Tea Time: Interview with Chai

Is this your first international festival?

The quartet again nod in agreement and reply in unison.

“Yes!”

What were you guys expecting when you came?

Yuki: We always dreamed about going overseas and breaking into other countries. We want this chance to be our first step to go to the next level.

Is there anything you’re looking forward to doing here, other than performing?

“Aahhhh.”

Mana: What do we want to do?

They all look at each other with excitement but a small amount of uncertainty to their expressions.

“We want to go to the desert! Is there one nearby?” they inquire of me.

I tell them there is one, but it’s about a two-hour drive to get out of the city. They look a little deflated, but there is a glint to their eyes; you can tell it hasn’t deterred their desire to find the elusive Texan desert.

Listening to your music is a journey into a fantastic new world, it’s punk music with a dash of pop and experimental in there too, what influences you most when making music?

Mana jumps in to answer eagerly.

“We get our inspiration from a lot of things and other musicians such as Jamiroquai and Basement Jaxx, CSS. Other than that we also get inspired by a lot of foods. Especially — do you know the Japanese dumplings called gyoza? We LOVE gyoza, that’s why we have a song about it!”

Yuki adds, “I get inspired by art, so we often go to museums and get inspiration there. I’m an artist myself, I make all the graphics and art for the band. Art is very important for us.“