▲ Fancy Man play at Magpie Brewery, Jeju City. From left to right: Tim Cushing, Daniel Lee-Wickner, Francis Jaramillo. Photo by Eric Hevesy

In this month’s The Korea File podcast on Jeju and Korean contemporary music, film, politics and culture, Andre Goulet talks to Fancy Man, an experimental folk outfit plying the local music scene.

Fancy Man are known for their class, but there are no airs and graces about Tim Cushing (guitar and vocals), Daniel Lee-Wickner (violin), Francis Jaramillo (keyboard and vocals) and David Powell (drums), all employees at Korea International School, Jeju Global Education City.

The four-piece act, soon to be three after the loss of US-bound Powell, graces Jeju’s venues with their recognizable ”quirk folk” sounds and Lee-Wickner puts their modest success down to Jeju’s somewhat sparse music scene.

“[I]t is a blessing to have people who want to listen to music and not have to compete with too many other bands to get gigs,” jokes Lee-Wickner, and Cushing agrees that the circuit could be livelier.

“Lot of potential, for sure, but not much of an outlet for musicians, or a scene.”

It doesn’t help that they are often left to play by themselves in Cushing’s apartment, far from the city’s bright lights.

Songwriter Cushing laments feeling “very sealed off,” but adds, “I do that wherever I am, to some extent,” and this feeds the creative process, Cushing being the main songwriter for the group.

“[It] starts with a big block of an idea, and whittle it down, and eventually you are happy enough with something that you can share it with other people,” he says.

Their most recent act of sharing was, ‘A Christmas Card from Korea,’ an album borne of a three-night musical marathon, says Lee-Wickner.

“It is that hermetic experience again; it is us just hanging out in Tim’s apartment doing really goofy stuff, and recording it, and being surprised that anybody beyond close family members want to listen to it.”

For gig dates, gossip and even fashion tips, connect with Fancy Man on Facebook. To listen to more of Andre Goulet's The Korea File go to spreaker.com