Interview: Southway (July Groove)

A version of this article is published in the July 2010 issue of the Groove magazine.


With multiple albums, concerts held on three continents and spanning genres from electronica to rock, it's a wonder he takes time to breathe. However busy he may be, it's a breath of fresh air to interview a fellow traveler and creative soul.


Shaun Southway, the one-man band who simply goes by Southway, reminds this writer of a young Lenny Kravitz, or perhaps the Beach Boys. Call it Brit-pop if you know what that sounds like. Whatever you call it, the catchy riffs, entertaining vocals, and multi-instrumental work - all done in the studio by the aforementioned gentleman - will feature a live band of multiple human beings when they come to Seoul.

Originally from Bristol, England, Southway toured around Europe before coming to the U.S. and forming an electro-dance project in Venice Beach, California. After relocating to San Francisco, Southway produced his first album, Electroganic, in 2004. Along with producing other musicians, he produced a second solo album, SoMaPop, in 2007. His third album, Suitcase, arrived earlier in 2010, with another retweaked sound. It's safe to say that no album or song sounds much like any other - but at their center, each song resonates with optimism, adventure, and a sense of right.

Having been featured on ABC and HBO productions, performed music in 30 countries, and interviewed by the BBC, I naturally asked why he calls Seoul home. He replied quite practically - "[There's] lots of places to play music. It's a 24 hour city, I'm a night person so that helps. I can busk here without being persecuted...A lot of the music promotion work I do is on the internet, and to do that all you need is a fast internet connection, and here in Korea it's super fast. Seoul is a good place to be based, and it's quite easy to travel to places for gigs or a tour, all the while living somewhere that is interesting, inspiring and affordable."

Before making Seoul a home base, he used to have a full recording studio in San Francisco. "Now," he says, "I have a laptop, guitars, microphone and keyboard which I can take literally ANYWHERE. Years ago, it was my dream to have a mobile recording studio so that I could make music and travel simultaneously. Now technology is at the point where that is a reality."

Unlike bands that form when Harry meets Johnny or a record producer creates the fusion, Southway's recording system is not unlike the Korean guy in the subway, singing and playing guitar while his computer plays a drum beat or other backing track. I jokingly asked "What, you don't trust other people to be part of your musical process?", he laughed. "It's more of a self preservation tactic. I've been in bands since I was 13 years old and every band fell apart, often at key points after months, sometimes years of hard work. After my last musical collaboration fell apart when I lived in LA in 2001, I thought, 'OK, no more.'"

Since then, however, he's found himself as the person in control - no longer content to simply play music, but set on producing it and controlling it as well. When it comes time to perform, you won't see him mixing in some lonely studio or performing four instruments at the same time (darn, that might be fun to watch!). Instead, he'll be performing with an all-Korean band for upcoming performances, along with his beautiful wife.

What's next for Southway? It's hard to say. Like most musicians constantly evaluating and evolving, half the fun is in the journey following them. The signposts forecast further traveling, a fourth CD in the works, and some performances with live bands in multiple countries.

Upcoming performances include at least one in Seoul in the near future, but he couldn't confirm a date or place by deadline. For more information, however, check out the official website at www.southwaymusic.com.

Creative Commons License © Chris Backe - 2010

This post was originally published on my blog, Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.