The
Many Faces
Stree t, St age, St udio, or St ardom?
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52 www.groovekorea.com July 2015
Edited EditedbybyChance StewartDorland McFeat(chancedorland@gmail.com) (stewart@groovekorea.com)
ENTERTAINMENT
Story and photos by Douglas Vautour
ice Legs, the golden gams of the Yogiga family and the indie junket, were made for walking. Heliac vocalist Lauren Walker (often known by her onstage persona, Lewtrakimou) and her partner-in-consonant-grime, the lo-fi mod-bassist Mark Lentz (who also has a strong presence under the stage name Henry Demos) originally came together about a year back while improv busking in the streets and parks of Hongdae. While patting down strangers with their own improv skills and trademark slow and low sound (punctuated with the occasional riotous barrage), the duo were further fueled by ramen from their skill-gotten gains and started lugging their gear to the numerous stages around Hongdae. It was there, while still largely an improv creation, that they unveiled a more polished repertoire of their pre-established sound. The reciprocal nature of their performances (actively feeding on the vitality of the crowd and releasing it back in a blaze of unaccustomed tempos and wildly thrown shapes) brought forth a progression into a newer, more energetic sound. This dichotomy then gained a sister when Nice Legs released their EP Lullaby Land in April 2014, blending together the stage and the street, planned and polished for the world to see. Busking, live or in the studio, this is a band with three different identities and three different sounds. This is Nice Legs. While also featuring session drummer Jonathan Jacobson, the creative force behind Nice Leg’s signature sound is its original two members. Groove Korea sat down with Lauren and Mark to learn more about these multiple personalities, how the location of a performance affects their sound, and the wonders of a spicy jalapeno pretzel. Which was delicious. And Nice Legs agreed.
“When you’re p erf orming on the stree t i t’s very raw and soul-bearing. I t’s st ill very much about exp ression and about that feeling of being almost like out in the w ild” (Lew ).
Groove Korea ‘GK’: What does performing on the street mean to you? What have those experiences been like? L (Lauren): It was incredibly organic, and at that time, we always said it was us against the world. We didn’t know anything. We didn’t have any friends out there on the street, except for the people we met. We tried to live off the land sometimes, which was really fun. The other cool part was that when you’re performing on the street it’s very raw and soul-bearing. It’s still very much about expression and about that feeling of being almost like out in the wild. M (Mark): I feel like when we’re playing on the street and there’s a full moon out, we become like werewolves. L: Yeah, I really do feel like we’re different people up there. M: We just really like to perform. And that’s almost the best place because, even if your sound isn’t very good, and no one really cares for your music, whether at first, or ever, who cares… it’s like playing to a club, where no one has heard of you and they don’t want to listen to you. L: And then sometimes, little fairies come along and give you like, 10 bucks, or a coca-cola, and tell you they love you. GK: Watching you perform on the street, it’s as if your emotions are right on your sleeve. Everything is close to the surface, like you’re on the verge of something… M: It’s like you’re telling someone you love them for the first time, but you don’t even know them. L: It is really emotional. Like we said, those are just strangers passing through, and they don’t like owe you anything and I really feel like Mark and I have to support each other because we are bearing it all; we’re naked.