Introduction The day of the Los Angeles stop of the Benten Label US tour, the girls of Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re and Titan Go Kings took a break with me for lunch, shopping, and interviews back at the hotel. The accompanying Ma Mi Re interview was posted last week, along with a less in-depth Titan interview. back to features		Titan Go-Kings Part 2 Hana: Please state your name and instrument. Pinky: Pinky, guitar and vocals. Lintsu: Lintsu, drums. Yonyon: Yonyon, bass. Hana: What was your first interest in music? Yonyon: Mmm, when I was 13, 14? It was Cobra. Lintsu: Cobra? Yonyon: A punk band. Pinky: It's hard to think of. Do you know Matsuda Seiko? Hana: Yes. Is that why you're always using using words like "idol"– Pinky: Idol, yeah! She's an idol who left an impression on me. From that time, I've really loved music. Yonyon: "From that time" (laugh) Pinky: I don't really know anything about classic stuff or anything (laugh) but I love, love idols and hit songs. As for bands, the first one I really liked the most was a band called 16 TONS. Lintsu: My parents really loved Japanese music; I've been raised listening to it since I was tiny. In middle school I joined the brass band, and right after then, my favorite band was LUNA SEA (laugh) LUNA SEA... ah, I'd liked bands before, but I met LUNA SEA in middle school, and then I thought I was definitely going to be in a band. They're a visual band, I don't listen to them at all anymore, but I loved them. When I went to my first live, I thought I had to be in a band. That was it. Hana: When and how did you come to playing your current instruments? Pinky: Current instruments? Guitar... really I started out as a drummer. Everyone: Huh? Pinky: Oh, you didn't know? Everyone: Not at all. Pinky: Well, I thought I couldn't do instruments like guitar because I was clumsy. But even when I was drumming in a band, I realized they wouldn't let me be in front, and I couldn't take it! Everyone: (laughs) Pinky: No way! I'm annoyed! I'll do it on my own even if I suck! I didn't feel like just singing was enough, so I got a guitar. And that was it. Lintsu: I started drums... well, when I first started it was because I went to a music kindergarten, I played with some drums then. In middle school, when I thought I'd join the brass band, really I want to play the flute. I wanted to play the flute, but I was too small, and my fingers couldn't reach. Even though I tried so hard to make them, they just wouldn't. So an older student made me do percussion for the moment. Before we even practiced, I knew I'd stay with percussion and love it, and came to play drums. Yonyon: Ah, bass? In middle school, when I was about 14, I started playing guitar, stopped, started, stopped, and so on. And then I became a vocalist. When I was singing... Titan Go-Kings' bassist dropped out for now, did you know that? Tamuran. But they were set to tour America, and they asked me if I'd support them, and I said I would. It's been three months since I started practicing bass. Really I'm a vocalist and guitarist. Hana: How did you get to be signed onto Benten? Pinky: I was already a really big fan of Benten Label, especially of a group called Droop, and I wanted to be their colleagues. I wanted to release CDs and things too, I was always thinking "I definitely want to be on Benten!" So when Titan Go-Kings was finally formed, the first thing we did was make a demo and send it to Benten. About a week after that, not even a week had passed, I got a phone call saying "This is good! We'll release your CD!" I was so excited! Super lucky! But I thought I could do it all along, yaaay! I was very happy. That was how it happened. Hana: What is your songwriting process like? Pinky: Ah, well, I write the songs on my own. First a part of lyrics or a melody pop into my head. Once they've popped in, I can somehow figure out the song's theme from the lyrics. Then, before I really write the lyrics, I come up with melodies like this (hums) and think of the different instruments for them. When I have a chorus finished, I put lyrics to it. When I've done that, things begin to take shape in my head and heart, and I make a demo, all alone at home. That's how I make songs. Hana: Finally, how did you choose a name like Titan Go-Kings? Everyone: (laugh) Pinky: It doesn't have any meaning or anything at all. I loved Benten Label, and bands in Japan usually had names that read across, names that sound American, and I didn't want that at all. I wanted something cute with impact, something like Benten. We were all wondering what it could be, but we ran out of ideas. So in McDonald's, we were reading a free paper, everyone looking for words that might be good but thinking there weren't any. Then we saw an ad, "CHITANgokin PIASU (Titanium Alloy Earrings)", and thought it was a cute word. Yeah! It seemed like a band with an s at the end, and 's would look bad, so we put a katakana "zu" there. Titan Go-Kings! Okay! It's cute! We've decided on it! And that's all. It has no meaning, but it has a cute ring to it. And that why we chose it. Hana: Thank you very much! Titan Go-Kings: Thank you. - Hana
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