To celebrate one year of 'Conversations With Keiko' I asked you guys to send in some questions! Thank you to everyone who sent in a question...here is 'A Conversation With....Keiko'.
What made you decide to start this blog?
I started this blog because I wanted to promote some of my favourite artists and build connections with people who share my passion for music. I never expected that I would have the opportunity to interview artists from across the globe, it has genuinely been such a rewarding experience and I am grateful to everyone who has shared their music with me.
How many hours do you put into the blog each week?
At the moment I am trying to post every day, but that does mean I spend a lot of time editing interviews/reviews. On days when I am releasing a post, I usually spend two hours in the morning reading through the final edit, checking for any mistakes and writing up a caption for the Instagram post before publishing the final blog and notifying the artists/PR/management companies. I usually spend on average 6 hours a day writing stuff for the blog/answering emails. Then I dedicate time in the evening to discover and listen to as much music as possible...oh and then I binge watch Netflix for a few hours.... so I would say that overall I spend around 42 hours a week doing stuff for the blog.
What is your favourite song of all time and what is your favourite unreleased song?
Hmmm...this is difficult. I would say that 'You and I' by Rhodes is the song that I am most sentimentally attached to, but the first song that really got me into music was 'Things We Lost in The Fire' by Bastille. I remember hearing that song in the car on the way back home from school and I can definitely say that it changed the way I listen to music. They were the reason that I became obsessed with music production and song writing at school, and I admire Dan Smith's (lead singer of Bastille) work ethic and passion for cinematography. My favourite unreleased song is 'Bluebird' by Foals, the simple chord progression places you in a trance and the track contains some beautiful tones and harmonies. I would highly recommend checking it out!
How can I feature on your blog?
You can submit your music/creative projects to my email address, details can be found on my 'About' page! I am always happy to hear and read about your projects, you don't have to be a musician to feature on my blog!
What music are you loving at the moment?
I have been listening to a lot of Japanese R&B and alternative rock as I am trying to improve my Japanese listening/writing skills. I would highly recommend checking out SIRUP, Indigo la End, Reol, Da-iCE, Yuka Ueno, Wednesday Campanella and Shirose( White Jam).
They're all making interesting and versatile music and over the past year I've really fallen in love with the Japanese music scene. I love how each artist has a close relationship with their fans, there is a sense that fans really believe in their artist and are helping them to achieve their dreams and become successful. I hope that people listen to more Asian artists and are not discouraged to listen to music if they don't understand the lyrics. Music goes beyond the language barrier and it's always good to broaden your musical taste and develop your own style.
What is your favourite music video?
This is really hard because I love watching music videos...I think Kimbra's video for 'Top of the World' remains one of my favourite videos of all time. I remember watching it for the first time and feeling this overwhelming sense of power from the visuals. The music really hit me and Kimbra beautifully captured the persona's obsession with power and greed. Watching Kimbra collapse huge pillars of stone with her words and movements is truly astounding.
30/06/21
Today marks one year since I decided to start this blog. During the first lockdown I felt incredibly lethargic and wanted to start writing about my favourite bands/artists and hopefully share my love with other fans. I never thought that I would have the opportunity to interview and review so many artists from across the globe, it has been so interesting talking to artists about their experiences of being in the music industry. The aim of this blog was to help support artists during lockdown and to promote their creative projects. I've always thought of this blog as a temporary project, but now that restrictions are starting to ease I do feel that I want to carry on writing and sharing music. At times it has been super stressful balancing work with the blog, but overall I have learnt a lot about the business side of music and the importance of working hard to achieve success. Blogging does take up a lot of time, and I think some people underestimate the amount of planning and correspondence that goes on behind the scenes. Since starting the blog, I have worked with a number of PR and management companies, and I truly admire their hard work and the amount of time they put aside to support their artists/bands. I hope that someday I can meet every artist I have had the pleasure of meeting through 'Conversations With Keiko'.
Thank you to everyone who has supported my blog and for continuing to read my interviews and reviews. It truly means a lot that you are all sharing your stories with me, and liking my posts.
Here's to another year of music and blogging!
Take care,
Keiko
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