In May 2025, Singaporean visual kei band MAO.A made a striking debut with the release of their first music video, SEVER—a bold introduction steeped in gothic visuals and a dark, unmistakably visual kei sound. Beyond their music, the band also curates events in Singapore that spotlight various facets of Japanese underground culture, making them a unique presence in the local scene.

With their official debut now underway, marked by the world premiere of SEVER and the release of their first EP, HAKAI, we sat down with MAO.A to learn more about their vision, influences, and what they hope to bring to the world. Prepare to meet the creative forces behind MAO.A, in their own words.

From left to right: Drummer IVAN, vocalist NEO, bassist ASH and guitarist KUMA.

Thanks so much for speaking with JROCK NEWS. To get started, can you introduce yourselves and tell us how the band came together?

Hello JROCK NEWS and readers, we are MAO.A (pronounced “mao-ah”), a visual kei Japanese and English metal rock band from Singapore. We hope to transform inner shadows into courage through music. The band went through various challenges to get to the lineup we have today, and to commemorate this, we changed the band name to “MAO.A”.

What does your band name “MAO.A” mean, and how did you choose it?

There is an actual gene called “MAOA”, also known as the “warrior gene”, which links to aggression in humans. We think that our sound has an aggressive and polished edge; however, more importantly, it is our spirit to overcome the odds and to transform inner shadows into courage that defines our name and what we stand for. We hope to inspire warriors and support people in fighting their struggles and overcoming them.

It seems like each member of MAO.A has a distinct character, and as NEO put it, “a lot of lore”. Please tell us the driving story behind MAO.A and introduce your back story to our readers.

IVAN: NEO de-stresses by writing, and one day she got excited about each member’s real-life behaviors and started this.

NEO: Each character’s pursuits bring them to the same place despite their vastly different origins. This is a reflection of our reality, where we have diverse backgrounds and personalities (which makes our sound unpredictable too). In short, a machine, human, artefact, undead, and spirit cross paths in a limitless world, and while chasing personal motivations, realize that together, they could bring more to themselves and others.

ASH is the peacekeeper of the band and subtle with his well-placed words of wisdom; this contrasts with how aggressively he masters the bass. No doubt, he will pick a fight with the god of war, Ares, as a reluctant hero, to end all wars and earn “PEACE” after an epic hunter’s tale.

IVAN is a machine not just because he is extremely precise as a drummer, but also because of his passion. It’s fun to consider the paradox of steel vs. humanity; hence, his motivation is learning about “DESIRE” as a wanderer from the future searching for home.

KUMA’s guitar is as relentless and as fiery as an unstoppable infernal train. His raging spirit really comes through on stage, his explosion barely contained. Hence, he uses “FURY” to fight and free himself from working with the Devil, to reunite with his righteous cause.

UROKO shares raw emotions through his screams, which is noble and beautiful—created and forgotten, a sacrificial doll-like artefact embracing “DESPAIR”, ugliness, and the beauty of his struggles. He encourages those who feel broken to own their scars.

NEO is undead because she always gets up after every fall, and also because of sleep deprivation. Ideas circle around “word alchemy” and courage, hence pursuing “LOVE” as an undying alchemist who outlives her lovers (but still finds the courage to love).

What drew you to Japanese-style music, such as visual kei, and how has it shaped your artistic direction?

UROKO: Visual kei has been a huge influence since I was young. I was introduced to LUNA SEA and DIR EN GREY. Gauze, Lunacy, and certain selected songs have shaped a whole generation of overseas visual kei lovers, such as I for you, and Gravity being played in ANOTHER HEAVEN. It was very refreshing when we were younger. Because of the visuals, I went on to be an apprentice in a hair salon [laughs]. So that being said, it paved a lot of what is within.

KUMA: On the other hand, I’m widely influenced by Galyernus, as well as the guitarist Syu, Leda, and Norifumi Shima—Syu for his use of pentatonic and intricacies on arpeggios, Leda for his use of chromatics and fusion scales, Norifumi Shima for his use of diminish and dominants.

Was there a specific moment or artist that inspired you to explore Japanese music?

NEO: For me, it was the moment when my cousin introduced me to the anime series Sailormoon and taught me the hand choreography for Tsuki ni kawatte oshiokiyo! (月に代わってお仕置きよ!). I love their original soundtrack. The soulfulness and beauty of that language and music inspired me further to eventually create in Japanese.

Your songs not only have some distinct sounds and style that align with visual kei, but you also include Japanese lyrics as well as English. Did you already speak Japanese, or did you learn it from an interest in Japan and its music?

NEO: Japanese is not my mother tongue, though my father and I have an affinity with Japanese culture. The immersion in Japanese music, cuisine, and pop culture made the language come somewhat naturally to me (I still have a lot to learn!).

Vocalist NEO@J.wgraphy

As a Singaporean band making Japanese-style music, how do you balance cultural authenticity (Japanese visual kei) with your own identity?

UROKO: Because visual kei is an umbrella for a wide range of music, this enables us to incorporate a lot of creative freedom in what we have to say collectively.

ASH: We didn’t really think about a defined identity; we just did what inspired us. Perhaps why it might come naturally for us is because Singapore is a multicultural city where people from different backgrounds meet and share ideas.

As an overseas artist, what does the phrase “visual kei” mean to you, personally?

UROKO: Visual kei has always been a statement that supports what’s not part of commercial and mainstream. Back then, when the first wave of indies were pioneering, a lot of shock value was introduced visually. A lot of songs were written that embraced within for those who didn’t belong. Then bands like DIR EN GREY evolved into darker topics that paved a way for deeper topics. No doubt visual kei culture has evolved through the years. Personally, to me, visual kei is about an expression of cohesive music and visual expressions.

NEO: For me, I think visual kei is about self-expression and communication—it is a multifaceted art form that allows elegance and rawness, beauty and ugliness, realism and fantasy to come together. When words fail, music and fashion can bridge meaningful connections between people.

Vocalist UROKO@J.wgraphy

Please tell us more about the events you do in Singapore, promoting Japanese culture. It seems like you want to present a cohesive picture of fashion, underground culture, and music.

We want to unite and connect people who love visual kei, Jrock, and Japanese culture, and aim to reignite their forgotten yet enduring passions. Therefore, we made our debut by organizing the event KIZUNA on March 16, 2025, a creators’ market and live music event to celebrate Japanese music and pop culture (featuring handcrafted accessories, fashion, thrifts, Shibari art, interactive exhibits; we performed a 70-minute set to close the event). We heard from many attendees that new friendships were made, which was what we hoped for. “KIZU” (meaning scars) and “KIZUNA” (meaning bonds) is a wish for everyone to celebrate our scars together and become stronger together.

Subsequently, we collaborated with KiraKira Maid Cafe for a visual kei butler/maid cafe experience on May 17, to thank our fans and friends through fan service and intimate acoustic performances.

We just hope to serve the community that loves Japanese culture through these experiences which are created with them in mind, to encourage them to embrace their passion and connect meaningfully as who they are.

MAO.A during their live concert at KIZUNA, March 2025.

Congratulations on your first EP, Hakai, and your debut music video, SEVER. I understand SEVER deals with the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Can you please tell us a bit more about the lyrics, or what inspired this song?

Thank you! SEVER is written to empower listeners who may be struggling, to explore their personal experiences, as what everyone might sever is different (relationships, trauma, addiction, etc). We compose as inspired by deeply personal experiences to support our listeners, who may rely on our songs to express themselves and find a connection with, and encourage more to open up and talk about difficult feelings.

The lyrics are perhaps a “tour guide” for listeners journeying through the five stages of grief in the song. For example, the “bargaining” happens when UROKO and NEO start to sing conflicting lyrics and emotions, and in the music video, Haruki (protagonist, played by NEO) swaps lines with her demon / “Self” (我, played by UROKO) to hint at the possibility of “acceptance”.

Some point lyrics include “I’ll die if you sever me, but this is not living” (the struggle of severing something that is not good for you) and “with this pain, I won’t lose my way” (there is beauty and deliverance in struggling, and there is light at the end of the tunnel, don’t give up). We hope for listeners to embrace their healing journey and keep fighting.

SEVER  also had some really impressive visuals, including shibari. Can you please tell us about the thought process behind the visuals, and the artists involved?

You’re too kind, we received a lot of kind YouTube comments too, we feel very honored. We want to convey imagery that synergises sincerely with our music, and felt that shibari (Japanese art of rope tying) does that. We collaborated with “UnnamedMinor”, who is an amazing shibari artist from Thailand. The protagonist Haruki is trapped between life and death in her difficult journey, being visually represented as a prey of memories and trauma caught in a web of red emotions with shibari (which also suggests the beauty that exists in our pain and struggle). UnnamedMinor’s work is magnificent! She also created SEVER‘s signature knot (as seen on Haruki’s chest), which is an asymmetrical design with 5 intricate knots, each depicting a stage within grief.

Other highlights include: everything was white at first (Haruki’s clothes, the space) until the “Self” contaminated the space (physical and mental) with black, leaving no room for denial. Also, the knife was symbolic as an item that is double-edged, it can sever for better or for worse, and also expresses a certain desperation and cry for help present throughout the song.

Also, Alex (tricksterfox3D) is a great cinematographer who enabled our storytelling vision. His collaborativeness, perseverance, and stamina to deliver the concept faithfully is amazing, despite flying in just one day before the shoot! Still, at the end we were so emotionally drained with the intense scenes and sat in a corner for a while to come back to reality.

You recently released your first EP, HAKAI. What’s next for the band? Any new releases, tours, or collaborations in the works?

Please look forward to our upcoming EPs, the next one will be a fun one. Aside from studio recording, we are also looking to perform regionally. We hope to meet everyone in person someday and continue to work hard, please wait for us!

Thanks again for introducing yourselves to our readers around the world. Do you have a final message, or any parting words you’d like to share?

To JROCK NEWS, thank you for being generous with us—we are surprised and honored to be featured and to receive love from you and your international audience! To everyone, we hope our works can inspire, encourage, and accompany you through happy times and difficult times. Let’s create beautiful memories together and stay courageous!

Hakai

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1. Ningen
   人間
2. SEVER
3. tamaGO!