Discovering this over seas talent, “We are Tokyo”Composed of Alex Fox on Synth/Bass & Vocals, Tom Vincer on Synths & Bvox, John Millichip on Guitars and
Tom Wheeler on Drums/Samples, Lageegee couldn’t keep quite on this new favorite. Striking resemblance to fellow UK bands such as “The Editors” and “Bloc Party” this on the rise group is making sound waves. Looking to break away from the “norm” and push boundaries, hence the name “We are Tokyo”, discussed more in their interview, does just so.
Making efforts to lyrically be inclined and hone in on their “sound”, constantly developing and looking for new approaches to create something meaningful and stir the dance floor. A unique mixture of indie pop and synth beats with their custom take on rock, they create a sound of their own. Constantly working on their writing and growing together we can only expect the best.
“We like to give listeners a big feeling when they listen to our music. We picture our music with city skylines at night with bright lights and a feeling of escapism. We hope this is carried through to any one listening to us.”
Already with one EP under their belt, three mini singles and planning to hit the UK/European circuit this summer they can only go up from here. Taking hold of their next moves, learning their audience, learning their craft, and singing anthems with words that will cling on to the lips of their listeners. “We are Tokyo” is paving the wave to make an impression on the generations to come.
Creating an outlet for listeners to explore with their music, “We are Tokyo”… having a few moments with them, nothing better to describe who they are, Alex and Tom took some time to answer our questions…
sample of their new single, “Never”, out soon.
WE ARE TOKYO- INTERVIEW
Q: We are Tokyo, certainly an interesting name that caught my attention, what is the inspiration behind this name?
Alex: People usually think of Tokyo as a city which is at the forefront of new technologies and ideas. We really like the imagery of the night time city scapes and the fact that it always seems to be pushing boundaries. It was memorable, flowed well when spoken and looked good written so it was a keeper. That’s how the name was born, I guess.
Q: I see the band is currently unsigned, what are your plans in the future to change this?
Tom: The way the music industry currently is going, being signed is still a great ambition and we would like to achieve this, however, there is a lot to be said for self promotion and knowing your audience and how to target your fans with your product and that is currently what we are doing.
But, if the right offer came to us we would grab it with both hands, we’ve just got to keep putting great tracks out there for the industry to hear.
Q: Where has your musical journey taken you so far?
Tom: So far we have released an EP and three mini singles, which has shown us evolve as a band sound wise, but also, our approach writing the songs. We used to write the music first and then layer vocals on top but recently we’ve been focusing a lot more on the vocal melodies at the beginning. Sitting down with just you and a piano keeps it really open and lets your creativity really flow.
Alex: We’ve also experimented a lot more with synths trying to strike a balance between an organic and electronic sound. You can hear this a lot more in our latest records although we’ve always loved electronic music and it has always been an influence.
“We Are Tokyo is constantly evolving and that’s why we are enjoying it so much, we have some big ideas in store for our live shows and our new records, so we will continue to build upon our ambitions. We hope to make an album full of anthems!”
Q: The summer time is huge for artist state side with performances, does the band have some exciting performances lined up?
Alex: We are currently working on a brand new set list with new songs and new live show ideas and we cannot wait to get back out there on the live circuit! We’ve been offered some decent gigs around the UK and in Europe but we’re really getting our teeth into writing and want to continue for the next few months before performing again.
Q: Does We are Tokyo have any plans to visit the states soon?
Tom: We would love to play the states soon but we need to build on our fanbase out there first. But definitely something on our list to do in the future! There are so many great festivals we strive to play in America such as SXSW festival to name but one! Watch this space!
Q: Listening to the tracks, I see a “Bloc Party” and “Editors” influence, how does your music set you apart from them?
Alex: Thanks! Yes, we do listen to both of these artists and we have a lot of respect for them. It’s nice people can hear elements of them in our tracks.
I think we’re different as we generally put synths at the forefront of our songs, giving us a more electronic sound. We’re also really into dance music and when we’re writing we always think about how to get people on the dance floor.
Tom: Coming from a different society and decade, our topics and instrumentation are so different from these artists. I think we could in time we could reach out to a diverse audience keeping a commercial edge.
Q: If the band could work with anyone, who would that be and why?
Alex: Producer wise, we are a huge fan of JackKnife Lee, so to be in a studio situation with him would be amazing!
Tom: In terms of artists we would like to work with, that is a tough one! Crystal Castles springs to mind initially. I think combining our live elements with their ‘clubbier’ sound would be a great blend. We would also like to work with Ellie Goulding, what a gorgeous voice! There’s too many to list to be honest.
We must also say that working closely with our favourite Canadian Electro/House artist NinetyNine, who has done a few remixes for us, is always a pleasure. We’re planning a collaboration with him, very soon. It should be fun, mixing some genres together and see what happens, very exciting to try new approaches.
Q: “New Reflection”, “Bullets” and “Your Eyes Lie” stick out as
favorites of mine, what would your first single be?
Alex: Thank you, all of these tracks have a completely different meaning to us and it would be hard to pick a favourite. I think each one would appeal to a slightly different audience.
I wrote ‘Bullets’ at a time when I was listening to a lot of dance records. It has a really strong beat which works great in a club and also seems to go down really well.
‘Your Eyes Lie’ has a much darker, rockier sound. We pushed the electronic/organic ideas a lot in this track which I think has created a fresh sound.
‘New Reflection’ has more of an emotional undertone. We wrote it about letting go of the past and really enjoying what you have now. A lot of that emotion carried through into the music, which has created a really euphoric sound.
Sorry! didn’t quite answer your question there! We love all our tracks for different reasons so it’s hard to pick just one!
Q: What has been the bands favorite moment, to name one or a few?
Alex: I think playing with acts such as Passion Pit, Small Black and Grammatics have been really rewarding for us! It’s always nice to play with bands you respect and for them to respect you back. It’s such a nice feeling and makes it all very exciting!
Having mentions and plays on Radio 1 and BBC 6 music has been great and generally people who are blogging, listening and sharing the same love for the music as we do is great and they are all favourite moments for us, so far… !
Q: What would you like your listeners to take from your music?
Tom: When we write our music we always hope people can relate to the lyrics, that’s what makes good songs for us… so hopefully people can feel a mixture of emotions, whether its moving on from bad times or just having a great time!
We like to give listeners a big feeling when they listen to our music. We picture our music with city skylines at night with bright lights and a feeling of escapism. We hope this is carried through to any one listening to us.
Q: At L3GACI we ask what is your music doing to “Create, Inspire, and Evolve”, society? So how would “We are Tokyo” do just that?
Alex: We will continue to experiment with new technology, sounds and produce fresh new music that will hopefully inspire people. We always like to write lyrics based on events around us, and everyday life, which we hope people can relate to.
We Are Tokyo is constantly evolving and that’s why we are enjoying it so much, we have some big ideas in store for our live shows and our new records, so we will continue to build upon our ambitions. We hope to make an album full of anthems!
Tom: Finally, just like to say thanks to L3GACI for interviewing us!
Thank you “We are Tokyo” for letting us having a chance to discover and expose more of what makes this L3GACI. Their creating a culture, a L3GACI, are you
Stay connected with the band and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace
Check them out on Youtube and purchase their single, “your eyes lie” from Itunes.
l3gaci.com 
great band! great interview 😀