Nippon Project: Thank you so much for interviewing with us. How was your flight from Japan?
Daisuke: That was an 8 hour flight so I prepared a cushion to sit on, but right after we took off I accidentally ripped it and it was useless.
Nao: Really?! (in English)
Daisuke: Exactly! YEAH! (in English)

Would you please introduce yourselves for our readers?
Daisuke: Loud and screaming one. I'm Daisuke-han.
Ryo: Singer, guitar and younger brother. I'm Maximum the Ryo-kun.
Nao: Drums, older sister and girl's voice. I'm Angelina Jolie.
Ue-chan: Bass. I'm Ue-Chan.

Nao, it's very rare for a drummer to also sing, especially while drumming. Drumming is physically demanding, but you still manage to sing beautifully. In your opinion, why do so few drummers also sing?
Nao: For us, we play a CD at the shows and don't actually play, so it doesn't matter. But it's kind of hard to play along with the CD.

Ryo, when and why did to you first get involved with writing lyrics and composing music?
Ryo: I started playing guitar at the age of 12. When I was 5 or 6 I was already humming my own songs.
Nao: Good humming! (in English) He started humming to me and I would encourage him.

Daisuke, how did you first get involved with music?
Daisuke: When I was 5, there was a TV show called 'Maido Osawagase Shimasu' that was in the 80's. It is a comedy drama and there were some sexual parts in it. Anyway, I liked the theme song of the TV show. The band C-C-B was playing the song and I bought their LP. My mom and I even went to see their concert at that time. Oh! And since my family is rich, I was taking violin lessons when I was a boy...

Ue-chan, you're an amazing bassist. It's no secret that you're influenced by Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers. In fact, that is pretty much all a non-Japanese literate person searching the internet would find out about you. Please share something with us about yourself.
Nao: He is not a member yet. This is his part time job.
Daisuke: Working for minimum wage.
Ryo: Four times a week. After 9PM he gets extra.

This is your first time performing overseas. What are your thoughts and feelings about it?
Nao: AMAZING! (in English)
Ryo: Excellent. (in English)

What are your thoughts on the American music scene compared to the Japanese music scene?
Ryo: They are all good at speaking English!
Daisuke: They look different to Japanese people!
MAXIMUM THE HORMONE: (talk amongst each other in Japanese, with lots of laughter)
Daisuke and Nao: Seriously, it's a bit different. At the shows we don't set up the headliner's equipment behind the set of the opening bands. We just change them all in Japan. And we have a dressing room for each band in Japan, but we don't here.

You're performing with Dropkick Murphys for these shows. How did this arrangement come about?
Nao: When Dropkick Murphys came to Japan I slept with all the members. Three times each!
Daisuke: Let's go Murphys! (claps to the beat)
MAXIMUM THE HORMONE: (claps to the beat together with much laughter)

(speechless) SUGOII! (AMAZING!) (laughs)
MAXIMUM THE HORMONE: (burst into laughter)
Daisuke: It's fucked! (in English)

What was it like being an opening band instead of headlining like you usually do?
Nao: That's the best part. People don't know us at all.
Ryo: I enjoy playing every part we play. Like verse A to Verse B and Main Chorus. I like to see how the audience reacts without knowing our songs.

Were you aware of how many fans you had overseas? Sadly, this California show sold out before many of your fans could get tickets. How do you think the audience reacted to you?
Daisuke: Last night in Reno people were drunk and screaming, but it was kind of silent tonight guess that's LA style. Maybe each state will have different reactions, I guess. We'd like to play in a smaller club next time.

The band gained a lot of attention when your songs were featured in the themes for Air Master, Akagi, and most notably, DEATH NOTE. How did your songs get selected for those animes?
Ryo: The songs weren't selected. I made these songs [specifically] for them, I wrote the songs from their images.

What was your reaction to learning that "Zetsubou Billy" was nominated as one of the most 'conceptual' music videos for the SPACE SHOWER Music Video Awards '08?
Nao: I slept with the executive producer of SPACE SHOWER TV.
MAXIMUM THE HORMONE: Space Shower TV!!! (claps to the beat)
Ryo: (pretends he's washing himself in a shower)

(Laugh) I was more asking your reaction to being nominated, not how you were nominated.
Daisuke: She did him good.

Alrighty then! The awards will be handed out on March 15th. What will you do if you win?
Nao: Award will be held at Budokan.
Ryo: Yeah, it's a huge place. That's where Beatles played. That place is too big for us to play, so we won't play at the ceremony.

Your second DVD "Deco Vs. Deco" will be released in Japan on March 19th. What is the methodology behind how you name your DVDs?
Nao: The names mean nothing. I think DVD stands for Deco (traces a D on her hand) Vs. (traces a V on her hand) Deco (traces another D on her hand) The first DVD we released was Debu Vs. Debu.
[Note: "Deco" means "forehead" and "debu" means fat in Japanese.]

What are the chances that there will be domestic releases for your fans overseas within the next couple years? Have you even thought about it before?
Ryo: I want! (in English)
Daisuke: Nao has to work much harder.
Nao: (holding up her fingers) Three times, four times.... five times! (in English)

You combine many different elements, styles, and sounds into your songs, it's almost become MAXIMUM THE HORMONE's trademark. Which of your songs is closest to your heart and why?
Ryo: All of them (in English)
Daisuke: All. (in English)
Nao and Ue-chan: All. (in English)

Please describe your ideal equipment.
Nao: Ryo and Ue-chan love this topic. They can talk about it for a long time. It will take two nights, is that okay?

Please, go ahead.
Ue-chan: I want exactly the same equipment as Red Hot Chili Peppers.

I've always wanted a technical answer to that, but I've never gotten one before.
Nao: I choose equipment with feeling.
Daisuke: I want a Rickenbacker!
Nao: You don't know how to play guitar!
Daisuke: Rickenbacker is my life! (in English)
MAXIMUM THE HORMONE: (laughs)

After the shows in the United States you will be performing at Canadian Music Week in Toronto. What are your plans for after that?
Daisuke: Going home!

Motto motto! (more more!)
MAXIMUM THE HORMONE: (laugh and exclaim in surprise) Oh!
Nao: You are very good! (in English)

(Laugh) Iie! Nihongo chibi desu. (No, it's not much.)
MAXIMUM THE HORMONE: CHIBI! (Laugh)
Nao: Kawaii! (cute)
MAXIMUM THE HORMONE: Chibi. Chibi. Chibi.

(embarresed laugh)
Daisuke: Oh, after that?
Nao: We'll be playing at 'Punk Spring' that's in April.

Last but not least, is there a message you would like to give to our world-wide readers?
Nao: (in English) We are MAXIMUM THE HORMONE!! Yes! (in Japanese) We're going to speak Japanese... We're MAXIMUM THE HORMONE from Japan and this was our first live in America! America is the best! (laughs) America is the best!!
Daisuke: Passion Island!
MAXIMUM THE HORMONE: (laughs)
Nao: Passion Island!
Daisuke: Passion Island!!
Nao: (shouting) USA! USA! USA! (whispering) USA! USA! USA! (in English and normal volume level) Thank you. (waves goodbye)


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© This interview was held by Missa for Nippon Project.
Translator: Hiroshi Nakagawa
Photographer: Atsushi Miyoshi