INTERVIEW: Rising indie band, Rosai in a Hurry discuss their adventurous new album
Written by Charity Lynn
Photos by @boiledpic and @orbovres
Rosai in Hurry is an alternative rock band currently made up of members Jongwon (vocals/guitar), YongWoon (guitar), and Jongbin (drums). They initially began not as a band, but as a group of friends who loved listening to rock music together in the same university club. This passion eventually led to their earlier days as a Pearl Jam cover band. After that project dissolved, they once again came together as YongWoon proposed starting a blues band instead.
Although they sound much different now, as the band we know today slowly began to take shape, the blues genre helped inspire their name. “At the time, we wanted to play blues rock,” YongWoon began, “So I wanted to include some kind of horse image to give that ‘blues’ feeling.” However, it was Jongbin who suggested a mule instead, whose image is more laid-back and much cuter. The contrast between the mule’s image and the phrase “in a hurry” amused the members and resulted in the final name: Rosai in Hurry.
The band just released their first album Sleep Tight and Other Assorted Tales, this past December, so we spoke to them about the journey that awaits listeners in this anticipated release.
Sleep Tight and Other Assorted Tales wasn’t born from a strict concept. “We made the songs first as we played together,” Jongwon explained, “and the album was decided later on.” At the time, their songs had no unifying factors. However, to Jongwon, the tracks felt like fragments of different stories. So, to tie them together, they thought of the concept of an adventure story.
“We felt like we needed something to help pull the songs together,” YongWoon began, “There is an album called Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and the Dominos that we drew inspiration from.” This album was unified by the theme of love, despite the varied moods present throughout its songs. Rosai in Hurry took a similar approach by framing their album as a collection of short stories. “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs title track is Layla. So our song Sleep Tight is like a parallel of that,” the members stated, explaining that Layla was a song that represented that album’s core idea. Thus, Sleep Tight became the emotional centrepiece of Sleep Tight and Other Assorted Tales.
Listening to Sleep Tight and Other Assorted Tales is supposed to feel like moving through a journey. So there is a purpose to the order in which the songs were placed. Just as an adventure story has ups and downs and moments to rest, the album does too. “I would say Sunday Morning would be a resting point,” Jongwon said, “it’s a quieter track placed right before Sleep Tight, which is where the adventure really starts.” YongWoon believes Green Tangerine is the turning point in the story. “Fear and Puddle, which come before it, sort of reflect everyday life. But Green Tangerine shifts the mood completely,” he explained, mentioning that it signals the departure for the adventure.
The final track also serves a specific purpose. Jongwon stated, “I always thought Going Back to the City would be the last song, because it’s so emotionally heavy. But because of that, I felt we needed another song to wrap up the album.” So, Small Hearts became a sort of ‘ending credits’ song for the album.
Although the album invites listeners to create their own stories, there are personal connections felt by the members as well. Jongwon started, “When I was writing the song Sleep Tight, I was thinking a lot about the feelings of regret and looking back. I think these emotions are heavily present throughout the album. A lot of songs also have a connection to our daily lives, like with the people around us or our childhood memories.” Jongbin adds to this by explaining that some songs feel like the story of his life, “I wrote the lyrics for the song Green Tangerine, which is about my childhood. During those days, I didn’t have to think too much about things. But now that I’m an adult, all I do is think too much.” He also pointed out that songs like Noon and Art Museum create a sense of homesickness, “To me, it feels like a coming-of-age story.” YongWoon mentioned that the song Monster explores fear of the unknown and a sense of being overwhelmed by something larger than yourself.
When it comes to the album’s sound, Jongwon described his main goal of making it messier, less smooth, and less “polite.” Some sounds are intentionally uncomfortable, even annoying. “I think if everyone loves every song we make, that isn’t good for us,” he said, “that means we are playing it too safe.” YongWoon added, “We realised that we don’t need to be perfect, so our music shouldn’t be either.” Jongbin also expressed that he felt more freedom while recording this album: “When I studied drums in school, my professor would always tell me to play softer and more precisely.” But on this album, he ignored that advice and just bashed his cymbals as he liked, stating that it really fit with this album’s concept.
YongWoon even advised Jongwon to sing more “weirdly,” pairing his vocals with noisy guitar sounds made by the many new effect pedals he bought. Jongwon welcomed this, “I like when artists’ voices are scratchy and fluctuate. It allows the singer’s emotion to come through more.”
Sleep Tight and Other Assorted Tales also has a very intricate album cover. The artwork was created by the artist Yoon Su Bin (@Nosaegrahic), who just so happened to be their fan. “At the time when we first met her, we didn’t know she was an artist,” Jongwon explained, “but later on she gifted us one of her illustration books. We thought her artwork really fit our album's concept, so we contacted her to design the album’s visuals.” YongWoon emphasised that he really wanted the album to have that kind of adventure feeling. So, he told her the concept and let her interpret it freely. “I suggested that we include a map with our CD, just like a real storybook. So I asked her to fill the map with elements inspired by the songs.” The ambiguity of the artwork also allows listeners to imagine their own paths.
Like the music, the visuals aren’t meant to explain everything. “I like art and music that leave space for you to interpret things in your own way,” Jongwon said.
Their music video for Sleep Tight, however, took a bit of a different approach. “We wanted our music video to be more lighthearted and not as serious as the song’s lyrics,” YongWoon began, “I really like when music videos have cheerful feelings even though the song's tone is darker and sadder,” Jongwon added that they didn’t just want a cool-looking band playing on a cool-looking stage. “That kind of thing doesn’t suit our style,” he said. The result was a playful, children’s book-esque music video perfect for any audience to enjoy.
The band also recently wrapped up the Sleep Tight Adventure Tour, where they performed in Busan, Geoje, Jeonju, and Seoul. It brought its own memorable moments. “It was my first time playing in Busan. So I was a little worried that there wouldn’t be much of a crowd,” Jongwon started, “But I was surprised by the turnout and the energy from the audience that night.” YongWoon also recounts their show at UND in Geoje, where an older couple with no ticket reservation ended up joining the audience and danced together with everyone else. “I never imagined that our music would reach the older generation the way it did with them, so it made the performance more special and fun to me.”
All three members speak about the album with pride and satisfaction. As for Rosai in Hurry’s next adventure, they want to keep exploring. New sounds, more shows, special stages, and hopefully even more festivals. When asked about what kind of adventurers they’d be in their own storybook, Jongwon said he would be a curious NPC selling herbs, YongWoon a quiet guide speaking in riddles, and Jongbin a warrior who perishes early and offers support as a ghost. You can keep up with their journey on their Instagram (@rosai.in.hurry).