Seoul Time : There's A Tuesday in Korea

A residency many months in the making: Christchurch band There’s A Tuesday is finally flying to Seoul for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Announced back in May, the indie pop group will now write, record, and perform in South Korea’s glistening metropolis, thanks to local not-for-profit music hub BIG FAN, the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono, and South Korea’s CJ Cultural Foundation.

The Seoul Residency covers flights, accommodation, and daily expenses—allowing the band to focus entirely on their music and cultural exchange with the CJ Cultural Foundation. This isn’t the first collaboration between the two foundations; earlier this year, Anna Tirakatene undertook a business internship researching the global music industry.

Amongst the many local applicants for the residency, Ōtautahi natives Nat Hutton, Minnie Robberds, Gus Murray (drums), and Joel Becker stood out for their “dreamy indie pop sound and thoughtful approach to songwriting”.

There’s A Tuesday released their softly searing and emotionally mature debut album Blush in April—an 11-track record exploring coming-of-age, queer identity, and deeply moving experiences of love and life that resonate universally. Most recently, the band has also been selected to perform at Australia’s BIGSOUND.

Now, venturing even further from home, the talented foursome will immerse themselves in Seoul’s diverse and growing music scene and explore Korean culture from July 31 to August 10'[;. The residency aims to foster cultural exchange between Korean and New Zealand artists and cultivate long-term connections with seasoned music industry professionals. Accompanying the band are their manager Cuillin Hearty, BIG FAN general manager Savina Fountain, and myself as a music journalist.

Fountain notes, “The goal is for others back home to benefit from the relationships and insights we develop on this trip” and to “build meaningful connections that help bridge the music communities of Aotearoa and South Korea”.

There’s A Tuesday are the Ōtautahi-born indie rock band made up of high school best friends Minnie Robberds and Nat Hutton, joined by drummer Gus Murray and bassist Joel Becker. Image: TAT/Facebook

About Seoul and its music scene

Although the Republic of Korea has undergone difficult times recently, the nation is bouncing back and regaining its cultural and creative freedom. In an historic turnover, South Korea has newly elected Democratic leader President Lee Jae-myung following an imposition of military law  by Yoon Suk Yeol.

 It may have come as a surprise to some in Aotearoa that the Foundation issued a callout not for a K-pop group, but for an indie act—especially given South Korea’s global reputation as the land of K-pop. However, the choice aligns well with the rebellious and individualistic spirit of this renewed nation, making the indie genre of these two bands especially fitting for such a timely residency.

 There are many good things to come during There’s A Tuesday’s Seoul trip, which they hopefully have time for: Out west, there will be a new botanic garden inspired by the flora that inspired Monet’s art, a brand-new Photography Seoul Museum of Art to the north east, the Seoul Arts Center will host its biggest edition of its International Music Festival.

Many Western audiences were introduced to the Blackpink superstar through the online series Chicken Shop Date. Seoul City sound source from Jenny's first solo studio album Ruby.  Jenny will appear in a headstone decorative dress, a traditional craft technique that modernizes Korean beauty, to promote Korean culture to the world, the Seoul Tourism Organisation hope to exceed 30 million tourists visiting Korea.

A jam-packed, genre-bending journey

The band’s ten-day itinerary includes attending the Pentaport Rock Festival in Incheon to watch artists like Kim Seung Joo and HYANG perform at the “ultimate seaside festival” for rock enthusiasts; a trip to the New Zealand Embassy to the Republic of Korea; a tour of Mound Media Studios; performing at a TUNE UP MEETS FRESH FINDS concert; and a meeting with Spotify Korea officials.

 Throughout, There’s A Tuesday will be collaborating with Seoul’s own indie act jisokuryClub, who are known for their infectious positivity, catchy songs and humorous lyrics.  They will be headlining the TUNE UP concert after There’s A Tuesday warms the stage. Our Aotearoa darlings will get creative with jisokuryClub’s Jeong Jiseok 정지석, Shin Jaehwan 신재환, Moon Junghwan 문정환, Moon Sansu 문산수, Kim Hongbi 김홍비 and Park Eunbin 박은빈. The Seoul band’s name comes from lead singer Jeong Jiseok and the Korean word for “colander”—Sokury.  jisokuryClub’s music aims to be "captured in a colander of good thoughts”. You can listen to CJ Cultural Foundation’s playlist here to get familiar with the two groups.

While this is a major step for the band, the residency also marks a first for New Zealand music journalism. Alongside the artists, I’ll be capturing the story from the inside—through daily updates, interviews, and a short documentary.

I aim to demystify the Asian music scene by capturing the band’s adventures and make Korean music and culture more accessible to Kiwi audiences back home. I will share my experiences exploring Seoul’s music scene, the tastiest bits of culture I encounter, and how seeing the city through the eyes of the band has shaped my understanding of Aotearoa-Asia relations.

One of the most anticipated moments of the trip is a creative collaboration with Seoul’s jisokuryClub, whose upbeat energy, quirky lyrics, and loyal following will meet the indie charm of There’s A Tuesday on stage and in the studio. Image: TAT/Facebook

Excitement for Seoul

The city is expecting a dangerous heat wave to tip 40 degrees Celsius for the first time this week. It is likely to prove a challenge to the instrument-lugging group. However, that has not stopped the anticipation that Fountain and our cohort is experiencing.

 “I can’t begin to explain my excitement for the Seoul Residency,” she says. “The cultural exchange is a big one for me.” She reflected upon the fruits of this months-long process organising the residency, “It has been a great reminder of how valuable these experiences are. I’m excited to learn, adapt, and take those insights forward.”  Even as a Korean woman, she is “going in with open eyes”. Fountain adds, “I’m especially curious about the independent music scene, and how people build community around music there.”

 There’s A Tuesday described the residency as a “complete dream”. To have the “opportunity to play our music to new crowds in countries far from home” is a feat for any local band, and they’re “really looking forward to connecting with people within the Seoul music community, exploring the live scene, and playing with a local band”.

 “We truly cannot wait to experience it all.”

-Asia Media Centre