Project Description
Interview with
KENTA KOIE
From CROSSFAITH
Interviewer: Laura Hughes
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Crossfaith is a Japanese Metal band hailing from Osaka, and they have taken the Metal scene by storm since their formation in 2006. With multiple nominations from Kerrang!, Alternative Press, and Metal Hammer to prove just how amazing they are. Crossfaith are hitting out shores with The Amity Affliction this month, and I got the opportunity to talk to frontman Kenta about everything Crossfaith.
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When did music become a big part of your life?
I started music when I was fourteen years old, so it’s more than half of my life, I started when I was fourteen so now it’s my life work.
Did you ever see yourself as being a musician and this being your career, or was it something that just happened?
At the time our dream was to be the biggest band in the world, so yeah I was expecting, but you know it was just a dream. We did our first tour as a band, that was in the UK, and after that our dream finally came true.
What album has the biggest impact on you?
Slipknot ‘Iowa’. The first time I listened to that album the lead track ‘People = Shit’ had an effect on me, because I’ve never really heard that kind of attitude from a rock band before so I was like oh my god. I was not a cool kid in school at the time, I was frustrated with school, life, and when I listened to Slipknot, I felt like I was the strongest person in the world.
You have just finished your album cycle of ‘Ex_Machina’, how was that era for you guys?
We did so many shows within our cycle, and now we have just finished in April, tour life is super tough but at the same time it’s super fun, it’s a great opportunity to see the people who live outside of Japan, and a lot of people waiting for us, so it’s the most amazing thing to see them and to play music in front of them.
What is your favourite song off of the album?
‘The Perfect Nightmare’, it’s definitely the heaviest track in the album, so when I sing the song I become a different person.
What was your favourite song to play live?
Between ‘The Perfect Nightmare’ and ‘Make A Move’, they’re super catchy and bouncy, and I feel the people in the crowd with us feel super connected with the music.
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You’re about to tour Australia with The Amity Affliction, what is your favourite thing about traveling and playing shows abroad?
Drinking with them and playing the show to the people. I usually do sightseeing which is amazing, but I usually drink with the other bands because it’s easier to know about the Country, and the band always know how to enjoy the Country more, so that’s the more fun part.
What is your favourite touring memory?
Back in 2014, our biggest dream is to be a headliner of Download Festival in the UK, and back in 2014 we played on the main stage at Download, it was like second slot, but still it’s my favourite memory of all time. But at the time I noticed that we needed to get more popular, and we needed to work more harder than ever before during the set.
Where has been your favourite place you have toured?
Australia is amazing, also Europe is amazing, it’s a beautiful Country. Europe, there are so many Countries, you can play when show, then go to sleep in the bus and then I wake up and I’m in a different Country, it’s amazing.
How much preparation goes into your live shows?
It’s mostly mindset for me because I am the frontman, but of course I do vocal warmups but mindset is more important for me because role on stage is controlling the people, like wall of death and circle pit, so I need to know what kind of people are watching us.
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Do you remember what the first show you played as a band was?
It was 2003 or 2004, it was a very local club and I was High School, and at the time we were a cover band, we were playing Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, and Sum 41 as well, so it was so different from now Crossfaith. It was super great, and after that I felt ‘this is amazing to be on stage and to sing in front of people’.
What is up next for you guys after touring?
We just started making new music, so after the tour we will back in Japan, and do two more tours in Japan for the rest of the year, and at the same time making new music.
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Crossfaith
EX_MACHINA
is out now UNFD.
1. Deus Ex Machina
2. Catastrophe
3. The Perfect Nightmare
4. Destroy (feat. Ho99o9)
5. Freedom (feat. Rou Reynolds from Enter Shikari)
6. Make A Move
7. Lost In You
8. Wipeout (Album Mix)
9. Milestone
10. Eden In The Rain
11. Twin Shadows
12. Daybreak
13. Faint (feat. Masato from coldrain)
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