An Interview With Japanese Band, THE MOLICE On New Music, Crossing Over to the US and More!

Meet The Molice!

They’re a modern Japanese band who draw inspiration from 70’s punk’s DIY spirit, 80’s new wave, power pop and 90’s unchained indies guitar rock. They have a similar vibe to CSS, and Fujiya & Miyagi, with Pixies-esque guitars and powerful 80’s style vocals.

They’re currently in the states touring around the Northeast, and also playing several Cherry Blossom Festivals.

The Molice was formed in 2007 by the charismatic female singer/rhythm guitarist Rinko, high tension guitarist Yuzuru Takeda. After a year of polishing their material playing Tokyo’s numerous rock venues, the band made their recorded debut in November 2008 with their album ‘Doctor Ray’. In the wake of their debut album they also received their first offer to play abroad, and did a UK tour in late 2009. Their sophomore effort ‘Catalystrock’ was released in 2010 followed by their third release, 2012’s ‘Neugravity.’ In 2014 THE MOLICE returned with a new line up delivering another collection of Lo-Fi Sci-Fi Love with a new album called “Resonance Love” on Good Charamel Records as well as a CD only version released in 2015 including 2 exclusive remixes entitled Resonance Love + !

The MOLICE released their album “5” in 2016 worldwide. The first album the band recorded outside of Japan, The North American version of the album includes a bonus track, a cover of “Bring on the Night” by The Police. Then in late 2016 THE MOLICE finished tracking an EP entitled “Signs” which was released digitally in 2017 and they visited the US for a string of dates across the Northeast promoting this new release. Signs will be released physically Worldwide December 1st. The band spent the Summer of 2017 recording a new album in the US for release in 2018.

Learn more about The Molice in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! So how has 2018 been treating you all?

Rinko: Wonderful!

Yuzuru: So nice.

What is one musical goal that you have had for this year and how close are you to reaching it?

R: One of my musical goals this year is to meet, connect and dance with a lot of people in U.S. So I  really want to stay here and play as long as possible. And one more goal is to release our new album this year!

Y: The goal is to convey our energy to the American audience through music. I feel that it is going well.

Paro:  Our goal was to come to America. Everything has been fulfilling. First of all, I would like to know whether Americans can accept our music. I am sure we did well on our tour. We want to make music more in America.

Can you recall the moment when you thought you could be in this group together? 

Rinko: I recall the moment we played “HOLE!” for the first time in a show. It was the moment when I was sure this group was super.

Yuzuru: It was the time we played in the studio thinking about arranging new songs. When I felt that other members interpreted the song as I did.

Paro: When I played for the first time, “I thought here was my place.” At that time it was only just a sense. From that point on, I’ve come up with a band so far and I think that the sense of that time was not wrong. That means that everyone can share ideas and feelings about music.

Has anything surprised you about it all so far?

Rinko: So much! The biggest surprise for me is that we have a family quarrel every day!

Yuzuru: I was surprised but I knew that we could continue together.

Paro: All three of us have very similar values!

How difficult was it to come up with your band name? What other names were you considering?

Rinko: It was not difficult for us at all.

How do you think your hometown has influenced the sound and how you all carry yourselves in this group?  

Rinko: My influence is more from my parents than my hometown. My parents really like imported rock’n roll music. I have listened to them since I was a child so I am really influenced by their rock’n roll music. I think all of my songs are like rock’n roll songs.

Yuzuru: The memory of listening to Rock ‘n’ Roll for the first time is with the scenery of the living room of my hometown. My feelings towards my hometown are complicated. It is also a place I loved it and desperately tried to get out of there when I was a teen.

Paro: I’m not really influenced by Japanese music. When I was a child I listened to a lot of Japanese rock but as I woke up to Western music, listening to various Western music, I started wanting to be like those musicians. Artists like Nirvana, Led Zeppelin and Fugazi. I would like to be a musician like them.

Besides the different line up, how would you say this group has grown musically or otherwise since you first formed in 2007? What has remained the same?

Rinko: We formed this line-up in 2016. We changed the name from MOLICE to THE MOLICE.  I think it is a very different group compared with the previous years. I really like to play with this line- up. All three of us have the same energy, power and unique characteristics.

Yuzuru: I was able to have confidence in the energy of our music. Our music has definitely become clearer and tighter. It’s danceable and energetic.

Let’s talk about the new music that you recently released. What was the inspiration for your EP “Signs”? 

Rinko:  “SIGNS” was recorded at GGR studios in Buffalo, NY and was released in 2017. We have 2 versions- the U.S one and the Japenese one. The Japanese version has 1 more bonus track. I think “SIGNS” is the POP side of THE MOLICE. You can experience 7 kinds of  THE MOLICE’s POP world. And the inspiration for “SIGNS” is the members in “THE MOLICE”!!

Yuzuru: It was the first, full-fledged American recording as theiscurrent line-up. Among the six songs, I tried to produce it to condense our present self. In the title “SIGNS”, we thought that it is “signs” that new ones will start again from here. It is an album that becomes various “signs”.

Paro: Inspiration always comes every moment. What I imagined at that moment, what I came up with at that moment.

What about what you are working on right now that will be released this year?

Rinko: We are getting ready to release a new album this year. And we will start an Kickstarter for this release. We’ll keep you posted on our website and our social media.

Yuzuru: We are planning to release a new album in fall. We are thinking about the title, artwork and videos now!

Paro: We’ve already recorded the new album and we are mixing it now.

Where do you think you are all happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere?

Rinko: I can enjoy all experiences. What I’m trying to say is that I can see beautiful views as beautiful views, eat tasty foods as tasty foods… I can’t explain it very well… The point is that I really enjoyed performing and playing our music in the US.  I couldn’t do that in Japan. I couldn’t breath in Tokyo as a musician. No doubt I am really satisfied and happy with every experience that we have had in the U.S. So I have to say thank you U.S!

Yuzuru: In the studio or the stage, when I stand in front of the feed-backing amplifier, I’m happy.

Paro: I feel happy when it’s all about music. At the time of live and recording, everything tells me the meaning of living.

Do you have any upcoming tour dates this summer that you would like to tell our readers about?

Yuzuru: The tour will continue until the summer. After that, we will release a new album. And we are planning to do a tour again for the new album release.

I would love to know more about these cherry blossom festivals that you performed at? What are they like? How do you feel that they blend with your sound?

Rinko: I was super excited to play in cherry blossom festivals. First of all cherry blossoms in U.S. were so beautiful! And I wanted to connect everyone through our music. Because both the audiences and us love music so it was easy to dance together even though we write Japanese lyrics. It was a happy time!

Yuzuru: I think that they were very peaceful events. They were good events. I was able to meet and talk with lots of people. In every town I was able to play in front of an audience who loves music and nature. It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to play in such a place.

Paro: It was a happy time to play in front of a lot of people. And I felt that everyone shared THE MOLICE music. That is because we saw everyone’s smile. And I believe and feel they still listen to the music of  THE MOLICE.

We are currently living through a very trying and politically charged time right now so I am curious to know how your own music is reflecting this time period? If you don’t think it is, why is that? Would you say that other musicians are making music that has been influenced by this climate? 

Yuzuru: For an artist any time may be trivial. Music and art is sure to be with the era. I think it is natural that artists will be affected by the era. I think that you can decide whether to put political arguments in your work individually. I think that there is something meaningful for us to make now in this era. I’m not sure yet what kind of things it will be, but I am so looking forward to it.

Paro: That is a very difficult question. Some people may be affected. Some people do not receive it. I think that the influence from the status of the world is in great flow, but the era makes it rather than musicians.

How important do you think social media has been to this band? Do all you help to maintain all your sites or is one of you more into it all? Or do you rely on your PR/management team to handle it?

Rinko: It is important to contact everyone directly. We can inform them of things. I think you can know us more when you come to our shows!

Yuzuru: Social media is becoming very important. Right now, we manage the website and social media by ourselves.

Paro: I think that social media is important in this era. But what it the most important is the music itself, and that a band is able to perform it live.

Who would you love to work with in the future? Who are some of your favorite artists right now? What do you think would be a dream collaboration for this group?

Rinko: In addition to having our shows, we recently had a few art shows, too. So, I would like to work and collaborate various kinds of artists-Designers, Painters, Movie directors, Dancers, comedians and other musicians.

Yuzuru: I love the American alternative and underground rock scene like Steve Albini, The Pixies and Fugaz.i

Paro: My idol is Dave Grohl. I am still inspired by Nirvana and I hope someday to be on the same stage as Foo Fighters.

If you guys were all going to be stranded on a deserted island, what musical item would you want to take with you and why?

Rinko: A recorder. I will imagine and create a lot of new music there.

Yuzuru: My guitar. If I have my guitar, I can do anything!

Paro: A Drum set because I’m drummer.

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

Rinko: The message of our music is that everyone has an insitinctive ability to fly anywhere. I would like everyone to dance instinctively.

Yuzuru: Positive energy!

Paro: I hope you can understand that we really love writing and performing music.

Where can our readers connect with this group?

THE MOLICE: At the venues!

                          And our website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter youtube !

                          Please check them out !!!

                          We really hope to see you !!!

                          Have a beautiful day!