Interview Archives

Interview with SARI: Japanese artist now living in Sweden

24 November 2023

At NärCon Summer this year, Northern Europe's largest anime convention, we had the privilege of sitting down with SARI, the versatile Japanese artist who recently made Sweden her new temporary home. Delving int...

Interview: HANABIE. rampages across US

Nori, afaenia, Jonathan Lane, Omatsu and Zephyr

16 November 2023

Interview

Newly dubbed "Harajuku-core" band HANABIE. completed its ambitious run across the US, capped with a finale at the Aftershock Festival in Sacramento on October 6. JROCK NEWS caught up with the women who expertl...

Interview: Marty Friedman on gifting Jpop to the world (part 2)

Nori and NBT

10 November 2023

Interview

Welcome back to our conversation with guitar legend Marty Friedman! For those who missed the first half, you can find part 1 here. In part 2 on the interview, Marty delves into the prominence of female-led J...

Interview with RUKI (the GazettE): Rising from silence to live stage

afaenia

4 November 2023

Interview

This interview was originally published by “club Zy.” in Japanese. JROCK NEWS is partnering with club Zy. and Vijuttoke with the aim to popularize Japanese visual kei globally. Learn more about our partnership ...

Interview: Marty Friedman on gifting Jpop to the world (part 1)

Nori and NBT

31 October 2023

Interview

It’s not every day an international guitar hero replies to our cold call with a resounding yes! But Marty Friedman, formerly of the “big four” GRAMMY-nominated thrash metal legend Megadeth, emphatically welcome...

Interview: YOSHIKI’s mission to shatter music boundaries worldwide

Erica, Nori and NBT

5 October 2023

Interview, Tour and event

YOSHIKI, one of the most influential musicians in Japan, has made an enduring impact in both the rock and classical music realms. He's renowned as the founder of the globally beloved rock band X Japan and the l...

Interview with Momoiro Clover Z: 15-year idol journey of vibrant music

NBT

30 September 2023

Interview

We recently connected with the idol group Momoiro Clover Z to delve into its incredible journey as the group marks an impressive 15-year anniversary! With such extensive journey in the music scene, captivati...

Interview: MAN WITH A MISSION’s Jean-Ken Johnny talks world tour, “WOLVES ON PARADE”

Erica and NBT

27 September 2023

Interview, JROCK ONSEN, Tour and event

MAN WITH A MISSION is a rock band that defies convention in many ways. For starters, their five-member lineup consists of superior lifeforms who are half-human and half-wolf. Like the hybrids they are, their mu...

Interview with MAD JAMIE: The spirit of “Kawaii is Fxxk” and idol punk rock

NBT and Kay

25 September 2023

Interview

Back in late July, we had the chance to sit down with Kanjosen Akubi (感情線あくび) from MAD JAMIE, who at the time had just performed at NärCon, Northern Europe's largest anime convention. This marked MAD JAMIE's fi...

Interview with Kouki: Bridging cultures through music and passion

Erica, Omatsu, afaenia and Nori

20 September 2023

Interview, Tour and event

Meet Hanamizakura Kouki, a star in the visual kei scene dedicated to promoting Japan's distinctive culture to global audiences. With a Tsugaru-jamisen guitar in hand and a resplendent folding fan, he embarks on...

Interview: Dream Theater’s John Petrucci on breaking international barriers

Nori

11 August 2023

Interview, Tour and event

For nearly 40 years, prog metal flagbearer Dream Theater has stood tall and fortified the redoubt of guitar-driven rock. For aspiring amateurs as well as professional musicians across the world (and especially ...

Interview with Kai: the GazettE’s 20 years of evolution

afaenia and Rin

26 July 2023

Interview

This interview was originally published by “club Zy.” in Japanese. JROCK NEWS is partnering with club Zy. and Vijuttoke with the aim to popularize Japanese visual kei globally. Learn more about our partnership ...

Interview with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: From Harajuku to the world

Nori

7 June 2023

Interview, Tour and event

Electropop diva Kyary Pamyu Pamyu voyages on "WORLD TOUR 2023 -POPPP-", making seven colossal appearances across North America and Europe! JROCK NEWS caught up with the "Pink Princess" during her stop at The No...

Interview with JUNNA: The powerful voice making waves in anime!

NBT, Erica, Narine, Omatsu and Peertje

2 June 2023

Interview, Releases

JUNNA is an emerging prodigy making waves in the world of Jpop, Jrock, and anime music. This extraordinary talent burst onto the scene at a mere 16 years old, captivating audiences with her commanding and soul-...