Interview with TAMAYA2060% from Wienners

Formed in Kichijoji, Tokyo in 2008, Wienners is a "galaxy punk" band that has attracted attention both in Japan and overseas for its eclectic, energetic sound. The band's music seamlessly blends together a wide variety of genres, creating songs with unpredictable structures, catchy melodies and a charming mix of male and female vocals. Anime fans around the world may have heard them recently without even knowing it, as their song FACTION was used as an opening theme for "DIGIMON GHOST GAME" and SHINOBI TOP SECRET was an ending theme for "Ninjala".

On July 20th, Wienners released their latest album TREASURE. Shortly after, JaME was able to interview the band's guitarist and vocalist TAMAYA2060% about the release as well as Wienners' music and career in general, his approach to writing songs for idols and anime, and more.

Where does your band name come from? Is there any particular meaning behind it?

TAMAYA2060%: We were going to use "Winners", but it was hard to find our band when searching, so we decided to add an "e" and coined the term to mean "sneaky winners". Since the formation of the band, we have been aiming for a "fake that is cooler than the real thing".

How did you meet the other members of Wienners, and how did the band form?

TAMAYA2060%: Originally, I wanted to listen to music like Wienners and was digging around in record stores, but I couldn't find any, so I started making my own music that I wanted to listen to. Two members changed in the middle of the band's career, but I asked the new members KOZO (drums) and ASAMISAE (vocals, keyboard and sampler) to join with a big lie that "it's easy to play".

What inspired you to become a musician? Are there any artists in particular you look up to?

TAMAYA2060%: I started playing the gut guitar we had at home when I was in junior high school. At first, I copied other people's songs by ear, but copying gradually became tiring, and I began to compose my own songs because I thought it was faster than copying by ear. The artists I admire change from day to day, but today it is a Japanese band called Boredoms and Chick Corea.

Your music is often described as “galaxy punk”. Could you please explain a bit about what this means?

TAMAYA2060%: There is no particular origin of the name, but people naturally started calling our music “galaxy punk”. I interpret it as meaning "big scale" or "unknown music”.


If you had to choose just one Wienners song to recommend to a new listener, which one would you pick and why?

TAMAYA2060%: I would say our latest song SOLAR KIDS. The reason is that the latest is always the best.

How does your new album TREASURE differ from your previous works? Did you try anything new with this release?

TAMAYA2060%: The foundation of the album is rock and punk, but I have also included my own interpretation of the elements of other genres of music that are hot in my mind at the moment, especially club music, hip-hop and world music. In the past, I had to think a lot about the balance between addition and subtraction while making albums, but this time, I only added as much as I could. Because of the large number of notes and the amount of information, I also gave a lot of thought to how catchy the music would be to the listener's ears.

SHINOBI TOP SECRET is the ending theme song for the anime “Ninjala”. How did you feel about writing a song for this series? Were there any particular themes or sounds you were inspired by when working on it?

TAMAYA2060%: The theme of this album was "exaggerated image of Japan”. In terms of sound, our goal was to incorporate the image of "Wa(和)", which means Japanese culture, in a humorous and playful way, and we created the song with a lot of joking around and laughter among the members.


The music video for SHINOBI TOP SECRET featured you and the other members of Wienners turning into “punk ninjas”. What was that experience like, and did anything fun happen on the set of the MV?

TAMAYA2060%: The director never told us what scenes we were shooting, so I kept thinking, "What are we shooting right now?" However, we have great trust in the director, so we just went along with what he told us to do and acted funny as much as we could on the set. When I saw the finished music video, I finally understood what kind of work we were shooting and did a fist pump.

GOD SAVE THE MUSIC seems like a kind of comeback anthem for live music after the COVID-19 pandemic. Did you face any setbacks while creating the album or preparing for your latest tour because of the pandemic?

TAMAYA2060%: Even in this situation, the production of the album was fun, and we had no problems at all. As for touring, in Japan, there are still some restrictions on the capacity of venues, and there is a ban for audiences on moshing, diving, shouting and even singing. So I think it will be seriously tough for the audiences to endure the songs on this album live when they can do nothing but watch.


You have written a lot of music for idol groups over the years. Does your approach to writing music change at all when writing for idols versus writing songs for your own band?

TAMAYA2060%: When I provide music, my first priority is to create a song that singers feel good and get into. If the singer does not feel the song, it will not reach any audience. When I am in the band, I enjoy figuring out how to express the ideas of the four of us in a playful and exaggerated way. I believe that a rock band needs humour, ideas, and charm.

Do you have any interest in performing overseas? If so, assuming you could perform anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?

TAMAYA2060%: I am very interested. I would like to perform anywhere if I have a chance, but if I could I would like to have a wacky party in the Himalayas or deep in the jungle.

What’s next for Wienners? Do you have any other plans or goals for the near future?

TAMAYA2060%: Our primary goal is for this musicality to become the new standard around the world.

Could you please leave a message for our readers?

TAMAYA2060%: I hope that you too will live each and every day happily, aiming for the top of the "you" genre and taking the top spot in the "you" category.

JaME would like to thank TAMAYA2060%, Wienners and Nippon Columbia for this interview opportunity.

A digest preview of Wienners' sixth full-length album TREASURE can be listened to below. Links to download and stream the release on various online music platforms are available here.