Why we’re in love with Say Sue Me.

Since the release of their debut album last October, Say Sue Me have become one of the most talked about guitar bands in Korea. With an eclectic range of influences and styles, Say Sue Me mix indie, surf, punk and even shoegaze to create their own original brand of guitar music.

Released on the ever-excellent Electric Muse label, We’ve Sobered Up is one of our favourite debut albums of recent memory. The brilliant mix of summery riffs, fuzzy backdrops and melancholy, lo-fi vocals that are reminiscent of Pavement or Yo La Tengo (both of whom the band are big fans of).

There’s a listlessness to the pace of Say Sue Me’s music and the result is a relaxed sound but one with a strong emotional core. This, when combined with some of their vintage, Teenage Fanclub-esque jangles, produces a feeling of nostalgia even on the first listen. This nostalgic feeling is completely to the band’s credit since, despite wearing their influences firmly on their sleeves, they manage to create sounds that still feel intimate and original.

The lyrics are almost exclusively in English, something the band claims is a result of them channeling their English-speaking influences. Their lyrics are humorously humdrum with titles like I Know I’m Kind of Boring and Sorry That I’m Drunk that are both funny and a little bit sad. One of the best things about We’ve Sobered Up is that between the naturalist lyrics and low-key vocal delivery, the songs sound very personal and honest.

The band, who are based in Busan, consists of Korean natives Sue Mi Choi (guitar & vocals), Kim Byunggyu (guitar & backing vocals), Jaeyoung Ha (bass), Semin Kang (drums). Sue Mi is also responsible for the lyrics.