Countdown to the Telepathic Windows Festival 2026 Vol. 1 // An Interview with NICOLE YUN

• Thanks so much for the interview. Let’s trace your roots and story.
  

Yes, I was the front person, guitarist and songwriter of Eternal Summers from 2008-2023.  I released my first solo album in 2019, called “Paper Suit”, and in 2023, my album “Matter”.  The last 3 years has been a huge shift for me personally as I have left a fairly constraining religion, grieved the passing of my dad, shifted bandmates in my solo project, and lived with the ending of Eternal Summers.  It’s been chaotic and life changing, but I’ve learned a lot about myself.

• What are your main influences and inspirations?

I used to study classical composition in school.  My brain really loves interesting melodies and song structures even within traditional pop.  I’ve always loved Bjork, Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair, Stereolab, Supergrass, the Cure and Squeeze ever since I was a kid.  My sisters are 5 and 10 years older than I am, so they really exposed me to a lot of bands from a young age. But despite those loves, I am inspired by songs that have direction and movement and risk!

• How would you describe your sound?

. This is a tough one for me.  Within each of my albums, even with Eternal Summers I’ve always loved variety.  I would say my style is song driven, guitar driven 90s influenced art power pop!  That’s a style, right?

• What do the words ‘Shoegaze’ and ‘Dream Pop’ mean to you?”
  

Honestly those tags, as dreamy and hazy and wistful as they feel, tell me there are some rules involved.  I was just discussing with a friend that shoegaze feels like it has as many rules to it as the blues.  I also think shoegaze and dream pop are beginning to mean more and more things than at their inception in the 1980s.  Anything overdriven, thick, shimmering, jangly.  

• Tell us a little about your recording process and how you create your songs.
  

My process is imperfect and quirky.  I like to record voice memos on my phone with guitar chords and basic vocal melodies.  My main collaborator, Joe Boyer, who is formerly of Cloud Nothings and Autopolitan and who lives in Cleveland, will write some interesting guitar leads or textural parts to my memos.  We will then present the song to the rest of the band- usually all meeting up in Brooklyn for several days of working the songs up to a good place.  I like to book us a show at the end of these rehearsals so we can try out the songs.  And then we play a few more shows and record.  I like to go into a studio with an engineer we don’t know as well so it really feels like we are there to record and get it done.

• Which song(s) are you most proud of and best represent your sound?
  

From the Nicole Yun catalog I think my best work is on the new album that isn’t out yet, but on the first two albums, I particularly love “Points AB”, “Annyeounghaseyo Again”, “Jewelry” and “And After All.”

• What kind of old/new music are you listening to? Any bands or artists you are excited about at the moment?
  

Recently I’ve been on a kick listening to And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, The Nerves, aMiniature, and Kim Jung Mi.  Newer bands I’m loving are The Tubs, Sharp Pins, Cola, Spacemoth and Wishy.

• Who would you most like to collaborate with?
  

 Protomartyr!!!!

• What has been your best/worst gig so far (both as a performer and spectator)?

Best gig was probably opening for Nada Surf at Bowery Ballroom in 2012.  It was a magical night that changed my life.  Worst?  Well it was kind of the best too-playing a show at the local library in Roanoke, Virginia for mostly seniors who thought we were too loud.

• What are your expectations for the newcomer Telepathic Windows Fest, and what should the punters expect from your stripped-down performance, peppered with some anticipations from the new album?

 I’m so excited about my set for the show!  I will be choosing songs from the last 18 years and weaving them together.  Yes, quite a few new songs will be premiered at the show!  I am going to be playing from a range of clean and quiet to very overdriven and fuzzed out, so I’m hoping people can get into my world and switch their mentality from the full band sound to being able to dive into the songs with me.  I’m also expecting to find new bands to love and hopefully make some new friends!

• What are your plans for the future?

 I just finished recording my next album, which will be out in the spring of 2027!!!  Until then, I would like to write and record another Nicole Yun album or even for a different project!

• Any parting words?
  

 Music is great, isn’t it?