INTERVIEW: Tashaki Miyaki

1)      What do you want people to hear most when they hear your music?

well i hope they listen on real speakers or good headphones and hear some nice sounds.

2)      Having music on Band Camp, along with other such platforms in music right now such as Sound Cloud, Spotify and others, do you feel that music is moving into a virtual age?  Personally, I fully support the idea of downloading songs for free from Band Camp and then if I like them buying them on vinyl.

music is indeed moving in a different direction. i think it's a very exciting time. there's something about music being so accessible that brings it back to the single...much like  the early days of radio, it's back to being all about the song. however, a lot of the ways people are recording music and the quality of sound is suffering. when you listen to records pressed on vinyl from the 60s for example, there is a real warmth to them and it's a bummer that lots of people don't get to hear things that way, or even know that they can sound that way. that being said, a beautiful song rings true despite the roughness of the recording or the high endy sound of iTunes.

3)      How important of a factor do you feel that record labels play in music these days when pretty much anyone can put their music on the internet as opposed to having to hand out demo tapes at shows, the distribution record labels can offer, etc.   It just seems like it’s a bit easier these days to succeed as a band- and even build up a strong fan base- before a label possibly comes calling for you.

i don't think anyone has really figured this one out. in a sense it's always been this way...it's always been better to have a fan base before a label comes along. labels can only do so much, if there is an audience for something people will respond. and if a label promotes something people are responding to, it will create a wider audience. on the flip side, now that anyone can put anything online, there's a whole lot more to sift though, and certain labels who have achieved a standard of quality like subpop, or matador for example, can create an instant fan base for an unknown artist simply because people trust their taste. 

4)      If you could tour with any single band or musician who would you pick and why?

neil young. he is my musical hero. he has remained true to himself and aged gracefully in a business that makes those things tough. he also has the best guitar tone i've ever heard, i would love to listen and watch him play every night.

5)      Who is your favorite New Kid on the Block? marky mark's brother?

6)      Who would win in a musical fight: Jack Black or Jack White?

i guess it would depend on what the fight is about. if it's a karaoke contest i'd say jack black, but if it were a guitar off, i'd say jack white. i've always wanted to meet jack white. he seems neat.