Billy Carter is a Blues band based in Seoul, South Korea. The group formed in 2011 as an acoustic 2-piece band when original members Jiwon Kim (vocals and melodica) and Jina Kim (guitar and harmonica) started playing together simply for the purpose of making memories during their one-year journey in the UK. After returning to Korea, the duo decided to continue playing together and were joined by Hyun Joon Lee on drums, reimagining the band in its current form.
With a totally different sound from their earlier acoustic tunes, Billy Carter released their first EP, "The Red," in June 2015. The EP immediately gained attention after being chosen as the Album of the Week on Naver, the most popular internet portal in Korea, and many other music websites. Later, it was nominated for three 2015 Korean Music Awards: Rookie of the Year, Best Rock Music of the Year, and Best Rock Album of the Year. Billy Carter was also named the 2015 Best Rookie Artist by Music Y, a famous music web magazine in Korea, and chosen as the 2015 K-Rookies by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), national support agency of culture and art run by Korean government.
The EP's first single, "Silence," which was also nominated for a Korean Music Award, has a hard-hitting sound matched with a strong message about the absence of communication in Korean society. The EP contains 4 more songs about various very personal topics, such as the irony of emotions and a life of remorse, wishes, and concerns.
Billy Carter recently released their second EP, "The Yellow." Against all expectations, their new EP was an acoustic record full of musical sensibility. Most songs on the album had been written before Hyun Joon joined the band on drums but but were rearranged allowing the percussion to add a degree of completion to the earlier identity of Billy Carter. "I Don't Care," the first single of the acoustic EP, says that they don't care about people's names or jobs because there must be something more important than what is shown externally.
These two drastically different EPs show the multifaceted potential of Billy Carter; they show rough and raw emotion with deep but fragile sensitivity. The group's artistry has continued to grow in both their musical ability and the depth of their introspection. Currently, Billy Carter is working on their first full-length album, which is scheduled to be released November.