KGRL Exclusive Puffy AmiYumi Interview
Boston, MA Show 07/12/06 (Splurge Tour USA - East Coast)

Help Puffy AmiYumi Get Radio Airplay, the bulletin says off myspace... and that's all it took for us to respond by saying KGRL plays Puffy. Sure enough, our station offers a variety of JPOP artists and we do at that time, feature a host of all-time Puffy favorites, including Asia No Junshin (True Asia). And from a simple reply we got ourselves a copy of the new CD for airplay and more. We were lucky enough to get a face to face, one on one interview with the duo themselves.

Onwards our fearless representative marched to the venue in Boston, MA called "Axis." He was then led to a dimly lit room where he was then greeted by Yaz Noya of Tofu Records, which acted as the translator. Following behind Yaz were (in our own representative's words) "two of the most adorable, cute, charming, and really tiny girls" he has ever seen. Dressed in street clothes and rugged sweat pants were Ami and Yumi (which, incidentally is the very same outfit they used on the show - Editor's Note: just goes to show how the girls carry a piece of who they are on stage) who looked like they just came in from a day of shopping. Even though they probably were tired, they sit in and entertained our representative. And so the interview began...

KGRL: The new CD Splurge contains a lot of songs with english lyrics in comparison to other Puffy CD's. Was this to be more marketable for America?

Yumi: We have actually two different versions of each song, a Japanese version and an English version. It is the same song, but we know it's going to be released in the United States, so that is why, it's the same song but we made an english version as well.


KGRL: The new CD is not available yet in US, but it is downloadable on American music download sites, i.e (iTunes). What was the reason for making it available for digital distribution first before the retail CD?

Yumi: We are thinking two different things. One for the digital distributing and also packaging. And, because we have a tour and because the release date is going to be July 25th. We want everybody to hear our songs before we go on tour. That is one of the reasons why we decided to digitally distribute. And we really care about the cover and artwork as well. We put lots of thought into it. So we hope everybody that is downloading still can pick up the CD as well.


KGRL: There are already three videos for songs on the new CD. Do you release all the videos at the same time, or are the videos released as the new singles for the CD are released?

Ami: Because of the different markets between Japan and the United States, and because in Japan we have a single market, we release them as a single before the CD is even released. We already have three promotional videos when we release the album in the United States.


KGRL: On the new cd, there are two cover songs, Radio Tokyo from Butch Walker (Marvelous 3) and Basket Case from Greenday. Were you the ones who chose these songs to cover or did someone ask you to do a remake of these songs? Also, are you a fan of Butch Walker and Greenday?

Ami: We were doing Call Me What You Like and during our recording with Butch Walker, Butch said "I got a great song, and maybe a Puffy version would work, so lets try it." And we did Radio Tokyo, and it turned out to be a really nice song. When we started to think, what are we going to do for US tour, what's a song that American people listen to or like. So then we picked Basket Case.


KGRL: We also know that you are a fan of Garbage. Do you have any plans of ever doing a remake of a Garbage song?

Yumi: We try not to pick cover songs by female artists because if a female already sang that song originally, then why does Puffy have to sing it? It's the same kind of female voice. So, we pick songs with male vocalists to cover. So, there probably wont be a Garbage song by Puffy AmiYumi.


KGRL: Ok, about the tour. You are starting here in the United States on the East Coast and playing eight shows, then you are going back to Japan. What was the reason for starting here in the United States for the first eight shows before you go back to Japan?

Yumi: Well, you are right, because the tour this year is 10th anniversary tour, and we had big shows in Japan before we came to United States. Then we switch to the Splurge tour, because the release date is around this time. So that's why we are happy to perform the new songs from Splurge in front of the US audience. Then after we come back to Japan, we just continue doing the same tour.


KGRL: Are there plans to come back to United States to play the West Coast and the rest of the country?

Yumi: We have been touring since the beginning of the year, and then right after this tour, we have to go back to Japan to do the Summer Festival. Then we have a little bit of a break, then we are going to think about coming back here or not.


KGRL: Are there any projects coming up, maybe a live dvd for the new tour, that would be released in America?

Yumi: Well, a dvd is nice, because people can see what we do. Although, we think that the best communication between the fans and Puffy AmiYumi is a live show. So instead of dvd releases, we want everybody to come to our show, and then they can communicate with us that way.


KGRL: The title of the new CD is Splurge. Where did the title come from? What is the meaning of the title in relation to the CD?

Ami: Because of the people that joined this album, from domestic to international. Everybody that was willing to participate in our album. We have splurged, on the type of musicians and composers and collaborators. So, we thought, what is the best word to describe this album... and definitely it is "Splurge."


KGRL: What is your favorite place in United States to play and to visit?

Yumi: I lived in LA for a couple of months, besides doing the tour or recording. I find it easy living there. Very nice people too, thats why I love LA.

Ami: If I am to pick a place to live, Los Angeles is the best place. But for the live show, I love New York. Because in New York the people just love to see a good show. And then, they accept us, that's the most wonderful feeling that I've ever had.

Special thanks goes to Yuriko Inagaki, Barry Hamaguchi, Yaz Noya, the rest of the staff of Tofu Records and Sony Music Entertainment of Japan, and to the girls themselves: Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura.

The interview was conducted by our very own Geno Roy (Mikey) whose car (limited BMW) was, very unfortunately, stolen the same night after the show.


Puffy AmiYumi Links:
Official Website: http://www.puffyamiyumi.com
MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/wearepuffyamiyumi


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