Say Sue Me

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Say Sue Me
Choi Su-mi of Say Sue Me in 2017
Choi Su-mi of Say Sue Me in 2017
Background information
OriginBusan, South Korea
GenresIndie rock, surf rock
Years active2012-present
Labels
  • Electric Muse (South Korea)
  • Damnably (UK)
  • Tugboat Records (Japan)
Members
  • Choi Su-mi
  • Kim Byung-kyu
  • Kim Chang-won
Past members
  • Ha Jae-young
  • Kang Se-min

Say Sue Me (Korean: 세이수미) is an indie rock band from Busan, South Korea, currently consisting of members Choi Su-mi, Kim Byung-gyu, and Kim Chang-won.[1]

The group formed in 2012 and has released two full-length albums: We've Sobered Up (2014) and Where We Were Together (2018); and four extended plays: Big Summer Night (2015), Semin (2017),[2] It's Just a Short Walk! (2018),[3] and Christmas, It's Not a Biggie (2018).[4]

Say Sue Me won Best Modern Rock Album and Best Modern Rock Song at the 2019 Korean Music Awards.[5]

History[]

Childhood friends Byung-kyu (guitar), Jae-young (bass), and Se-min (drums) met Su-mi (vocals) at a tea shop in the Nampo-dong neighborhood of Busan in 2012. The three liked Su-mi's speaking voice and immediately offered her a spot as the vocalist in their new band that would become Say Sue Me.[2]

Say Sue Me released their debut album, We've Sobered Up, in 2014, followed by their first EP, Big Summer Night, in 2015.[2] The albums reached No. 64 and No. 79, respectively, on South Korea's Gaon Album Chart.[6]

In 2016, drummer Se-min fell into a semi-comatose state after rupturing his skull. Say Sue Me fans, as well as other indie bands from Busan, raised over 13 million won in one day to help pay for his medical bills.[7]

The band brought on new drummer Chang-won to temporarily replace Se-min and named their 2017 EP, the Record Store Day release, Semin, after the injured drummer.[2][8] That year, the band also released a self-titled compilation album on UK record label Damnably.[9][10]

In 2018, Say Sue Me release their second album, Where We Were Together,[8] followed a week later by the Record Store Day EP, It's Just a Short Walk!, which includes covers of songs by Blondie, the Ramones, the Velvet Underground, and the Beach Boys.[11] That year, the band performed at SXSW, marking their first performance in the United States, and toured the UK and Europe.[12][11] At the end of the year, the band released the holiday EP, Christmas, It's Not a Biggie.[4]

Say Sue Me was nominated for five awards at the 16th Korean Music Awards, including Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year. At the February 2019 awards ceremony, the band won Best Modern Rock Album for Where We Were Together and Best Modern Rock Song for "Old Town".[5] The following month, the band performed again at SXSW.[13]

On October 12th 2019, the band announced that founding drummer Kang Se-Min had passed away.[14]

On August 10, 2020, Say Sue Me announced the departure of bassist Ha Jae-young from the group on the band's Instagram.[15]

Style[]

Say Sue Me's musical style has been described as surf rock[1][2][13][16] or "surfgaze."[17][18] The band has said that their surf rock sound was not intentional, but was likely influenced by their seaside hometown Busan and their practice room's proximity to the beach.[1]

Choi sings in both Korean and English, and has said that she finds it harder to sing in Korean because she feels more "exposed".[8][1]

Members[]

  • Choi Su-mi - vocals (2012–present)
  • Kim Byung-kyu - guitar (2012–present)
  • Kim Chang-won - drums (2016–present)
  • Ha Jae-young - bass (2012–2020)[19]
  • Kang Se-min - drums (2012–2016)

Source: [20]

Discography[]

Studio albums[]

Title Album details[21][22] Peak chart positions
KOR
[6]
We've Sobered Up
  • Released: 2 October 2014
  • Label: Electric Muse, Damnably
  • Format: LP, CD, digital download
 64
Where We Were Together
  • Released: 13 April 2018
  • Label: Electric Muse, Damnably
  • Format: LP, CD, digital download
 —
"—" denotes release did not chart.

Extended plays[]

Title Album details[21][22] Peak chart positions
KOR
[6]
Big Summer Night
  • Released: 7 July 2015
  • Label: Electric Muse, Damnably
  • Format: EP, CD, digital download
 79
Semin
  • Released: 22 April 2017
  • Label: Damnably
  • Format: EP, digital download
 —
It's Just a Short Walk!
  • Released: 21 April 2018
  • Label: Damnably
  • Format: EP, digital download
 —
Christmas, It's Not a Biggie
  • Released: 7 December 2018
  • Label: Electric Muse, Damnably
  • Format: EP, CD, digital download
 —
"—" denotes release did not chart.

Compilation albums[]

Title Album details[22] Peak chart positions
KOR
[6]
Say Sue Me
  • Released: 28 April 2017
  • Label: Damnably
  • Format: CD, digital download
 —
"—" denotes release did not chart.

Awards and nominations[]

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2019 Korean Music Awards Album of the Year Where We Were Together Nominated [5]
Best Modern Rock Album Won
Artist of the Year Say Sue Me Nominated
Song of the Year "Old Town" Nominated
Best Modern Rock Song Won

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Bulley, Jim (25 April 2018). "Say Sue Me blazes its own trail". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Mandel, Leah (12 April 2018). "Get to know Say Sue Me, South Korea's sweetest surf rockers". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  3. ^ Leas, Ryan (20 April 2018). "Stream Say Sue Me's Record Store Day Covers EP It's Just A Short Walk!". Stereogum. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Say Sue Me Surfs in on a Wave of Tinsel with "Christmas, It's Not a Biggie"". KEXP. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c Herman, Tamar (26 February 2019). "BTS Win Big at 16th Korean Music Awards". Billboard. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Gaon Album Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart.
  7. ^ "부산 인디 밴드 '세이수미' ˝행복하게 연주하면 형은 일어날거예요˝". Kookje Shinmun (in Korean). 23 December 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c Arroyo, Steven (12 April 2018). "Say Sue Me "Where We Were Together"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  9. ^ Timothy, Mariana (17 April 2018). "The Future's So Bright For Indie Pop Group Say Sue Me". Bandcamp Daily. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  10. ^ Safavi, Ali (26 January 2019). "Daegu skatepunk band set for British invasion". The Korea Times. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Leas, Ryan (20 April 2018). "Stream Say Sue Me's Record Store Day Covers EP It's Just A Short Walk!". Stereogum. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  12. ^ Yeates, Daysi (17 March 2018). "Korean Entertainment hits SXSW 2018". KVUE. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b Maicki, Salvatore (19 February 2019). "Say Sue Me sing to the ocean on new single "At The End Of The Road"". The Fader. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  14. ^ https://mobile.twitter.com/SaySueMe/status/1182916081872068611. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ^ "Login • Instagram".
  16. ^ Thompson, Stephen (1 March 2018). "The Austin 100: Say Sue Me". NPR. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  17. ^ Thompson, Stephen (1 March 2018). "The Austin 100: Say Sue Me". NPR. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  18. ^ Bemrose, Bekki (15 February 2018). "DiScover: Say Sue Me". Drowned In Sound. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  19. ^ https://twitter.com/SaySueMe/status/1305400690135638016?s=20
  20. ^ "엘튼 존이 말했다… "끝내주는 한국 밴드"라고". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 2018-05-08. Retrieved 2019-03-30.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b "세이수미 앨범". Mnet (in Korean). Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Music". Say Sue Me. Bandcamp. Retrieved 26 March 2019.

External links[]

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