Shoegaze Nomads Precocious Neophyte Come to The Sinkhole
By Eric Davis
Precocious Neophyte is a band headed by songwriter Jeehye Ham and her husband, Ethan Waddell, who plays lead guitar and produces their recordings. They formed the band after the two moved from Seoul to Chicago in 2019. After establishing themselves, they signed to Graveface Records and released At Home in the Desert in 2023 and the Stony EP on Longinus Recordings in 2024.
Even during a major swell in the Shoegaze genre, they stand out among their peers due to the duo’s maniacal perfectionism both in the studio and live. Ham sings in Korean. Some have remarked that they wish Jeehye sung in English, but the decision not to is intentional and part of her uncompromising nature and authenticity. She’s simply not willing to water down her songs for the audience.
This summer, the act is touring the Midwest as a four-piece band. I had the chance to have a short discussion with them, prior to their July 1st show at the Sinkhole.
You’ve been pretty nomadic lately, going from Seoul to Chicago to Boulder in about 6 years. Has this had any influence on the music or shows?
Yes, it has definitely influenced shows, since every time we have moved to a new city, we have had to find a new scene. Luckily, there are really great bands and clubs in both Chicago and the Front Range. In Chicago, we made great friends with bands like Able Baker, Sunshy, and Crisis Actress, and were able to release our first album with Graveface Records. We loved playing at clubs like Sleeping Village and Empty Bottle. In Denver, we have only played twice so far, but are really excited to be part of the upcoming Ghost Canyon Festival in August.
In terms of music, the first song I wrote upon moving to Boulder was Ice Cream Evil. It was inspired by the first snowfall of the year back in November.
What are some of the differences between playing music in the US and Korea?
Korea is very convenient to perform since venues provide amps and a drum kit and many musicians use public transportation. But in the U.S., you cannot have band practice and shows without car. Also Korea is a small country and everything is concentrated in Seoul, so the local music scene besides Seoul is very small and it’s hard to gather audiences. – Nowadays it looks that more lively though. . . Also, there are audiences of various ages at shows in the US compared to Korea.
Have we reached peak shoegaze? Are you worried the market is going to crash?
I think shoegaze will continue dispersing into other genres. This could have a positive effect on the market as it would get a broader audience interested in the genre and may also inspire more people to start shoegaze bands/projects, but it may also diminish demand for shoegaze as its own genre. This is all theoretical. In short, I am not too worried about a shoegaze market crash.
What have you been listening to lately? Any bands to recommend from Seoul, Chicago or Boulder?
Moonlight Bloom is the best jam band that we’ve seen in Colorado so far. The Chicago band Crisis Actress released a very interesting album recently, Ethan played bass on several tracks. Also, the Chicago band Able Baker is mixing their new album, and I’m very excited about it. The average lifespan of bands in Seoul is very short, so I don’t know about recent Seoul bands that much.
Tell us about an album that really influenced the music you make. How did you find out about it?
When I made the first album Home in the Desert, I listened to Sweet Trip a lot. I listen to classic shoegaze and new bands and other genres too, so there is no one specific album that really influenced the music I make.
Raised in the St. Peters, Eric Davis spent ten years in Korea and Alabama before moving back to the St. Louis area. He makes a living teaching high school English, but believes his true calling is being disappointed by Bob Dylan’s later albums.
