There's a Tuesday played to hundreds in Seoul during the last night of their trip. Photo: SUPPLIED
A New Zealand band who travelled to South Korea as a part of a multi-national music residency has described how homegrown audiences could "take a leaf" from their Korean counterparts.
Christchurch indie-pop outfit There's a Tuesday spent 10 days working and performing in Seoul as part of a music initiative involving both countries.
The band returned home to New Zealand on Thursday.
The four-piece comprises of bassist Joel Becker, drummer Gus Murray, and singer-guitarist pairing Nat Hutton and Minnie Robberds.
There's a Tuesday singer and guitarist Minnie Robberds. Photo: RNZ / ALEX HARMER
Earlier this year, they released their debut full-length album Blush.
Designed towards "music and cultural exchange", the Seoul Residency was run by the Asia New Zealand Foundation, Joel Little's not-for-profit music hub agency BIG FAN, and South Korea's CJ Cultural Foundation.
The band were able to record at professional studios, collaborate with local musicians and perform live at CJ Azit, a respected venue and creative space in the South Korean capital.
They spent one day recording with South Korean singer-songwriter Kim Seung-joo and his band, who they had seen live a few days prior at the Pentaport Rock Festival in Incheon.
Speaking to RNZ upon arriving back home, Robberds said the group had to navigate through language barriers, largely through music.
"It was a pretty large crew in one pretty small area," she said.
"It was quite a cool opportunity to see what we could make without language necessarily being the thing that we were using, we were using the music instead.
"I think that speaks to the universality of music."
There's a Tuesday band members Joel Becker (middle) and Gus Murray (right) having fun with the locals in Seoul. Photo: SUPPLIED
The Korean soujurn culminated in a live performance earlier this week at a showcase event run by the CJ Cultural Foundation and Spotify.
The band were struck by the response of hundreds of local concert-goers during the event's warm up performances.
"We were just watching off the balcony, watching the first band Can't Be Blue, we just looked down at the crowd and I was like packed," Robberds said.
"And they were like, so present and just really quiet, listening to every word the vocalist was saying, but still really into it, like dancing.
"I've never seen such crowd etiquette ever, it was such a nice audience."
Although the band had played to some generous crowds on the New Zealand circuit, she explained how the vibe of Seoul spectators deviated markedly from live throngs they had played to back home.
"A festival audience that you play to that may not necessarily be there for your set, sometimes you get people talking through it. Even our own headline shows. It's obviously not the main reason they're there and it's totally fine.
"But I think crowds here could maybe take a leaf out of the Korean crowd book.
"It was just such a nice experience as an artist to play to a bunch of people who were really listening."
Christchurch band There's a Tuesday in Seoul. Photo: SUPPLIED
The band also travelled to the New Zealand Embassy to the Republic of Korea, and took a tour of the CJ E&M studios.
The CJ Group's film and television arm has produced dozens of films, including cult classic thriller Oldboy and Bong Joon Ho's Oscar-winning Parasite.
"We were pretty blown away. I had never stepped into a space like that before," Robberds said.
"We sort of felt like we were in the future, it was super mindblowing."
There's a Tuesday were heading across the Tasman next week for two shows in Sydney and Melbourne.
The band have also already expressed a desire to return to South Korea next year.
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