Keeping Punk Alive: Interview with Shonen Knife

by Jenna · June 21, 2015

Having played all over the world, do you have a favorite city to play, or you always look forward to going back to?

If I choose one city, other cities fans’ get sad. So I don’t want to tell or chose one.

Do you have any recent favorite tour memories?
I have a very good time on every tour. But recently, this January, I went to Australia and New Zealand. We could play in a beautiful, big place and a museum. The exhibition was Japanese 70’s, 80’s and 90’s clothes. So it was so beautiful and so many people came to see us. It was fun.

What do you do to get ready to write new music?

If we are recording in the studio, I can’t start writing songs, because I’m lazy.

What is a typical Shonen Knife recording session like?

I write songs at home, and then I record the songs very roughly. Then I send it to the members. Then we go to the studio and do some sessions. Then for recording, we play all together. But we separated the sound. So for first we finish the drums, then the bass and layer the guitar over that. Then we record vocals.

Do you have any new music you’re working on?

I’m very lazy, so I haven’t written any new songs at the moment. Just touring.