Photo Credit: Kazuro Aoki
Prior to their debut appearance at Reading Festival we sat down with Taka Moriuchi of Japanese rock band One OK Rock. 2017 saw the release of their album Ambitions and relentless touring so we had plenty to talk about, including the burning question of his favourite collaboration…
You’re playing The Pit stage today at Reading, how are you feeling about the show?
This is our first time at Reading Festival so I’m totally excited. I’m also totally excited to watch Eminem so it’s good.
You’ve supported 5 Seconds of Summer before which must have been a totally different crowd to what you’re used to. What were those shows like compared to your own?
It’s totally different as 5 Seconds of Summer, they’re really nice guys but basically, the fans are almost all girls so you know we had to try and be nicer you know? All the time I was singing on the stage I was usually using words like ‘fuck’ and trying to say them less.
You’re signed to Fueled By Ramen, how has this changed things for you as a band since this signing?
I’m a really big fan of Fueled by Ramen Records’ stuff. They have lots of cool bands and all the time I’m on the internet like cool bands I find they’re from Fueled by Ramen. Someday if we were going to work with American companies my dream would be working with Fueled by Ramen. Now it’s a dream come true and I’m really happy.
You’ve got three collaborations on your latest album Ambitions but which is your favourite and why?
5 Seconds of Summer, Avril Lavinge and All Time Low. Erm. You know I can’t choose one. The 5 Seconds of Summer guys we had a tour before so it’s easy to ask them if they’d like to join our songs on the album. Then they said yes, it’s just very natural things. Avril Lavinge I actually met at the 5 Seconds of Summer in Canada. She loves Japan and she’s very interesting to our band so it happened. Whilst All Time Low are signed to our label right now. I don’t know I can’t choose!
That was a really hard question but this could be a little harder. What would be your favourite or most relatable lyric of your own?
Aaaaahhhh. I don’t know. We have a song called Hard To Love it’s written about my father actually. The song is kind of my old experience when I was young so I mean like there’s no line. That song is kind of more like an emotional song to me so I think that one is very good lyrics. I don’t know. Maybe!
Have you found that playing in lots of different countries fans are different in any way across the world?
It’s totally different, like here I don’t know yet if it’s quiet or louder but like across America they’re crazy all the time. In Japan, they’re very quiet they have respect to the band. I like to feel something different from another country. It’s very different but I like it.
Finally, what are your future plans for 2017?
We’re doing a lot of touring until the end of this year. We have America, Australia, Russia, Asia and Europe again. Touring!
Interview By: Nicola Craig
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See One OK Rock live at one of the following dates:
December
Fri 1st – ZURICH, CH – Komplex 457
Sat 2nd – PRAGUE, CZ – Lucerna Music Bar
Sun 3rd – WARSAW, PL – Hala Kolo
Tue 5th – HELSINKI, FL – The Circus
Wed 6th – STOCKHOLM, SE – Debaser Strand
Thu 7th – OSLO, NO – Parkteatret
Sat 9th – COPENHAGEN, DK – Pumpehuset
Mon 11th – GLASGOW, UK – O2 ABC
Tue 12th – MANCHESTER, UK – Academy 2
Wed 13th – LONDON, UK – Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Fri 15th – COLOGNE, DE – Live Music Hall
Sat 16th – MUNICH, DE – Tonhalle Munchen
Tue 19th – BERLIN, DE – Huxley’s Neue Welt
Thu 21st – AMSTERDAM, NL – Melkweg Max
Fri 22nd – PARIS, FR – Zenith
Tickets are on sale now, with VIP options also available HERE.
