As this is BAND-MAID’s first interview with JaME, can you please introduce and tell us an interesting fact about yourselves?
Miku: Nice to meet you! I'm the vocalist and guitarist Miku. When serving, I have twin tails. My specialty is "Moe Moe Kyun!" Kanami: I'm Kanami on guitar. I love coffee, and I’ve recently gotten into grinding coffee beans and drinking coffee! MISA: I'm MISA on bass. I love whiskey and beer. I also love zombies. Saiki: I'm the vocalist Saiki ...I can't really think of anything else. Akane : I'm Akane on the drums, and I'm the leader of BAND-MAID. I'm interested in DJing. I recently started as a DJ, so I've been studying.
How did you come together to form this band? Why did you choose to go with a twin-vocal style?
Miku: I wanted to start a band. The guitarist Kanami joined, and it turned out that Kanami and the drummer Akane knew each other. Akane brought MISA in, then lastly Saiki joined. We chose the twin-vocal style because I thought that it would be cooler to have twin vocals with different voice types. Akane: With the twin vocals, I thought that we’d be able to play a larger variety of music and we would be more interesting.
What was your personal inspiration to start your musical career?
Miku: I've loved music and singing since I was small, and I naturally found a life with music. Kanami: I’ve played classical piano since childhood. I started to play the guitar after I joined the band club in high school. MISA: I started the piano when I was small. In elementary and middle school, I played the trumpet, alto horn, guitar, then vocals. Then my friend invited me to join a band to play bass. That was my start. Saiki: I suppose I liked to sing. So it started without me really knowing anything at all. Akane: I started to play the drums after being influenced by Maximum the Hormone. I wanted to become a female drummer who can play such cool drums!
How did you come up with the concept of “All-girl rock band in maid costumes”? What was your family’s initial response when they saw you rocking out in maid fashion?
Miku: For me, my family knew about me working at a maid cafe and me liking music, so they're happy to support me. Kanami: My family is a calm family. They were happy to see the costumes and said "Cute!" Saiki: They were surprised, but happy. Akane: The concept came naturally because of Miku working at a maid cafe in Akihabara. My family is happy and they support me.
Your new album New Beginning is full of uplifting and energetic songs. Please tell us about the concept of the album. Why did you decide you’d rather not have a romantic ballad on the album?
Miku: This album's concept is the new step, the new BAND-MAID. I'd like to challenge ourselves to make a ballad in the future. I want to create a ballad that matches BAND-MAID's style. Saiki: A ballad sounds like a good idea. Akane: The direction of BAND-MAID has become solid, and we chose this title to mean a "new start." We don't have any ballads yet, so I'd like to try it.
Miku and Saiki, you sang in English for Don’t Let Me Down. How was it for you both, taking on an English song?
Saiki: It was definitely new. Miku: It was the first time trying all-English lyrics. It was hard but I did my best! I'd be glad if you can understand when you listen to it.
For those who’ve yet to see your live shows, can you describe what they’re like?
Miku: I think our live shows are mixture of maid-feeling and rock! Saiki: Your stress will go away. Akane: Really hard, heavy, intense. The cute look of our maid costumes will deceive you!
Do you plan to have shows overseas in the future?
Saiki: I want to. Miku: We don't have any planned for now, but I really want to! Because the goal of BAND-MAID is world domination! Akane: Our goal is to perform live and serve our fans overseas. I can't wait!
Japan’s already getting ready for the Christmas season. Do you have a special plan for this Christmas?
Miku: We will have a service on the 24th, Christmas Eve! I want to give the gift of a wonderful time to our masters and ladies. Saiki: We'll have a live show on Christmas Eve. Why don't you come to Japan to see it? Akane: We have a live show planned for Christmas! I want to make it a fun Christmas!
Finally, do you have a message for JaME’s readers?
Miku: I'd like all of our masters and ladies to keep listening to BAND-MAID. Please come to meet us at our service! Please support us. Saiki: World domination. Let's live without regret. Akane: We wear cute maid costumes, but there's more than cuteness to BAND-MAID. Please come to the service, listen to our performance, and experience it. Then you'll understand the extreme gap between the look and the sound! You have to see it for yourself!
JaME would like to thank BAND-MAID and RESONANCE Media for this interview opportunity.
