An Interview with HY

First of all, please introduce yourself to our readers who may not know you yet.
HY: We were high-school friends and formed in 2000. The members are Hideyuki Shinzato (Vocal & Guitar), Shun Naka (Drums), Shinsuke Kyoda (Bass), Izumi Nakasone (Keyboard & Vocal) and Yuhei Miyazato (Guitar). Even though our albums have sold millions, we still live in Okinawa. So far we've released 4 albums and 4 DVDs – 3 of the albums, including our latest release, debuted at #1 on the Oricon Hit Music Charts, which was the first time such a feat was accomplished by an indie band in the history of Japan's Music scene. Our tickets sell out every time, thanks to everyone's support.

How would you describe your own music?
HY: We live on an island called Okinawa. It's beautiful here – white beach, clear blue sky, starry night – such abundant nature present in Okinawa is the basis of our songs. We also put a lot of emphasis on the melody. There's a traditional instrument from Okinawa called Sanshin (a banjo-like three-string instrument made from snake skin) and we use that in some songs too.

How did you choose your band name? What does 'HY' stand for?
HY: We discussed the band name when we first formed and decided to name it after the town we live in – Higashi Yakena. But it didn't sound cool enough so we decided to adopt the initials of Higashi Yakena and ended up with "HY". So HY actually stands for Higashi Yakena.

Do you think that the fact that you’re from Okinawa made it harder for you to get recognized than for example, bands in Tokyo?
HY: We never thought about it. It actually has worked in a positive way for us.

Sometimes you use the Okinawan dialect (such as in tour names). Why did you choose to do this; is it to keep part of the Okinawan culture alive, or do you have a different reason?
HY: The tour titles are in Okinawan dialect and it’s always something very meaningful to us.
The fact that we named it ourselves makes us very comfortable using it.

The band began when you were high school friends, was it difficult keeping the band together at the time?
HY: It wasn't that difficult; however, the live venues in Okinawa start the shows real late so it was pretty hard doing shows since we were still students. Oh, and it was also hard to meet the minimum ticket sales that was required.

At first we didn't use studios – we just practiced at Yuhei's house. The house of course wasn't sound proof so we got a bunch of Styrofoam egg cartons from the chicken ranch nearby and stuck them onto the windows. Yuhei's room didn't have air-conditioning so it was like a sauna during the summer.

What made you decide to become musicians?
HY: We couldn't think of becoming anything else. We were all friends, but the one common interest that we shared was music. I guess it all began when we started playing instruments.

Who are the lyrics and music writers of the group?
HY: The songs are all written by Hideyuki Shinzato, Shun Naka, Yuhei Miyazato and Izumi Nakasone.

When you’re composing, do you use sheet music to write your ideas down, or do you all do it by listening?
HY: We don’t use scores but instead use notebooks to compose songs. We would like to be able to compose with scores in the future. Sometimes there are chords that we don’t know, so we end up drawing pictures to describe it. (laugh) We all memorize the song melody in our head.

Are there any things in particular that inspire you?
Izumi: A lot of my songs are inspired by love, but this USA/Canada tour was very stimulating so it could result into a few new songs.

Izumi, you’ve recently released a book (ANATA E) with a collection of your poems, photographs and more. Can you tell us a little bit more about it and where you got the idea to create such a book?
Izumi: The book is basically a collection of love poems. I’ve been saving my poems since high school in hopes of publishing them one day. I also like to take photographs – Anata e contains a number of photos that I’ve taken.

Who are some American and Japanese artists that have influenced you?
HY: Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park. I also used to listen to The Offspring when I was still in High School.

You’ve played in front of enormous audiences, such as in the Nippon Budokan. How do you feel when you perform in front of so many people? Do you prefer to play enormous gigs like these, or do you prefer to play in front of a smaller audience?
HY: Both venues have their advantages. In large venues the crowd seems very powerful and creates a lot of energy. Smaller venues allow me to see and hear the audiences individually so it feels more at-home. I like them both.

You've conducted a joint-live performance with the American band, Linkin Park, in the past; how was that experience for you?
HY: We played at the Nihon Budokan, which is a huge venue so the sound pressure was amazing. A lot of fans came to see the show so it was a very exciting experience.

Are there other non-Japanese artists you either plan to work with in the future or would like to work with?
HY: We'd love to work with Arctic Monkeys and John Mayer. It'll also be nice if we can tour with another band also from Okinawa.

Instead of signing with a major company, you decided to stay with a small independent one. What is the reason for this decision?
HY: There’s not much of a gap between major and indie artists in Japan. It’s also great because the release terms are more flexible.

Your music has changed a lot with less rap and guitar; it seems more “softer” general. What is the reason for this?
HY: All of us have grown considerably and because our songs reflect our lives I guess such changes occur. It’s nothing intentional. I wonder what our next album will sound like.

So far, you’ve only released albums and no singles at all. Can you explain to us why you chose for this?
HY: It’s because albums show a better whole picture of HY. The members each write several songs so it’s easier for us to show our unique colors.

Your albums Street Story, TRUNK and Confidence all debuted at #1 of the Oricon charts, which has never happened to any indie band before. How does this accomplishment make you feel?
HY: Very happy and surprised! Thanks to everyone who listened to our songs. We’re here because of the people who have supported us.

HY wants to enter the international music scene, is this USA/Canada tour the beginning of that?
HY: Yes. We will try to perform in many other countries.

What other plans of tours and projects do you have in mind in order to establish yourself more in this scene?
HY: We'd like to try a world tour where we can perform and also listen to the local music in that country or continent.

Do you have any plans to tour Europe in the future?
HY: Of course! I really want to visit Sweden and the UK.

What were your expectations before you came to the USA? Is this your first time performing here?
HY: America was so big!! The audiences were very honest – their reactions seem to come straight from the heart. For instance, they would go wild if they liked the music, but wouldn't take a look at us if it didn't match their preference. And yes, it was our first time performing in the States.

Let’s talk about your concerts in the USA! How was it seeing the American audience react to your music? Was it what you expected?
HY: We bought a large flag (2m x 2m) for the audiences to write a message on. After the tour we were surprised to see the sheer number of people who wrote on it!

What do you think of the USA so far such as people, food, cities, etc.?
HY: I really respect the fact that American people are very confident. It's great how they are able to honestly express their thoughts and feelings, especially towards family and friends. Japanese people tend to be shy in those areas so I really respect such honesty and confidence.

Please give a message for our readers and your international fans.
HY: We will definitely go overseas again in the next 2-3 years! We'll practice a lot to deliver great music to you guys, so stay tuned!

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Many thanks to HY for taking their time for the interview, their management and Sho Iwase for making this interview possible.