FIVE QUESTIONS: NaNa (Spider Problem)

NaNa
drummer
Spider Problem / Mikki and Mini / Puss n Boots / The Jew Cocks

1. Background:

Well... let's start from where this "crazian" (crazy + asian) came from! I'm originally from Kagoshima, Japan. At age of 10, I fell in love with rock n roll when I first saw David Bowie at his concert in Japan. I started playing the drums at age of 15 by my mom's suggestion who got me into the rock n roll world.

At age of 18 I moved to LA with nothing. No family, no friends, even no English... just myself! I still don't know why and how I did it! I guess I was just an idiot. Ha ha ha! Didn't know anybody, didn't know what to do...playing music is the only way to make some friends and communicate with people. " The Magic of Music" really cheesy way of saying... but it really is. It can connect people & people no matter who you are, where you're from. And also can change people ( but not the world unfortunately...).

Anyway..., about 2 years ago, I met Eric Stiner through his friend (I didn't even know his friend. It was totally out of nowhere. ) and we formed a band called Kill Kill Kill. After released 3 albums and did a couple of shows and sessions at KXLU, I left the band for good and joined such an amazing band Spider Problem! This is the band I mainly play and mostly known as a drummer from.

Hey! My first show with Spider was actually a Mouse show Fiend Folio! What a crazy community...

I hate people ask me what kind of music we play. I really don't know how to describe it. But all I can say is, I've never seen a band like SP out here before! [The band] has a great music, performance and looks! Since I'm heavily influenced by 70's glam rock, The looks is as important as the music and the performance.

We did tons of crazy things last year (I'm not talking about drugs or typical rock thing. Actually I'm the cleanest drummer you'll ever see! ). SXSW, tour w/ The Germs, Bizarre Magazine, Californication sound track etc... This year, we have tons of shows as always and new EP & vinyl and more cool things are coming! So, keep your eyes open!

I never imagined I would be busy drumming and playing around.... Currently I've been working on some cool projects with super cool musicians! One is called Puss n Boots! I started it with Roy Fielden from New York. I really hope the White Stripes doesn't exist... It's a dark heavy noisy punk duo. But I think the chemistry of a young Japanese girl and an old British guy makes this band more interesting! We have a lot of shows are coming here in LA and NY in March!

And another one is called Mikki and Minnie. It's a side project of Anthony Anzalone from Mikki and the Mauses. We just started and have been just recording some weird stuff. So, we don't even know what is gonna happen... I'm just so happy that I can create something with somebody who's really talented and I look up to as an artist and a person!

And... it's the last one! I just joined a band called The Jew Cocks . [Uhhhh... ~Mouse] Two drums and two basses! Sounds already fun, doesn't it!? Formed by Dan and Bobby from my favorite band Stab City and their friend Todd Sender. A group of great talented musicians! I feel like I'm taking a free music lesson. It's also hard to describe our music. Well, we also have some shows coming in the end of March. So, the best way to find out who these freaks are is to come to see our shows!!


2. Name one album you feel is critically under-rated and one album that is critically over-rated. Defend your case.

There are a lot of albums that I listened to and didn't like. And also there are a lot of albums that I love! So I really can't tell which one would be....

But since David Bowie changed my life, I have to say that the over-rated album would be his every album from David Bowie to Heroes! (I don't like his 80's stuff... Wait! then under-rated album would be his 80's stuff....!?) Sorry I can't pick one. Because every single album sounds so different and has a different concept or style. And they are so good. And he even changed his looks in every album. Who does something like that nowadays?? Even back in 70's, nobody did something like he did. He is an total artist and entertainer!


3. What about today's music climate dissatisfies you? What do you long for in the music past or hope for in the future of music? Think about the big picture.

What dissatisfies me is an industry! They don't care about music anymore. Especially here in the US, all they care about is "$"! They (even sometimes venues) don't treat musicians as who they are.

And even the audience bothers me sometimes. I go to see shows or play shows and all I see is people are having fun in a different way... All they wanna do is just to get drunk and hang out. I'm not saying that's not a good thing. What I wanna say is, if you go to see shows, enjoy the music! I really don't see a lot of people truly enjoying music nowadays.

I'm a huge music fan. I still buy CDs & vinyls and listen to the whole album. But people just download singles... as a musician, music fan, the way of people listen to music makes me really sad...

But... there's a hope! I think the music scene is great! I see tons of new bands on the magazines every month. Well, it's really hard to find a really good band and also really hard to survive. But makes the scene come alive. Even the small LA local scene is great! I've seen a lot of great bands and great talents!! And there are also a lot of great music websites and blogs who support musicians.

So, I just hope that the support system, whatever the industry or the audience or the venues, for the musicians and the bands will be better and more for music!


4. Is it important for culture-at-large to always have new bands and new songs? Why or why not?

I think it's a really silly question...... Of course, Yes!! What? Are you telling me to live with just a "memory of Michael Jackson"?? No way...

I know the music scene or industry is not like 70's or 60's anymore. And there are not gonna be "brand new music" or "brand new" sound. But I think the current music scene is great! Still excites me and makes me happy every time I discover a good new band or song! It's a history, generation thing!

The new bands or new songs keep the music history and the scene going and alive. I really like reading old musicians or new musicians' interviews or watching a music documentary. Even just a Rock history, It's really interesting. We can't end it now. I mean, how can we?? There is my favorite Japanese rock magazine called Rockin' On. My mom used to read the same magazine when she was my age. So, I wanna see MY kids reading the same magazine 20 years later! ;)


5. Who wins in a fight between a gorilla and a walrus? Assume they are both healthy, adult specimens. The fight takes place on the beach with no trees (advantage: walrus) but there is one natural bludgeoning weapon, a piece of driftwood (advantage: gorilla). Defend your case.

I think a gorilla wins. He has arms & legs and can move easily. And has a weapon, too... but I wanna see a walrus win and how he wins!