to be the standout performance—with the electronic beats moving, grooving and thrilling all at once...
- NY Press