Ellegarden

Interviewer, writer: akfgfan
Band Members: Takeshi Hosomi (Vocals), Hirotaka Takahashi (Drums), Shinichi Ubukata (Guitar), Yuichi Takada (Bass)
Questions Answered by: Takeshi Hosomi (Vocals)



Thank you for this interview! How did you come up with your name and what is the meaning behind it?

Takeshi: Our drummer named it. He said there’s no meaning for it, and I totally agree with that.

At what age did you realize that you wanted to be a musician and what inspired those decisions?

Takeshi: One of my best friends bought an electric guitar when I was 12... maybe 13. He looked so cool with it and that got me interested. However, I wasn’t aiming to become a pro musician when I joined this band. Sometimes you get what you aren’t aiming for, or probably you can’t get what you crave simply because you are craving it.

Your fifth album "Eleven Fire Crackers" was just recently released in the US. What kind of reaction has it received from American fans so far? Will you continue to release your music in the US?

Takeshi: That’s a good question, I don’t know.

Your new album has a song called "Fire Cracker". Was the title for the album inspired by this song?

Takeshi: Yes it was.

How does this album differ from your past albums?

Takeshi: Little darker, and a little matured.

Your lyrics use a lot of English. Is there a particular reason why you prefer English?

Takeshi: I grew up listening to songs written in English, so it was pretty weird for me to write lyrics in Japanese in the beginning.

A lot of people seem to be making connections between your band and American pop-punk bands such as Sum 41 or Blink-182. Would you say that your music is heavily influenced by those sorts of bands?

Takeshi: Not really. I am more influenced by European music deep down like early U2, the Police, and the Cranberries.

Who has been your favourite band to play with? And is there one you want to play with in the future?

Takeshi: Allister are the best dudes ever. I’m so sorry that they broke up. I wanna play with a band who I can really respect.

After receiving your first American touring experience last year with SXSW, how would you compare the audience in America with your audience in Japan?

Takeshi: They are totally not shy compared to a Japanese audience. I respect that.

Besides America, are there any other countries you would like perform at? If so which ones?

Takeshi: UK, definitely.

What can we expect from ELLEGARDEN in the future?

Takeshi: Better songs, better lyrics, better shows.

Thanks again for this interview. Before we end it, would you like to send a message out to your fans?

Takeshi: Thank you so much for supporting us, and I miss ya all!

Additional Information

ELLEGARDEN’s Official Site
Check out ELLEGARDEN’s Official Site for more information on their history, discography, and more!


ELLEGARDEN @ J-Music Ignited
Click here to see J-Music Ignited’s page for ELLEGARDEN!

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