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www.groovekorea.com / July 2014 80 Edited by Emilee Jennings (emilee@groovekorea.com) MuSIC & ARTS ROCK N ROLL SEOuL Column by sophie Boladeras / Photos by Dylan Goldby t h e b A R b e R e t t e s d o o - w o p l A d i e s o f t h e 2 1 s t C e n t u R y ‘ t h e R e A R e s o m e p e o p l e w h o e x p e C t t h e s A m e t h i n g f R o m u s t h A t t h e y s e e f R o m t y p i C A l k - p o p g i R l g R o u p s A t f i R s t, A n d t h e n t h e y g e t d i s A p p o i n t e d b e C A u s e w e ’ R e d i f f e R e n t. b u t s o m e p e o p l e d o l i k e u s f o R t h A t s A m e R e A s o n . ’ g R A C e k i m barberettes Shinae An Wheeler / 안신애 I am the bossy Barberette. I play guitar and write songs. Being bossy is my role. I choke the other girls. Grace Kim / 김은혜 I usually sing the main melody, and I am the playful one with a big smile — because I have a big mouth. So Hee Park / 박소희 I am the baby Barberette. I sing the low harmony and keep the harmony stable. T heir matching ‘60s-inspired outfits and hairstyles, crisp yet sultry voices and beautiful har- monies ensure that The Barbe- rettes stand out in Korea as a girl group with an edge. The trio came together when So Hee began taking vocal lessons from Shinae, who was already singing in a jazz band with Grace. Shinae then got the wonderful idea of creating a retro-inspired girl group. Initially they just wanted to have fun with it, but their friends started asking them to play at gigs. Their first was at a fundraiser held by their close friend Roh Young-shim, a hit songwriter/pianist, but the girls spent too long creating their elabo- rate retro hairdos and had to hurry to get to the venue. They were a little late and unprepared for their first show, but times have changed and now their gorgeous look is put together in a flash. Groove Korea: Has the group undergone many changes since you got together? The Barberettes: Yeah, we have experienced so many changes. In the beginning it was more about just reenacting the band’s theme, but late- ly we’ve been focusing on finding our own style. As our bond grew stronger we could feel things around us changing. Our musical tastes expand- ed and we learned the importance of listening to each other’s voices when we sing. Our respect, love and understanding as a band have grown so much since our beginnings. How would you describe your sound and style? We are inspired by doo-wop, Motown, barber- shop and pop music that was created prior to the 1960s. We have interpreted these genres and sounds in the spirit of the 21st century, with our own Korean twist.