Introduction In March 2007, rock trio GO!GO!7188 joined the Japan Nite tour for five stops across the United States. Keikaku was lucky enough to conduct the first interview with the band during the tour, just hours before their first performance in the country. back to features		GO!GO!7188 Hana: Thank you for coming to play in the US, and thank you for allowing me to interview you. GO!GO!7188: No, thank you. Hana: Please state your name and instrument. Yuu: Yuu, guitar and vocals. Akko: Akko, bass. Turkey: Turkey, Drums. Hana: How did you come to have a US tour? Akko: How? We've always wanted to play shows in other countries, and.. what was it? That we raised the money? We're doing it because we have the money. Hana: Why Japan Nite? Did Kimura [Audrey of Benten Label] ask you? Akko: Because it's playing SXSW, we worked it out so that we could come with them on the tour. Hana: I know that this is Akko's first time in the US, but what about you two? Yuu: America? No, only Guam. Turkey: It's my first time. Hana: What do you think? Yuu: It's like I'm in a movie! All: (laugh) Hana: Moving on to music questions, what process do you have for songwriting? Akko: Um, [Yuu] writes the melody and I write the lyrics. We do this separately at home, and then we take it to the studio and arrange it together. Hana: All three of you have solo projects and such on your own. How has that affected how you write and make songs for GO!GO!? Akko: Right. Like, I can work more freely. Writing lyrics, sure, but I've come to feel more free being in a band. Yuu: I have another band and a solo band. I understand that there are songs I can only do solo, and music I can only do with GO!GO!, so I've come to have quite a large body of work. Hana: Out of the songs you've written, are there melodies or lyrics of which you are particularly proud? Akko: Proud? Yuu: This is hard. Akko: The new songs we've been writing recently. We've made some great ones. Ones that make the hairs on my leg stand on end. All: (Laugh) Akko: I think they're awesome. I think we'll put these on the next album, so look forward to that. Hana: Your most recent album, Parade, is the first that you gave the same title as a song. How do you usually decide on titles? Akko: Usually.. we just come up with it. We'll choose it while talking it over. But we've been so bad at coming up with titles until now (laugh) But recently we'll go with whatever has a good meaning. We used to take so much time. Yuu: We think impact is important, so we used to really overthink it. Hana: How much English can you speak? Yuu: Ehh!? I can't. All: (Laugh) Akko: (In English) Poor, poor. Hana: Do you have a favorite phrase? Akko: Hmm... I think I have one... like, "cherry pie." Don't you say it affectionately? Like "my baby"? Hana: Yeah, we don't really say that... All: (Laugh) Akko: Maybe I watch too many movies. Yuu: It's out of use. Akko: Too old. Hana: Yuu? Yuu: I like "pumpkin." Hana: Same kind of word as Akko! Yuu: We only like food words. Hana: Turkey? Turkey: "Really." Hana: Really? Turkey: (Tries to pronounce the "L"s) Really?? Hana: Really?? Turkey: Really!? (In Japanese) Realllly?? All: (Laugh) Yuu: He's weird. Turkey: Really?!?! Hana: Would you teach us some Kagoshima-ben (dialect of Kagoshima, where the girls are from)? Akko: Teach you Kagoshima-ben! Turkey: Wasse. Yuu: "Wasse" is "very." Akko: "Very nice" is "wasseeee iii!!" Hana: You've never used much English in your lyrics. Why's that? Akko: I can't speak it. Because I'm "poor" [at speaking English]! Hana: You did use it a little on some old songs. Akko: Yeah, it was the only use I had for the English I learned in school. But now that I've come to America, I might write more. Hana: I'm out of questions, but is there anything you'd like to say to your fans all over the world? GO!GO!7188: (Sarcastically) The world? Hana: You have fans all over. I have friends who love you in France, Wales.. Yuu: Really? I'm so happy. Akko: Yeah? Worldwide, huh? Hana: It's the internet. Akko: Wow, this is the first time I've realized that people around the world listen to us. Huh, wow. I'm glad. So, a message? Hmm.. (in English) thank you! Yuu: I want to meet you all someday! (In English) Thank you! Turkey: Come to Japan. - Hana would like to thank Takashi Kobayashi at Breast Music for approving the interview, Yuki Yoshida for helping prepare questions, and David Lovitch for taking her to New York!
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