E: So Enoma, how would you describe the success you've seen so far with your band Otenki?
Enoma: Unexpected, really. From my perspective, I never thought we'd be where we are. A lot of the bands I was in before didn't really do anything with themselves. With Otenki we've been fortunate enough to play shows with bands we love, make friends with people who we respect, and record an EP that we all believe in. And we've been fortunate enough to meet some really great kids via myspace who have become close friends of ours, and that's really rad to me.
E: What do you think makes the band unique?
Enoma: I think what makes Otenki unique from a music stand point is where our personal influences come into play with the common ground we stand on. For instance, German is a big fan of The Used, Yesterday's Rising, underOATH and Blindside. David is much more into bands like Saves the Day and AFI. Hector is more of an old school punk rock and metal fan. Fausto's into bands like the Mars Volta, Death Cab for Cutie and Thursday. My tastes are definitely into the pop punk/post hardcore bands like Taking Back Sunday, Blink 182, Green Day, Further Seems Forever and Copeland. Our core influence comes from a love of bands like Jimmy Eat World, Saves the Day, Brand New, and Hot Rod Circuit, but we try to take elements of our different tastes and mix them together. Outside of the music, I think we're just eager to see what we're capable of. This is all something we've wanted for most of our lives, and I think our hunger for it might set us apart from other bands
E: Are there designated times for writing songs?
Enoma: No, not really. More often then not we come to practice and one of us will have an idea for a song. We'll present it to the band and everyone learns the basic parts. After that we all kind of add our own twist to things. David plays bass, but he thinks like a guitarist so sometimes he'll come to me and show me what he thinks I should do and it ends up being really fantastic. So from there we kind of jam it out and see what parts work and what parts don't. It really helps that everyone speaks their mind about what they like and don't like and what could improve songs--it can be rough sometimes, but the end result is something we all end up liking.
E: How often does the band see each other outside of musical-related events?
Enoma: We see each other all the time. David and I attend the same university, and actually met up way before Otenki even began. Fausto and German are cousins so they hung out a lot regardless. When we became a band we also became really good friends. When we're not working or at school chances are we're hanging out with each other. And that's what I enjoy the most outside of playing music, is that I'm in a band with my best friends. If we're lucky we'll be able to hang out, play music and meet new people for a very long time. I don't think I could think of a better way to spend time.
E: And the fan response has been good?
Enoma: Yeah, it's been way better than I would have first anticipated. Our friends from our hometown have always supported us no matter what, and now that we are able to show more people--via the internet--what our band is all about: the response has really improved, and we're really lucky. It's a great feeling, checking your email account and seeing these kids from various parts of the country compliment you on your music. All you can really hope for is that you write the best music you can and have people appreciate it. I think we're very blessed in that department.
E: What are you seeing for your short-term goals?
Enoma: Short-term goals are to release our EP "Covina", go on tour in March, and just write more music. And just really enjoy being a band.
E: How about long term?
Enoma: Long term, well, I think we'd like to get signed to a label that would be really supportive of us and would want to help us grow. Become a staple on the warped tour, and continue to grow as musicians. We definitely want to put out more albums and play around the world if possible.
E: Well thanks a lot, man, and good luck.
Enoma: No, thank you dude. I really appreciate this. |
