Dead Buttons are a Seoul-based rock ‘n’ roll duo comprised of Korean guitarist/vocalist Jihyun Hong and Paraguayan/Korean drummer/vocalist Kanghee Lee. A veteran of Korea’s indie scene, Hong is also the guitarist in the Seoul hardcore band Combative Post and previously played in the punk bands Sweet Guerillaz and Oi! Resolute, along with the psych- and pop-tinged garage rock act The Infamous Orchestra. 

He met Lee after Lee had finished his mandatory military service and the two decided to make Dead Buttons.  The band was originally formed as a trio in the fall of 2013. Showing their ambitious nature early on, less than two months after making their live debut they traveled to Tokyo in December 2013 to perform at the Japan-Korea Punk Festival. 

In the summer of 2014, Hong and Lee parted ways with their bassist. Wanting a fresh start for Dead Buttons, they threw away all of their older material and began crafting new tunes as a two-piece.  

In May 2015, Dead Buttons will issue their first EP, Whoever You Are. The five-track effort was recorded over the course of five hours last December. Whereas the band’s early material had more of a garage punk feel, the fantastic Whoever You Are boasts a wider sonic palette mixing garage rock, blues, country, punk, and psychedelic music to create an infectious sampler that showcases this fast-rising pair’s potential. In May 2015, Dead Buttons are performing several gigs in the UK in support of Whoever You Are including a stop at the Liverpool Sound City music festival and Brixton Windmill. 

Loop 26 - To Last Fray

ChangHyun Park

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