Otoboke Beaver performed during Sled Island on Saturday, 9:30pm at Palace Theatre.
Interview conducted in collaboration with Reverie Magazine.
TRANSCRIPT: (*EDITORS NOTE* Parts of this interview were translated by Bianca Dayrit, thank you Bianca!)
Emma (CJSW)
So I’m Em from 90.9 FM radio, and I’m so happy to be sitting down with you today. My first question is, how does it feel to be a part of Sled Island this year?
Yoyoyoshie
So nice. And so we arrived yesterday, and so just me, I was walking around the Sled Island Festival. And at first, Calgary looks very beautiful, and so fun. Around here, there is many nice houses. So nice. Yesterday I was feeling very bad from too much drink. I’m so sorry. Drink over?
Emma (CJSW)
It’s okay. It’s a music festival. Well, it’s all weekend. Don’t worry. Who did you go see last night?
Yoyoyoshie
I went to Glockabelle and The Mummies.
Emma (CJSW)
Nice.
Yoyoyoshie
Yesterday when I was at The Mummies, I lost my scarf. Today, morning, Glockabelle contacted me, ‘This is yours?’ Yay!
Emma (CJSW)
That’s awesome.
Yoyoyoshie
A Mummies member found it. Maybe this is your scarf, and then it went to Glockabelle then to me.
Emma (CJSW)
That’s awesome. Now you got it back. Yes, yes, thank you, Glockabelle that’s awesome.
Yoyoyoshie
All Calgary people, thank you.
Emma (CJSW)
While you’re here, is there anything you want to do while you’re in Calgary?
Yoyoyoshie
So, after all, so I really want to go live house, meaning I want to today, and so actually, this is first time I’m visiting here, and so Calgary is so beautiful, especially natural, yes. So at first I want to go walking around the riverside, today, unfortunately, little rainy.
Emma (CJSW)
They have, this time of year, they have baby geese, goslings. Do you know? Like, they’re so cute. And they’re at the riverside, if you get to go there, they are so cute. So I think it’s going to rain tomorrow as well, but hopefully you get to go and see the baby birds. They’re so cute. Yeah. So can you tell me? What do you enjoy most about playing live performances?
Yoyoyoshie
So when I was playing so especially so in my brain is when my brain is empty. It’s when I can release all of my big feelings and put it out on stage.
Emma (CJSW)
Awesome, yeah. And so it’s like a clear thing.
Yoyoyoshie
Yes.
Emma (CJSW)
Cool.
Yoyoyoshie
It’s difficult to explain. So getting empty time, maybe so really concentrate playing and singing and loudly. Then I get it, I’m getting empty, and then I’m feeling so good.
Emma (CJSW)
Has music always been that way for you?
Yoyoyoshie
Yeah, no. So, sometimes relaxing, sometimes hot, yes, yeah, it’s many things.
Emma (CJSW)
It’s everything, that’s why I love music too.
Yoyoyoshie
Exactly, yeah. Everything. So many feeling, yes.
Emma (CJSW)
So you’ve played with big bands, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers. What was that like?
Yoyoyoshie
Yes, very fun. Very fun, yeah. A great tour band, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and they are very kind to us, always so we are always respecting, and they are always respectful to us. So I’m feeling grateful. Yeah, very grateful feeling.
Emma (CJSW)
This isn’t in the questions, so I’m going to ask, but maybe you maybe need to translate. I don’t know how to say, like, did you have imposter syndrome? How would I ask like, imposter syndrome? I’m trying to think of a word. Did you think like, do you mean like, when they’re playing with big like, ‘Oh, I’m with this big band? Like, this is crazy. How I can’t believe I’m here. Why me instead of anybody else?’
Yoyoyoshie
Yes, a little weird. So in the, I couldn’t believe why I’m here. I was here.
Emma (CJSW)
That’s super cool. Yes, very cool. And they seemed really sweet, really sweet. I read that the name of your band comes from a love hotel in Osaka. What is the story behind choosing the name?
Yoyoyoshie
Yes, when I was high school student. So when I was go to school? There is so, this is very weird story. So my house in high school, many love hotel and one of the hotel’s name is Otoboke Beaver, so mascot character is very cute. Soit made an impression on me, and it’s so cute. Then after graduating high school, I go to Kyoto. In Kyoto, in university when Imet me and my band members, I remembered the name Otoboke Beaver.
Emma (CJSW)
So cool. So you’re the one that brought it to them like that?
Yoyoyoshie
Yeah, it’s no other ideas.
Emma (CJSW)
Okay, that’s gonna be it. That’s gonna be it. So you’ve been playing with your band since university. How has your performing together changed since then?
Yoyoyoshie
At once we played slow song and not speedy song, not gradually. So I’m getting we love the very loudly, and we love a very speedy song, changing and not.
Emma (CJSW)
It just got faster. Yeah, and faster.
Yoyoyoshie
Oh, yeah, faster, faster, faster, faster, louder, but it’s great.
Emma (CJSW)
And people love it. It’s so great. Yeah, were there any bands that you that inspired your sound?
Yoyoyoshie
There’s many artists especially so we inspired 10 years ago, Osaka. We live in Osaka. Then so many, many underground music. There is in number bars. It’s live house, name them. So we love it. [band name sp?] So then, so we learned, like a very bundle music. Underground. So basically, like a lot of the influence comes from these underground Osaka bands that were playing at these local live houses in cool.
Emma (CJSW)
Wow, yeah, that’s so cool. No, yeah, go ahead. Oh, good. Let’s see where I’m at. Yes, everyone in the band has different music tastes. You like Japanese rock, like the maybe Osaka underground bands, yes, can you tell like name the bands? Like a few bands you grew up listening to?
Yoyoyoshie
I like [band name sp? x2] DMBQ, yes, and the DMBQ is coming here.
Emma (CJSW)
Yes, yeah.
Yoyoyoshie
Many Osaka bands and I especially I like [band name sp? x3]
Emma (CJSW)
Cool, super cool. After you started touring outside of Japan, you began to embrace more feminist themes in your songs. Why was that?
Yoyoyoshie
Can I see the question?
Emma (CJSW)
No problem, of course.
Yoyoyoshie
I’m so sorry.
Emma (CJSW)
It’s okay! Yeah, while we wait, quick shout out to Bianca for being our step in translator today. Thank you so much. No, don’t apologize. Really, like it’s so okay. What? Number was there? It’s number nine, nine or wait, no, that’s 10. 10, I can keep this here as well.
Yoyoyoshie
So, so we, we don’t think that over we don’t think the oversea tour have influences. So it wasn’t necessarily the going overseas is what kind of changed our mind. The songwriter, Accorinrin, the songwriter, kind of this was kind of like a natural feeling for all of us, even back in the day, but it’s very relevant all over the world. So it’s kind of a message we wanted to say, even before we were kind of doing this stuff overseas.
Emma (CJSW)
Cool, super cool. That’s, I love it. In 2020, you all quit your day jobs to focus just on the band. How did you all decide?
Yoyoyoshie
So we belong to very small label in UK, and after so we went to cultural festival my label owner suggested, ‘So, how about quit full time?’ So then, so we are full time job, and then so she’s Janice. Janice suggest me, ‘So how about quit job? And let’s go to long swap.’ Japanese full time is very difficult, so it’s very difficult to get to vacation, long vacation. So then so we talking and thinking, ‘Okay, let’s quit, and let’s go.’ Bang.
Emma (CJSW)
And I guess follow up, not on the sheet. But how is it like? What’s life like, being full time in a band versus working a nine to five? Can you translate?
Yoyoyoshie
So far, so fun, especially. So I’m sorry I hate to before a job, very boring, always typing, and very tired now is just this and so we have a job in the music. So both very hard from us then. So just we concentrate, just music in life. So very happy, and it’s easy to continue my just a music drive. It’s so nice.
Emma (CJSW)
Oh, I have another follow up. I’m sorry I’m not following the sheet. Do you find it’s easier to be creative now that it’s full time?
Yoyoyoshie
Yes, yes, yes, exactly. So before, so very hard, because so we were working 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Emma (CJSW)
Oh, wow.
Yoyoyoshie
And after working, so we go to Kyoto, our studio, and just so we have three or two hours every week. But now it’s just we come many times and we stay long time so for tour then so we can play and rehearse.
Emma (CJSW)
Cool, awesome. And so you were chosen as the guest curator for this festival. What did you look for when picking artists?
Yoyoyoshie
Oh yes, yes, I chosen and so at first so Sled Island suggest me. So please teach me so your favorite band. So about 20. Okay, so nice. So then, so I’m thinking, I want to find really cool bands to play, so that’s how I chose.
Emma (CJSW)
So Glockabelle, I got to talk to her. How did you find her?
Yoyoyoshie
Ah, so yeah, I guess maybe seven or eight years ago. So I went to South by Southwest. It’s first time America. NHK is a show is for us, like a lifetime channel in Japan, they come with us to Glockabelle. It’s the first time we met. So we don’t, we didn’t know her, and after show, NHK, introduced me to Glockabelle, and I went to Glockabelle, said her show is so nice, so cute, so innocent. So I talk to her, ‘You’re so cool. Can we be friends?’
Emma (CJSW)
And then that’s how it was eight years ago. Super cool that she got to be here, and she plays tonight again, right for Snooper?
Yoyoyoshie
And she is the first friend in America for me, yeah.
Emma (CJSW)
For fans who are seeing you for the first time in Calgary, what should they expect?
Yoyoyoshie
Yes, just feeling, just dancing, just wow.
Emma (CJSW)
Loud dancing, dancing, moving, screaming, yes, I’m so excited. I’m so excited. And then last is, do you have anything to say you’re on radio? Do you have anything to say to any of the fans?
Yoyoyoshie
To the fans, I’m so looking forward to see you. So now already I love Calgary! So cool. Really thank you so for listening my weird English. Yes, just enjoy.
Emma (CJSW)
Thank you so much.