Interview with EASTBAY

EASTBAY, thank you very much for this interview!

How would you describe EASTBAY with just one single kanji? And why did you choose this kanji?

KEiTARO: 【輩】 (Has many readings)
EASTBAY is good and bad. “Sharing the same bloodline”
人 / 一門 / 一族 /  仲間 / 友達
Human, clan, family, companion, friends,
Same kind, same class, fellowship, associate, (close)buddy, etc.

MITSU: 【愛】 (Ai) (love)
Because I want to have great love.

TAKA: 【漢】 (Han/Otoko) (man among men; man’s man​)
Somehow it fits. 

CHARLI: 【男】 (Otoko) (MAN)
Because the band is full of guys. 

How would you describe yourself with just one single Kanji?
And why did you choose this Kanji?

KEiTARO: 【変】(Hen) (weird/strange/odd)
Because I’ve been told “You’re a strange person…”

MITSU:【獅】 (Shi) (lion)
Because I am a Seibu Lion fan.

TAKA: I can’t express it….

CHARLIE: 【雅】(Miyabi) (refinement; elegance; grace)
Because it’s my origin.

Why did you become an Artist?
Who was your inspiration to become a musician?

KEiTARO: I couldn’t find any other job who fits me, also since I am a kid I thought this was my calling. I didn’t have any crush on any artist, so there wasn’t really someone who made me wanna be one.

MITSU: The Music who saved my life. Haruyuki Oki (大木 温之), Masatoshi Mashima(真島 昌利), Paul McCartney

TAKA: To be one I thought it was the coolest thing ever. The artist who inspired me was Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead.

CHARLIE: LUNA SEA

Can you give us a brief background of each member’s musical career so far?

KEiTARO: I’m born in Kurume city, Fukuoka Prefecture, which is also known as the Liverpool of Japan. Since I’ve moved to Tokyo, I’ve been involved in various musical activities in all kind of various scenes such as, independent, indie, major, support and studio work.

MITSU: Moved to Tokyo from the halfway countryside of Chiba prefecture at the age of 18. I’ve played bass and sang in various bands. Now, I am proudly a resident of Tokyo.

TAKA: Since Junior High School I was fascinated by rock and so I started to play guitar. I formed a band in High School and I played the guitar, bass, drums and vocals. After I graduated from High School I continued to play in a band. And still even today I am playing in a band.

CHARLIE: After my national tour experiences, I went on three European tours.

How far has your band experience affected you?

KEiTARO: No blurring. I just do what I want to do and what I have to do.

MITSU: I think that all my other experiences in life are frequently used in this band

TAKA: I do my best and do what I want to do.

CHARLIE: I feel complete. 

What makes you smile?

KEiTARO: Groove and vibes…and Hawaii and Disneyland.

MITSU:  Listening to my favorite music with a good drink.

TAKA: ROCK’N’ROLL

CHARLIE: Chocolate and pizza

How would you describe your music style?

KEiTARO: Clumsy and strum.

MITSU: I’m not a bassist or a vocalist, but I am a bass vocalist.

TAKA: I play the drums and sing a lot

CHARLIE: I just play what I want to play.

What artist or events have influenced you the most?

KEiTARO: I learned from my brothers and seniors when I was a boy.

MITSU: When I was in the 6th grade I listened to THE BLUE HEARTS and that changed my life. 

TAKA:  Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead.

CHARLIE: I respect all the artists I’ve met.

You’ve been in the music industry for a long time, what’s changed the most since the start of your career?

KEiTARO: I guess, I’ve become more kind to people… lol

MITSU: I don’t think much has changed. But I would say, my ears have improved.

TAKA: I’m doing what I want to do, just the same as before.

CHARLIE: We do have more friends now.

You released your first EP “Purson’s Stomp” earlier this year.

Why did you choose to title it as “Purson’s Stomp?” 

KEiTARO: our first album was named after the devil “Renove”, so we decided to use the devil’s name  “Purson” for this release, We also added the word “Stomp” to it to make it sound like “Purson’s stomp makes you want to dance”.

MITSU: I’ve been wanting to use the word “Stomp” for quite some time.

What was your main inspiration for creating this E.P.?

KEiTARO: Inspiration, well, when creating our 1st album Renove’s Drop, I was thinking of creating a sequel to the album with a next release, so I was already aware of it since the beginning. Also we already finished the recording of Purson’s Stomp during Ronove’s Drop release tour, also I was conscious of Renove’s Drop and Purson’s Stomp being able to complement each other. 

What inspired you to write the lyrics for this E.P.?

KEiTARO: I don’t think about it too much. The way I do it depends on the song at the time, but I often just let my thoughts and feelings come out of my mind.

MITSU: I rarely have that a lyric sparks in my mind. So I am always trying to squeeze them out.

What is the concept and lyrical concept of each song of “Purson’s Stomp”?

==01. Set me free

MITSU: There are many different ways to understand “Free”, but of course this song is about someone’s inner “free”. I think it’s like a kind of cheering song that inspires oneself.

==02. Otherside

KEiTARO: As the name implies, it’s like “to the other side,” and you can start over, or you can start there. We all still have a long way to go, and even if you’re crying or afraid, it’s “up to you” to get to the other side. I wrote this song with the intention of playing it at live gigs.

==03. Fish man

MITSU: “Fish man” is Prison Slang for “newbie” or “newcomer”. So I’m basically not a big fan of this world. It’s a song to say; I don’t want to be a seasoned veteran or expert. In other words this song is an antithesis to cunning people. 

==04. Familia

KEiTARO: For example: We started underground, we grew up underground and we went from the underground to the overground! Rather than saying that, I would like to expand this underground as much as possible by valuing the things born from it. To those who have left the underground and almost forgotten about the underground; It’s a song that says, “The Underground should not be abandoned, this place wants you and it’s always waiting for you. The song isn’t only for the underground.

==05. The mani in black

TAKA: Don’t just live by profit and loss alone. Don’t betray anyone you believe in, no matter what, you should not betray this person. I created this song with the thought that I should be a strong man. 

==06. Keep on rolling

KEiTARO: Commonplace content. It’s a song about how the world isn’t always good, but let’s keep rolling. I wrote this song while enjoying subtraction rather than addition.

What was the most enjoyable part of making this E.P.?

KEiTARO: The recording for EASTBAY starts with songwriting, pre-producten and then recording, but I try to keep all ideas important until the very last minute, so usually no one knows how a song will turn out until the last minute. While recording, we always come up with various ideas which we form together, if we don’t like the result we stop and start over again.

When we were recording the song “Fish Man” Taka shouted “Don’t get salty”, it sounded just like a certain artist, we really had to laugh that we had to stop the recording for a minute, we just couldn’t stop laughing. After all we ended up with something cool and energetic. 

MITSU: At the recording sessions of EASTBAY there are various styles of turning a song into a song.  I really love this kind of process. Also the Caffè latte which I always drink at the recording studio taste good!

TAKA: It’s always fun to write songs with the members, not just for this EP, but for every song we write.

Is this EP different from your first album “Purson’s Stomp?”? If so, what’s the difference?

KEiTARO: As I mentioned before, Puruson’s Stomp is like a sequel to Ronove’s Drop, so I’m sure it has evolved in terms of concept, message, and many other elements, but I think we were able to connect them without changing the image of EASTBAY.

How did you create the artwork for “Purson’s Stomp”?

KEiTARO: The cover artwork was done by KING RAT of KING RAT TATTOO, a TATTOO ARTIST based in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, who is KEiTARO’s TATTOO artist, etc. The cover art is done in watercolor, and just like his previous work Ronove’s Drop, the design and theme of the album are connected. I really like the taste of handwriting that only a tattoo artist can have, and it matches the concept.

How did you wrote the songs for “Purson’s Stomp”?

KEiTARO: If you ask me how it was composed….
We always write new songs for EASTBAY, so we choose from among songs we’ve made, and if we come up with news songs even in the middle of it, we’ll add it to the list of candidates and we select our favorites again.

Even with our charity idea it was just shouting “Let’s do a charity ROCK AID!”  and we got in a hurry when we made that decision, so we made songs to match the topic.

—-VARIOUS

Where is your favorite place to write a new song?

KEiTARO: On my sofa or living room

MITSU: My room

TAKA: My home

CHARLIE: My home

Corona is a global problem now. How do you, as an artist, face this issue?

KEiTARO: Not just only the coronavirus now but also in the future we surely will face virus problems. However there are many things we can do as artists, and we have to think about how we can keep moving forward without being defeated. 
This means that we should think as EASTBAY and not as individuals, and how do we value the bonds we have with our members and families, right?. 
We have a wide range of stances, including not only live and musical activities but also social contributions. I think we’ve become more conscious of our stance in many ways, like “it’s our home and we are not alone”.

MITSU: It’s very difficult to put it into words. 

TAKA: It’s hard. But just  have to do what you can do and try as hard as you can.

CHARLIE: I just do what I can do.

What is the most difficult thing about being an artist?

KEiTARO: A day has only 24 hours and that’s not enough time at all.

MITSU: How to deal with dorky guys.

TAKA: To never give up.

CHARLIE: It’s harder to think about the difficulty of continuing what you love.

What’s the most valuable thing that has happened to you in your music career?

KEiTARO: Performing together with my favorite bands and artists and being able to be close to them at the same time. 

MITSU: To be able to see Motörhead in the USA.

TAKA: Almost everything that has happened so far is priceless happening.

CHARLIE:  Meeting you as you read this.

Why do you think we should listen to “EASTBAY”? What do you think is unique about your music that other artists don’t have?

KEiTARO: Actually, I haven’t really thought about it, but there is an important standpoint to say; “Only these guys can do it” . Because we cherish; the sense of fun, groove feelings of the moment and inspiration.

MITSU: All of us are songwriters and singers.

TAKA: We all write lyrics and compose music. The member who wrote the lyric is the main vocalist of that song, and that’s interesting isn’t it?

CHARLIE: Because you should listen to a lot of different artists. 

What is your ultimate goal for the future?

KEiTARO:   To emigrate overseas.

MITSU:  To emigrate overseas.

TAKA: To emigrate to Hawaii or California/

CHARLIE: World peace. 

Do you have a belief or motto for your fans?

KEiTARO:  It’s never too late to………

MITSU: I want to make music that doesn’t turn into background music. I want to play songs which can stop a chat in a good matter.

TAKA: BORN TO LOSE,LIVE TO WIN.

CHARLIE: Keep on smiling!

And please leave a message for your fans and readers!

KEiTARO: Don’t hate me! 

MITSU: ROCK’N’ROLL!

TAKA: See you at the venue!

CHARLIE: Do what you love to do, do what you want to do, you always can start over if you’re still alive

Thank you very much for participating in this interview. 
We wish you continued success in your future activities.

Thank you very much!!
Let’s live the best life together *<]]:)

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