Interview with MAN WITH A MISSION's Jean-Ken Johnny

Welcome to London. So, you’ve been in the UK for a few days now: what do you think of the place?

Jean-Ken Johnny: We’ve been moving from livehouse to livehouse, so we haven’t had much time to look around. It’s been cool to see more of the UK, though. Last time we were here, it was only for our show at Download Festival.

You’ve been touring Europe since October. How’s it been going?

Jean-Ken Johnny: It’s been going good. We’ve been touring with Zebrahead and MXPX. It’s been fun being back in Europe so soon. Last time we were here was three months ago, and before that, it was six.

You released Out of Control, a collaboration with Zebrahead, back in May. How did your bands first get involved with each other?

Jean-Ken Johnny: We collaborated with Zebrahead after a mutual friend introduced us to each other. We then visited Zebrahead's studio with some beers.

Given that you and the band are all carnivores, did working with a band named after a species of herbivore cause any tension?

Jean-Ken Johnny: Not really. We don’t touch humans, so it wasn’t a problem.

The band released the digital single Memories on November 27th. What can you tell us about it?

Jean-Ken Johnny: We wrote it for JR SKISKI, a massive skiing event in Japan. Kamikaze Boy wrote it – it’s kind of pop, kind of rock, and we tried to give it a wintery feel. Also, a lot of the lyrics are in Japanese.

You put out another single, Raise your flag, back in October. Can you tell us about the message behind the title track?

Jean-Ken Johnny: We wrote that while we were touring with Rise Against. They’ve been in their scene a long time, and we saw they have this kind of unbreakable spirit that keeps them going. We saw we have the same kind of spirit inside us – sort of like a flag – and the song’s about how you should rise up and not be scared to show the world your inner spirit.

The music video for Far was called a “collaboration” with Eristoff, the Georgian vodka company. What’s the deal with that?

Jean-Ken Johnny: Eristoff isn’t just a brand of vodka, but also the name of an aristocratic Georgian family. Eristoff’s emblem features a wolf, and when they saw we were wolves, they approached us about doing a collaboration. It was mainly the music video, but we’ve also done some posters for them.

One of the B-sides on Raise your flag is a remix of Seven Deadly Sins by KSUKE. What inspired that decision?

Jean-Ken Johnny: Well, we like the idea of crossing over into other genres, and EDM is currently really big in Japan. KSUKE’s a cool guy. He’s an up-and-coming DJ and we were lucky to get him.

In the past, you’ve said how much you’re influenced by the ‘90s alternative scene, and bands like Nirvana, Rage Against The Machine and Hi-STANDARD. Have any British bands influenced you?

Jean-Ken Johnny: Sure they have. I think British rock is really cool; it’s like its own genre. Bands from Manchester like Oasis, Happy Mondays, and especially The Stone Roses – I really like those guys. Also some Glasgow bands, like Mogwai and Teenage Fanclub. There’s too many to name.

Can you tell us about the masked guitarist that joins the band on stage?

Jean-Ken Johnny: Oh sure, we’ve known him a long time. He helps flesh out the guitar sound at lives. He’s not human – I’m not sure what he is.

What influenced the decision to include a turntablist in MAN WITH A MISSION?

Jean-Ken Johnny: Well, we like the typical band setup of guitar, drums, et cetera, but we also like to experiment. A lot of DJs are now using computers these days, and while that’s cool, having the turntables gives us another layer of originality. Basically, it makes us more unique.

So, what’s next for you guys after the tour?

Jean-Ken Johnny: We fly back to Japan after the Oxford gig. Then, in December, we’ll be performing at some countdown festivals.

We notice you’ve recently started hosting your own TV show on WOWOW. How did that come about?

Jean-Ken Johnny: WOWOW is one of the biggest satellite TV networks in Japan. We were at the Grammys this year, and thought “why don’t we do our own thing for TV?” Most artists focus on the national networks in Japan, so having a show on satellite is something different.

Finally, do you have a message for JaME’s readers?

Jean-Ken Johnny: Thanks for supporting us. We’ll be back in Europe next year for sure, so watch out for the wolves. We’ll see you guys in town.

JaME would like to thank Jean-Ken Johnny and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) for this interview opportunity.



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