In a refreshing departure from conventional norms, Non Smokers Club is outlining an exciting musical journey in the Korean music scene. Composed of the lively duo Zuo and Herr Nayne, they embraced the name “Non Smokers Club” as a representation of their commitment to a healthy lifestyle and crafting songs, showing the endless potential of their artistry by mixing various sounds, including Latin music and Jersey Club beats.

“Zuo and I are constantly seeking new ways to experiment with our music”, says Herr Nayne.

“When we were making Dickies, we wanted to capture a beachy vibe, inspired by the upcoming summer. We rearranged the song to give it a fresh, invigorating sound”, Zuo adds.

“And then there’s Bandonin”, Nayne tells me, then continues, “[the song] is a unique fusion of our interests. Zuo has always been drawn to Flamenco and other traditional Spanish music, while I introduced the infectious Jersey Club beats. Combining these influences felt like a natural, organic process”.

Non Smokers Club is a breath of fresh air, and with their musical talent, Zuo and Herr Nayne show that their great skills in creative endeavor have no limits. By conveying their true selves through their music, they also celebrate one’s individuality. 

“Our name, Non Smokers Club, reflects our desire to promote a healthy lifestyle while crafting bouncy, dance-worthy tracks”, Herr Nayne explains.

“We want our music to be open to interpretation”, Zuo adds. “It’s not about conveying specific messages; we want people to connect with the emotions and energy of our songs in their own way”, he comments further. 

To add more to their description of the two aforementioned songs, Zuo also says that, “[In terms of] Dickies, [and to make a further comment], the original version of the song also had Latin components and Hip-hop beats. But we decided to rearrange it to give it a fresh sound.”

“Yes!”, Herr Nayne chimes in and then adds that, “At the time of making Dickies, we were feeling that beachy vibe because it was spring in Korea and summer was about to come. So yes, we put a little bit of a twist on Dickies, and Bandonin was released later. Zuo is into Flamenco, and that song happened to have a Jersey Club type of beat in regards to the tempo and the melody. Of course, I had the hook first, and that’s how Bandonin came about. But yeah, we just thought, ‘Okay, the world is feeling the Jersey Club genre, and we’re doing a lot of Latin music, so why don’t we just combine them together?’”.

Looking ahead, the duo aims to continue exploring their sound while experimenting with a diverse range of genres. 

“Latin music has had a significant impact on the global music industry”, Herr Nayne says. “We’re excited to explore and learn more about the various musical cultures within Latin America and see how we can incorporate those influences into our future projects”.

When asked about their upcoming releases, Zuo reveals that, “We have a treasure trove of music waiting to be released. We’re currently in talks with a distributor and planning to share our new tracks soon, possibly by September”.

As for their long-term goals, Herr Nayne muses, “We have a few ideas in mind. It could be a full-length album, a single, or even a double single. Whichever track feels perfect to us will be the first to be released”.

As mentioned before, Zuo and Herr Nayne’s journey in the Korean music scene shows the power of experimentation and embracing one’s unique identity. The duo hopes to inspire fellow musicians to boldly pursue their creative visions and redefine the industry’s sound.

Herr Nayne also elaborates on the inspiration behind their musical fusion, “Today’s music is just like modern art, in my opinion. It’s all about the intention behind the creator. At the time of making Dickies and Bandonin, we were feeling those beachy vibes [Latin sounds], and the contrast of different sounds just felt right”.

Their collaboration with Bahraini animator Kavin Al Naseeb for the music videos adds an extra layer of creativity to their art. “Kavin is a great animator from Bahrain. He is very good at expressing someone’s music through his 3D animation, that’s why I wanted to work with him”, Zuo explains.

“We constantly talked and had many meetings to discuss the process behind the videos. He always has a vision when working with global artists, and we offered him some ideas, including the contrast that fits within the two different songs. He really nailed it”, Nayne adds.

The origins of Non Smokers Club date back to seven years ago, when the duo’s meeting seemed serendipitous. “We have a mutual friend; one day Herr wanted to meet up with that friend, but he couldn’t make it, so I went to meet Herr Nayne instead, and the rest is history”, Zuo fondly recalls, with Herr adding that, “Something told me that we might vibe. So, we met up and just started making music together”.

And while chatting about their beginnings, Herr Nayne – who is also a Korean-American – reminisces on his own musical journey, “For Asian Americans, the representation is still not there yet. So, even if you’re very talented, I feel like the easiest way out is to come back to your motherland and start your music career [wherever that might be]. Just look at Jay Park and Eric Nam”.

“After graduating with a degree in English Literature, I decided to move to Korea because I felt like I needed the recognition from my own people first to see how my career could evolve abroad”, Herr Nayne explains further. 

Non Smokers Club constantly seeks out new ideas while staying true to themselves. With them trying new things, I am sure that this will lead them to even greater success in the Korean music scene as well as abroad. 

Written and interviewed by Maggie Gogler

Featured image © Non Smokers Club

_{View of the Arts is a British online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and art, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop / K-music, and Asian music in general, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts, worldwide.}