LR: Are you surprised that Citrus is doing so well and getting all the recognition it has? It seems like for years any American band with a “shoegaze” sound or feel weren’t being taken seriously at all.
Yuki: We are pleasantly surprised that people have been very supportive of this album. We put a lot of work and care into and it’s great to see it treated well. We like to push the limits sonically, especially live so it’s nice to see there is an audience for that.
LR: What are the differences since the release of Citrus compared to your first album? Are you guys starting to see more options for touring and promoting your record?
Yuki: I think that slowly we are becoming more attractive to people. We may even be proving some of those people who thought we were too weird to go anywhere…dare I say, wrong?? It’s nice to be taken seriously!
LR: Who does all the principal songwriting? Do you start songs with sound ideas or vocal melodies?
Yuki: James and I write songs together and separately. Our approach really varies…A song is written the way it needs to written, but usually we have all the musical elements in place before we approach the lyrical end.
LR: When you went into the studio to record Citrus did you have a particular focus or idea that you wanted to come across on this record that may have not been present on your self-titled album?
Yuki: The first album was recorded more as a demo for ourselves than as an album. We always felt that it didn’t flow as well as we would have liked, but with Citrus we were able to approach it as a cohesive album. I think that our songwriting has matured over the last 2 years and we had more time and money this time to flesh out the songs texturally.
LR: This question is for Yuki: Is it difficult writing vocals for your songs when you sing in Japanese? It seems like the timing would be an issue and maybe you’d have to rethink a melody? How do you manage that?
Yuki: I don’t find it difficult since I never force something that is not meant to be. Songs end up being written in Japanese because it begs for it and I know it will be a perfect match. Generally, timing is not an issue linguistically speaking because Japanese is very syllabic and rhythmic.
LR: The album artwork, and even the press kit, are visually stunning. Do you put together the visuals after you’re created the music to make it fit or are there other artistic influences coming out?
Yuki: Yeah, the visuals came after the album was done. Our friend Sean McCabe is responsible for all of our visual work. He is fantastic and our tastes are very much in sync. Both of us love old album art ranging from Motown records to glam. Also, old movie and show posters seem to inspire Sean’s work.
LR: Who would you say are your biggest musical influences? Anything recent that you’re into? What else drives you to play music?
Yuki: James and Haji are influenced by the stuff they were into in high school. They’ve had many bands….They had a band right before James and I started Asobi Seksu, called Theta Wave State that sounded just like Polvo. I’ve always loved Motown and girl groups, classical music, and hip-hop. What drives me to make music is lack of any other sort of direction or goal in life!
LR: Is it difficult to tour and come back hoping that you’ll still have a day job? Who has the most interesting career in the band?
Yuki: I used to worry about that, but now not so much. I would say that Mitch, our drummer has the most interesting career. He programs laser light shows at the planetarium. He’s got all of us beat.
LR: What’s the most memorable tour moment you’ve had so far? Who’s the prankster in the band?
Yuki: I know that everyone in the band is tired of talking about it by now, but “most memorable” would have to be being handcuffed at gunpoint in Louisana during our last tour. We were accused of having a gun in our vehicle. Everyone is usually too cranky on the road to play any pranks…We are quite crotchety! Plus, who is in the mood for pranks after you’ve been held at gunpoint by a bunch of hick cops?!
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