Interview: Shunkan
We're officially enamored with the sounds of Shunkan, aka the project of Marina Sakimoto. From bedroom solo project to full-band, Marina is following a childhood dream and sharing it with the world. Her 12" debut The Pink Noise received rapid acclaim, and sold out just as quickly, but lucky for us all Art is Hard Records is re-releasing. Marina took some time to answer our questions about the project and what's next for us through e-mail!
TGE: I think the thing that immediately struck me about your album was how different it all was. Like each song has a feel and an emotion all its own. So I guess, how did you land on a particular sound and what went into the creation of this record for you?
Marina: I jumped back and forth to what kind of sound I wanted. I never wanted to create a record for the sake of fitting into one particular genre. I like a lot of different genres, so that's probably going to come through with my music. I think every song I write has a life of its own and no song should feel like the red-headed step-child.
TGE: What brought you to LA from New Zealand and has either location provided any inspiration for your music?
M: I'm from LA and hadn't been home in almost two years, so I decided that it was time to head back. I've learned that no matter where I am in the world, my music always sounds the same. The only inspiration from each location is the experiences and how I write about them in my lyrics.
TGE: Your bio says about releasing an eclectic range of music from bedroom to a larger full band sound. How did you decide to bring on additional members and what if any affect has that had?
M: Honestly, I've just been too freaked out to play alone on stage. Playing my songs with a band full of friends really gives me the boost of confidence I need to perform. I might look into playing solo shows, but there is a 30% chance that I might pass out.
TGE: What does your name of the band mean to you and how did you decide on that?
M: I wanted a name that felt fully encompassing to who I am. 'Shunkan' is Japanese and it loosely means, 'in a moment'. Not only does it reflect my heritage, but it consistently reminds me to be present when my brain feels like exploding.
TGE: Are there any musical artists or sounds etc that have been an influence on you as of late or in the past?
M: There's not really one artist that has been my inspiration for songwriting. It's always a hazy blend of artists I've loved over the years, or phases in my life. I notice bits of Built to Spill, Pavement, Dinosaur Jr., Guided By Voices, My Bloody Valentine, even American Football and Algernon Cadwallader... basically artists I grew up with in high school, even though it may not be noticeable to listeners. More recently, I've been really digging Mitski and Alex G. Oh, and the new Weezer record is pretty sweet.
TGE: When did you know that music was something you might want to pursue and was it scary recording your album for the first time?
M: I've been writing songs my whole life, so it's always been that thing that I just do and everyone in my life knows that it's that thing that I do. Recording The Pink Noise was my first time recording in a studio with a producer, so that was kind of scary. We had a limited amount of time and it was the first time I gave my music to someone else to toy around with. For the next record, I'm gonna go back to recording by myself, so I'm looking forward to the ol' home studio.
TGE: What's in the future for Shunkan and what are you working on currently?
M: We're playing our first US show at the Honey Hive Gallery in San Francisco May 6th. I'm really looking forward to playing across the country and rediscovering America. I've got an album's worth of new songs, so the next step is to bring them to life!