#fivesource

Experiencing Japanese Culture

Int: So this is your first time in Japan right? Welcome. And we've heard that you already went to a cat cafe!

All: Yeah!

Ash: But because only I have a cat allergy I had to stand outside by myself for 25 minutes

Mikey: Even when we went inside the cats didn't like us that much. They didn't come over to us *laughing*

Calum: They gave us pink slippers, so I just sat there with them on

Int: Do they have cat cafes in Australia or England? I heard that they opened one recently in New York City.

Luke: I don't think they have them in Australia. They probably have a kangaroo cafe. Just kidding *laughter*

Int: In japan they also have owl cafes. 

Calum: Seriously? They don't have puppy cafes?

Int: I think they do. But before you came to Japan, what did you think it was going to be like?

Ash: I knew that there were more people compared to the size of the country, so I imagined a lot of people. It was really nice to be able to experience the culture here and meet the Japanese fans. I'm looking forward to keep the connections with the Japanese fans. 

Int: As Japanese pop culture is gaining attention internationally, is there anything you guys are interested in?

Mikey: When I was little I read a lot of Japanese manga and watched anime. We already went to Akihabara (known for anime stuff). Cho-yabai! Also you hear of AKB 48, Baby metal, and One ok rock (all pop groups).   

Int: What kind of anime did you watch?

Mikey: Naruto, Attack on the Titans, Dragon Ball Z, Pokemon, Digimon, and theres so many more.

Int: Did you ever have interest in the songs in anime?

Ash: I liked the Dragon Ball Z theme song in Haji's Kitchen 

Mikey: Oh and I've forgotten it now but the Pokemon theme song was good. *sings* Pokemon ~

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Int: When you travel I would imagine that you're influenced more creatively, so have you ever recorded something while on tour?

Luke: Instead of song writing and recording, we usually write the ideas we get down, and then go back to them later. While on tour we try to put having fun and experiencing the culture around us as a priority. 

Int: Have you written any songs that your experiences traveling have influenced? 

Ash: Yeah quite a lot actually.

Calum: Like "Never Be."

Luke: Also "English Love Affair", "Disconnected", and "Wherever You Are." They're not directly connected to our experiences, but are reflected in parts of the songs.

Int: How does your song writing process usually go?

Ash: We usually go to write in pairs. We might go to each others houses, or go to our producers. And then we get together what we wrote, and the four of us record it. 

Int: While you're recording, do you ever think of the next song to write? 

Ash: Thats whats happening right now. These two months, we've been writing and recording at the same time. We wake up, and say to ourselves, "I'm gonna write today." We never put it off because we don't feel like it. Once you decide to write, you write!

Mikey: Unless you try to push out the new ideas from yourself, you're just stuck writing the same things over and over again. 

Luke: We look at the songs we've written before, and think of what went well and what didn't, and build from that point. If we ever think of something that we think might work, we always pursue that. We don't write to produce hits, but write what we like. 

Int: So if you're in the middle of the writing process, theres a chance that your experiences in Japan might come out in the songs.

Ash: Maybe.