Suck Stuff

In contrast to having the goofiest band name in Korea (their strongest competition is Cock Rasher), Suck Stuff is a surprisingly thoughtful punk band that took and mixed influences unheard of in other Korean bands.

They started in 2001 as a fairly typical streetpunk band singing about scene unity and mixing in very weak English skills. Over time as members changed (the singer Yu Chulhwan is the only original member left) their sound changed. They could be likened to the Korean version of the Clash--and not because they were a Clash ripoff band (that role is taken), but because their songwriting has a similar methodology.

In 2005, they were joined by Paul Brickey, a half-Korean half-American who'd grown up in the US military culture staying with his dad who was stationed in US bases in South Korea. Paul brought something new to the band--partly, English fluency, and also a range of new influences, most notably Social Distortion and Johnny Cash. That's Paul in the front with his lovable pitbull Sukie.



Paul became co-bandleader along with Chulhwan, sharing songwriting and vocal duties. This band configuration produced two albums, first City Rebels and then Rough Times Ahead, before getting signed to Dope Records, which is probably the best that any underground Korean band can hope for. Unfortunately Rough Times Ahead, despite having eleven tracks, was released as an independent EP rather than on Dope for some reason.



Paul gradually became frustrated with working in Korea. As a half-Korean, he automatically was judged by most of the ESL industry to "not look like he can speak English," despite it being the only language he knew. He drifted from job to job, and started to get bitter seeing less talented, less original pop-punk bands surpassing Suck Stuff in the underground music scene.

He shocked us all by announcing in fall 2007 he was joining the US army. He went to the recruiting station in Korea (which doesn't get that many recruits so they bent over backwards for him) and said he wanted to be an army medic, provided they don't station him in Korea. His final official show with Suck Stuff was November 11, 2007. He returned once in June 2008 for another reunion show and to marry his long-distance girlfriend Yumi.

In his absence, the band went on a religious kick for their next album New Classic.

Download Rough Times Ahead here.

Here's Paul as of fall 2008, in training in the US.