Hemenway
Interview by Jen Wang
February 25, 2013
Why did you choose to title your EP, Uraheme – Welcome to the Other Side?
Hemenway: “Ura” means “Back” in English, and we chose this title because Hemenway has many musical backgrounds. We wanted to show that in this album, since our past three singles were much more pop, we tried something heavier and rock.
What made you choose to cover Perfume? Will we see more electronic influences in the future?
Isaac: Perfume always has been our favorite group, and we always had an idea that if we turn their songs into rock, we simply thought it would be cool. Musically, their melodies and chords are very pop, but at the same time they always challenge for something different and exotic, and we think that’s very similar to Hemenway’s musical style. We’ll definitely have more electronic influences in our music in the future.
What are the challenges of translating a song from one language to another?
Charm: Translating from Japanese to English wasn’t so hard, but we found it difficult to maintain the actual meaning of the original lyrics. Since the two languages have different numbers of words and syllables, simply it was hard to fit words into melodies. Although, it was quite exciting.
How did you end up performing with Naoki Urasawa at Japan Expo?
Ogaching: Actually we got an offer first because he needed a band to play at Japan Expo. And we were quite thrilled since all members love his comics. We had a great time.
What are the band’s resolutions for the new year?
Toshi: This year, we are releasing a one digital single each month for 10 months, and I think it’s going to be a very busy year for us. All of them are going to be very interesting and awesome songs so please check it out!
http://www.hemenway.jp
http://www.facebook.com/Hemenway.Official
http://twitter.com/Hemenway_jp
