Galaxy Hotel Checks into Gwangju
Josh Garcia and Carleen Kirksey comprise Galaxy Hotel, a band settling into Gwangju’s international music scene. The two American musicians were most recently playing in Portland, Oregon, before they traveled together to teach at ECC in Gwangju, a component of the YBM educational company.
Galaxy Hotel’s roots really began along the roads of America’s Lone Star State: Texas. Kirksey had just moved back to Dallas from New York City. Garcia was living in Dallas and a part of three different bands, when the two musicians “started jamming together for fun.” Garcia contributes vocals, drums and guitar, while Kirksey provides vocals, ukulele and bass to Galaxy Hotel’s sounds.
The pair decided on their band’s name while driving around Dallas and busking (playing music for voluntary donations) in the summer of 2014. “We are citizens of the Galaxy” truly showcases the band’s purpose and provides the invitation for all citizens to enjoy their music too.
How would Galaxy Hotel describe their own musicality? Garcia was raised on and has favorites from America’s oldies, rock n’ roll and MoTown, while Kirksey describes herself as “a musical theater kid who fell into different genres in that way.” Kirksey has always loved Steven Sondheim, an American composer and lyricist known for such musicals as West Side Story, Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods.
Returning to Garcia’s musical inspirations, he also offered an explanation of Galaxy Hotel’s own history of developing their music. “At first we just let ideas come to us and went with whatever sounded good, but now we have a little bit more of a focus when it comes to finding a sound we want for a song. Lately, we have been listening to a lot of surf music, old blues and 1970s Nigerian jazz.”
When asked how the group communicates their music’s messages and themes, the pair describe the process honestly. Garcia stated: “We never go at it with a theme in mind. Well, it has never worked that way [for us] anyway. Usually whatever either of us is going through or thinking about will rear its head into the music.” Kirksey shared: “I think we both like storytelling in music, and talking about the human condition in a real way. A lot of inspiration has come from people we met while traveling. There is also an influence of nature.”
Galaxy Hotel is pleased with the welcoming atmosphere of Gwangju’s international community. “We have found a lot of really good artists in the area and have definitely found a home at Open Space Dreamers at Daein Night Market.”
Eden Jones is one of those artists. Jones is an American violinist who has played with Galaxy Hotel a few times and considers their style to be intimate. “Most of their music has a down-to-earth, acoustic sound. I could sit in a café and listen to them all day. The pair is a dynamic duo on more levels than one.” Jones is also amazed every time she joins Garcia and Kirksey. “I am always amazed at the vocal talent and creative ability of Galaxy Hotel when it comes to improvising.”
As many international residents discover, Korea presents great opportunities for non-Koreans to be involved. With Gwangju’s continuing support of the arts, the pair enjoyed helping judge an all-boys high school talent show. Not knowing what to expect, they “just went with it. It ended up being a surreal experience, when we were escorted into a performance hall of about 300 screaming young men. It was great. We were [the] Beatles for about 10 seconds.”
Galaxy Hotel’s most memorable experience in Korea so far has been their appearance on GFN’s K-Pop Singing Competition. After riding for one hour to the concert location, the group performed a cover of Korea’s 10cm’s “Americano.” Afterwards, “we ended up onstage dancing and clapping for three songs behind a Korean Pop Star.”
Jones is very appreciative of Galaxy Hotel. “When they play their music, it is so clearly evident by the wide expressions on their faces that they love what they do and they have fun doing it.” Speaking of their own music, Galaxy Hotel has found their song “Mira” to be a crowd-favorite.
For 2017, Galaxy Hotel is working on their first full album with a full band. Looking backward and moving forward, Garcia and Kirksey explained the importance of music with this simple explanation, “Music is there when no one else is. We believe in its power to lift your soul.”
Find Galaxy Hotel on Facebook to enjoy their previous concerts and hear about their upcoming appearances.