Japan hidden gems : discover punk/rock band Radiobug

I had the chance to meet Radiobug when my band played a show in Yokohama 7th Avenue, back in April 2018. Although I know many Japanese punk/rock bands, I never heard about Radiobug and dude, these guys rock ! If you like bands like Descendents or Lagwagon, this should be your cup of tea.

Please could you introduce yourself and Radiobug ?

Shouhei Miyoshi plays the bass and sing, Ryo-chang plays the drums and I (Mako) play the guitar and sing too. Ryo-chang and I used to play in bands together in Osaka when we were younger. We moved to Tokyo around 2008 and we also played in several bands. In 2013, I met Shouhei and we've started playing together. In 2015, Ryo-chang joined and we've started Radiobug.

You released your EP "Back in the day" last year in a DIY way. Is DIY important for you ?

We really love DIY but it's not the most important thing. I've started recording other bands a long time ago, so it makes sens that I also record my own band. I guess I'm not too bad at recording bands, so I don't see why we would have to hire someone else to do it. We also have a lot of fun doing it by ourselves.

Could you tell us more about your forthcoming record ?

We are currently recording it. All the instrument tracks are done since June, but we need some more time for the vocal parts. All the recordings went really smooth, so I think we will be able to release this record in 20

19.

The Japanese punk/rock scene is very active. What are your favorite Japanese punk/rock bands and friends' bands we should listen to ?

Check our friends Mexican Age, Quickdead and Tornado. They are our friends and they are our favorite bands here in Japan.

Your influences are mostly 90's punk/rock bands. Are there some other bands you like ?

Shouhei Miyoshi is a lot into punk/rock and loves bands like NOFX, Hi-Standard and No Use For A Name. On my side, I really love more mainstream bands like Van Halen, Pantera, Rage Against The Machine, or Jelly Fish. Ryo-chang still loves Nirvana and Metallica.

Is there any band you would dream playing with ?

I wish we could play with overseas bands like NOFX and other big American punk/rock acts. It would be so cool to live in the USA, as all the bands I discovered when I was a teenager are from there and I still love these bands. Japanese punk/rock and American punk/rock are very different and I think it mostly comes from where you live and what you feel.

Any last words for people who would like to discover Radiobug ?

Radiobug is a band that is very influenced by the sound of the 90's. Everybody in the band is influenced by various genres of this era so I think we have a unique balance because it's not only about punk/rock. So, we brought our personal influences and roots and we ended up playing a music that is really close to punk/rock. I hope people will be interested in our music and get some new fans.