Pentagon Japan is making its way to Texas this summer to play their very first live in America! We took this opportunity to chat with the guys to see what thoughts were running through their heads and naturally, we also talked about their music to get some more insight into their music process.
First of all, please introduce yourself to our readers.
chizuru: I’m the vocalist chizuru!
Yutori: I’m Yutori on guitar.
Taku: I’m Taku, also on guitar!
minpha: I’m minpha and I play bass.
Atsuki: I’m Atsuki on drums.
Why the name “Pentagon Japan”? Is there any kind of special meaning behind it?
chizuru: Back in 2014 minpha and I started a limited-time unit named Call Me with the story that after minpha’s life expectancy of three months the group would disband. However, at the end of those three months, it was revealed that the whole story—including minpha’s expected death—was actually the dream of minpha’s stuffed rabbit named “Pentagon”. At this point, the rest of the members officially joined the band and that’s where the five of us got our name.
Who inspires you musically? Are there any western artists who have inspired you?
Yutori: Absolutely! The first rock band I ever listened to was Deep Purple.
What goals do you currently have in mind for Pentagon Japan?
Atsuki: I want to complete a tour of all 47 prefectures in Japan.
You recently announced your debut US Live at “A-Kon 28” this summer. What are you most looking forward to?
minpha: Eating steak.
Has it always been your aim to perform overseas, or did your international popularity come as a surprise?
chizuru: No, it was very sudden! We’re very grateful to our overseas fans.
Who came up with the idea for your new single “Crazy Tribe”?
chizuru: Yutori is usually the one who holds the key to our music. This time was no different.
Your song “Crazy Tribe” differs in sound and style to your previous music. What stimulated this change, and can we expect to see you experiment with other musical styles in the future too?
chizuru: It came from focusing on the theme of “kabukimono” (a kind of eccentric in Edo period Japan, notorious for wacky clothing and hairstyles. Often considered the 17th century equivalent of the yakuza because of their gangs). I want to continue to try out other styles as well.
The concepts and costumes for your music videos are always interesting. Which music video was the most fun to make?
Yutori: Shonen Waltz!
What’s your songwriting process like?
Yutori: As chizuru said, I’m usually the one who comes up with our songs. I compose them on the piano and then share them with the other members.
Before ending this interview, let’s have a bit of fun! You call yourselves “party people”, but do any of the members have any interesting party tricks?
minpha: Yes, I think so.
Finally, is there anything you would like to say to your overseas fans who are reading this interview?
Atsuki: Thank you for all your support. We will try hard in order to be able to perform in many different countries in the future, so please wait for us.
Big thanks to Pentagon Japan for spending their time with us! Hopefully, we will see these guys on even more occasions overseas in the future.
More info:
Official Website
A-kon Website
YouTube
Twitter (Staff)
Twitter (chizuru) (千吊)
Twitter (Yutori) (ゆとり)
Twitter (Taku) (拓)
Twitter (minpha) (みんふぁ)
Twitter (Atsuki) (篤輝)
Instagram (chizuru) (千吊)
Instagram (Yutori) (ゆとり)
Instagram (minpha)
Instagram (Atsuki)
Blog (chizuru) (千吊)
Blog (Yutori) (ゆとり)
Blog (Taku) (拓)
Blog (minpha) (みんふぁ)
Blog (Atsuki) (篤輝)