Dec. 21, 2016, 12:05 p.m.
1. WHERE ARE YOU FROM? WHEN DID YOU FORM? HOW MANY MEMBERS ARE IN THE BAND? ARE YOU/WERE YOU IN ANY OTHER BANDS?
We formed POVLACION sometime in 2014 and we're all from the small city of Mie, Japan. We had our first show in April, 2015. There were 4 members at first, but now we have 3 members.
I'm an ex-member of END OF SEEDS and I've played with them for 8 years. Our drummer, Kazuki, is currently playing in KILLERPASS (This band actually rocks!) and is a stand-in for SKIZOPHRENIA.
2. WHY NAME AND LYRICS IN SPANISH? WHAT ARE YOUR LYRICS ABOUT? IS IT DIFFICULT TO WRITE IN SPANISH IN JAPAN? I REMEMBER TSUYOSHI FROM DESPERDICIO TELLING ME HOW IT WAS HARD FOR HIM TO WRITE IN SPANISH AND HOW NOT MANY PEOPLE IN SENDAI SPOKE SPANISH.
It's because I have great affection and respect for Spanish punk.
Our lyrics are mostly about negative feelings towards society and self struggles. And we're trying to depict them in our own way.
It is not easy writing in Spanish because we Japanese don’t have any chance to learn Spanish at school. Not only people in Sendai, people all around Japan hardly ever speak Spanish in their daily lives. (We study English at school, but most of us don't have a good command of it ...)
3. YOUR 4 SONG DEMONSTRATION CDR WAS RECORDED AT CLUB VORTEX. WAS IT RECORDED LIVE? DURING A SHOW?
Yes, the demo CDR was recorded at VORTEX. However, we didn't record it during a show. We wanted to make it powerful, so we recorded it with a single recording to let the sound be rough and raw.
4. IN OUR PREVIOUS CONVERSATION YOU MENTIONED RELEASING 3 WAY SPLIT 7" WITH SOLPAATOS AND THE SAVAGES. WHEN SHOULD THAT RECORD BE OUT? WHAT'S THE NAME OF YOUR RECORD LABEL?
It might be released in February in 2017, I think. I don't own a label so far, but I've always been interested in having one.
5. YOU HOST/BOOK SHOWS (OUR STATEMENT). WHAT BANDS HAVE YOU BOOKED SO FAR? HOW OFTEN DO YOU ORGANIZE SHOWS? WHERE DO YOU SET UP SHOWS AT? HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN?
Though we organized shows as a new band only a couple of times, I can say we hosted only wonderful bands, such as SOLPAATOS,FORTVIVLAN,ACUTE,BLACK AND WHITE, SKIZOPHRENIA, DIEAUDE, VAASKA and so on.
We organize shows about three times a month. Also, sometimes we are asked to support bands touring Japan. In that case, we book a show for them.
We always set up shows at our most favorite venue, VORTEX! It is our typical style, but it could be changed if we have some chance in the future.
Hmm ... We need to do a lot of preparation for the shows, but for me, the pleasure goes far beyond the difficulty!
6. WHAT OTHER CURRENT BANDS OVER THERE ARE ROCKING HARD?
There are tons of bands I'd like to tell you about, but I will mention some of my favorite newer bands. CENTIPEDE, SAVAGES, SOLPAATOS, MILK, FORTVIVLAN, AZN, THE GEROS, LOW CARD de la MORTE, etc.
Eri, the girl who translated this interview into English, is also in a band called, PiPi. This band rules as well.
Also, Mie, where we live, has fantastic bands, such as CONTRAST ATTITUDE, END OF SEEDS, ZAY, UNSKILLED LAB!
7. WHAT IS NEXT FOR POVLACION? PLANNING ON TOURING?
First of all, we want to organize and play more shows in our local area and take hold of our punk music. Also, we're planning some periodic new releases. Our new demo tape that is available from a Malaysian label, WAR CLOUD RECORDS, is going to be released overseas soon. Make sure you check it out!
There are no plans for a tour so far, but we'd love to do it sometime. I love meeting new people internationally through punk music!
Finally, I appreciate Pedja for giving me such a great chance. Cheers!