Jonny's animal and the mules
Jonny's Animal and the Mules is a punk rock band located in Seoul, South Korea. Their members include Shawn Kerns on guitar and vocals, Simon Pauls on drums, Nick Houlihan on guitar, and Jim Bisbee on bass and vocals.
They were formed in February 2007 as an offshoot of popular Seoul underground band, Orange.
Their name comes from the involvement of Kerns in Orange, led by Jonny Redman.
History
Guitarist and band leader of Jonny's Animal and the Mules, Shawn Kerns, had previously played with Seoul music-veteran, Jonny Redman, in his band Orange as their bassist. In one of Orange's last practices, Kerns introduced Simon Paul's as a possible replacement drummer. In February 2007, Kerns left the band in order to develop his guitar skills. He stayed in contact with Pauls and the two of them invited Jim Bisbee on to play bass guitar. Originally called Jonny's Animal and the Worms, the band played their first show, consisting of two songs, at the St. Paddy's Day Parade at Ewha University in Seoul. After their two songs, Redman took the stage to play six more songs with Kerns on bass and Pauls remaining on drums. Bisbee, who was in a wheelchair from a motorcycle accident earlier in the year, remained on stage with his bass unplugged.
Following their introduction at Ewha, Jonny's Animal and the Mules began to get gigs at bars and clubs around Seoul, including Club Funky Funky in Hongdae and Blue Chicago in Guri. The band capitalized on its growing popularity and was invited to the Itaewon Music Festival. Nick Houlihan, friend of Bisbee and supporter of the band, joined shortly after this show as a second guitarist. The band has yet to play any live shows with Houlihan.
Members
Name |
Position |
Comments |
|---|---|---|
Shawn Kerns |
Guitarist, vocals, writer |
Band founder |
Simon Pauls |
Drums, writer |
Member of Waterloo-based Catalyst |
Jim Bisbee |
Bass, Vocals, writer |
A large portion of the bands songs are written by Bisbee, thanks to the free time afforded by his broken leg. |
Nick Houlihan |
Guitarist |
References in Lyrics
Bike Trip is a memoir AbOUT Bisbee's August, 2006 tour around South Korea. The lyric "Hit the Tiger's Spine..." refers to the mountain range that bisects South Korea. Dan and Cable Guy are both odes to friends of the band. Ode refers to both Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden as important inspirations for Bisbee's music. Buckley's Ghost refers to friend and Gaelic football teammate of both Kerns and Bisbee, John Buckley. Breathe of Life refers to Martha's Vineyard.