Interview – Grizzly Bear

HTE)How did you think Japanese audience responded on your stage?

Ch)I think they were excited. We’re certainly very excited to play songs from new album.

HTE)We think that your music sounded very complicatedly constructed.
How does that song making process goes?

Ch)It definitely takes a lot of time to make music. With this album, we especially combine everyone’s thoughts into one. We recorded many different times and took breakes each. So eveytime we revisit the songs, we come back with new ideas.

HTE)You guys have each individual’s projects and stuff.
How do you divide Grizzly Bear and other projects?

Ch)I think we just naturally fell like they are sounds of Grizzly Bear or other things.
We’re all very supportive everything that everyone does.

HTE)I remember that I met TV On The Radio people couple of years ago and they gave the biggest praise on the last album.

Ch)Yeah, they are really good people.

HTE)It looks like Brooklyn music scene is big at the moment.
Do you have any artists that you like?

Ch)Dirty Projectors.

HTE)That’s the one Chris Taylor produced, right?

Ch)Yes, We’re crazy about them. I think everyone in the band is excited about them.

HTE)You have been working with many different people.
Do you have anyone who wants to collaborate next?

Ch)I don’t know… Beyoncé? or Snoop Dogg!
We really do want to collaborate with Snoop Dogg. We want to meet him.

HTE) haha I wonder how the music would be.

Ch)We also want to collaborate with T-pain. We really like hip-hop music.

HTE) We’d like to talk about the artists we’ve met. We have met Fleet foxes few weeks ago.
what do you think about them?

Ch)Yeah I’ve met him couple of times. Beautiful people.

HTE) How about Beirut?

Ch)Beirut is a very spirited individual.

HTE)Spirited?

Ch)Yeah, spirited. A stand up guy.

HTE)How about Deerhunter?

Ch)Deerhunter is.. psychedelic.

HTE)What do you want your music to be? Like, there are some music that it makes people dance.
How would you like audience to think your music to be?

Ch)I listen to dance music and I don’t really hate partying and things.
Our music is not really for partying and stuff.
At the same time, I don’t really think our music should come out to be overly serious. Music should be happy and fun. Yeah, so maybe not to be just a party music.

HTE)How did you come up with the idea of music video?

Ch)That was actually mostly Patrick Daughters’s vision. He’s a man of many crazy ideas.
He said ‘I want to everyone’s head to explode. so we were like ‘Okay’.

HTE)Haha That’s funny.. Who is the person that you respect the most?

Ch)That’s hard. There are so many.. Barak Obama?

HTE)What’s your interests besides music?

Ch)I like to drink a lot and make cocktails.

HTE)What’s your favorite cocktail?

Ch)I mostly like whiskey cocktail. I like whiskey cocktail that has a lot of weird ingredients.

HTE)How about you?

Dan) I drink beer and also like to go to country side.

HTE)Now, we’re going to ask non-music related questions.
so just relax and tell us a bit about you guys.
I heard that August 4th is your birthday. How did you spend your birthday?

D)We landed on that day. We didn’t know what to do, so we just walked downtown called
Shinchi. It was cool.

HTE)Did you try any Japanese food?

D)Yeah, we tried many stuff. We really like it.

HTE)We actually have a belated birthday present for you!

D)Oh that’s cool! I like the bear. I’ll put it with my cell phone.

HTE)In this year, Did you play for any other festivals?

Ch)We are about to do bunch of festivals in Europe. Actually, we play some festival in Europe after when we leave Tokyo. Pitchfork festival and Bonnaroo?

HTE)What do you think the best way to enjoy the festival?

Ch)Obviously, the most exciting thing about festival is actually like a festival like this. Pitchfork was not for hugely famous artists.
But summer sonic, they have headliner as Beyoncé and that’s something that I feel like I never get to see. So It’s really cool. It’s like once in a lifetime chance.

HTE)What do you think the best drink for festivals?

D)Beer!

HTE)How many cans did you have so far?

D)Just two.

HTE)So far, what is your best memory for this festival?

Ch)Beyoncé. It really was an amazing show.

HTE)How about the worst memory of the festival?

Ch)Not really, no. I think it’s just pretty exciting to be in Japan.

HTE)Is there anything you do before you go to the stage? any rituals?

Ch)Not really. We usually have a drink.

HTE)What do you drink? your cocktail?

Ch)No, not here. Only sometimes. Nothing crazy, though.

HTE)Do you have any favorite girl’s festival fashion in Japan?

D)I like the really long t-shirts that goes all the way down to the knees. Really long one.

Ch)I’m obsessed with Mickey Mouse and Disney stuff.
I saw a girl who wore a t-shirt that has three eyed Mickey Mouse in Osaka, it was very psychedelic and weird. That was pretty cool.

HTE)At last, we would like you to give comments for HTE readers.

GB)Hi I’m Chris and he’s Daniel. We’d like to thank everybody in Japan. Thank you! Aligato!