Interview with Little by Little

Little by Little is a band best known in the west for contributing theme songs to the "Naruto" anime series. Made up of the diminutive hideco and the writer behind some of J-pop's most popular hits, tetsuhiko, the band while small has big ambitions. We caught up with them over coffee in Tokyo to talk about where they came from and where they are going.


This is our first interview with Little by Little, could you please introduce yourselves to people who don't know you?

hideco: Little by Little is hideco and tetsuhiko's... how should I say it... a two-person band.

If you were going to explain Little by Little's music, what kind of music would you say you play?

tetsuhiko: It is independent rock.
hideco: Indie rock. (laughs)

Would you say it is heavy, or a pop, kind of cute style?

hideco: I wonder what... pop, melody...
tetsuhiko: Melodious and electronica loud rock.

Loud rock, I see. Which songs for example are loud rock?

(they debate a little)
hideco: Ninjakids, it's a cute title... (laughs)

When did you both first meet?

hideco: How many years ago...?
tetsuhiko: 9... 1999? (hideco nods) 1999.

When did you first think that you wanted to be a musician?

tetsuhiko: 16...
hideco: 16 or 15, when I was in middle school?

Why did you decide on that career?

tetsuhiko: I didn't think of it at first as a job per se, I got my ideas from many people and also had the chance to try and consider various things.
hideco: What kind of things?
tetsuhiko: Like what kind of music I wanted to do.
hideco: So you kind of naturally wanted to be on stage?
tetsuhiko: Yes, I wanted to do that.

What kind of influences do you have or who are the favourite artists that you like?

tetsuhiko: The producers, Trevor Horn of the Buggles and Phil Spector. I really like them.
hideco: They're kind of old.
tetsuhiko: But they're producers.
hideco: For me, who I wonder... I like, well right now, young J-pop artists but together we really like English artists like Oasis.

Little by Little's name comes from an Oasis song right? Why did you chose that song?

tetsuhiko: When we debuted with Sony music we had a different name but the office said that name was not good. We couldn't think of a good new name and we only had one hour. We still had nothing by the end of the hour when a nearby Artists and Repertoire asked us what we thought of Little by Little. We went with that one so we didn't find it ourselves. (laughs)

What other names did you have in mind?

hideco: There were many but none were really that good.
tetsuhiko: Also, as hideco is little and short, we thought it was a good name, Little by Little.

What influence has Oasis, as a band, had on you?

tetsuhiko: I love them, I really like them, and it has been that way since the beginning. I really respect them.
hideco: I like Liam's voice. As a girl, I want to become like a female Oasis.
tetsuhiko: A female Liam?

Liam's voice and character?

tetsuhiko: Your characters are a little alike.
hideco: No, they're not. (laughs)
tetsuhiko: But for a Japanese person your voice is quite loud.
hideco: My voice is, yeah...
tetsuhiko: Like when hideco sings, dogs bark and insects fall off trees.
hideco: It really has that kind of feeling? (laughs)
tetsuhiko: Yes, like that.

If you could cover an Oasis song, which would you like to do?

tetsuhiko: I think Whatever is unbelievable. That's a cool song.
(hideco starts humming Whatever)

You did an anime collaboration with "Naruto," right? Thanks to it, Little by Little is already gaining popularity overseas. There are many comments on Youtube. Why did you decide to do that collaboration?

hideco: I made a usual demo tape and on that tape was that song. I sent it to a record company and they said, "Ah, this is a good song."
tetsuhiko: And so from that, they decided to to release our CD.

Was the song you did for the following collaboration with "Naruto" specially written for the anime?

tetsuhiko: Yes.

So, are the styles of "Naruto" and normal Little by Little music different?

tetsuhiko: If we aim for something, we always manage to reach it but the "Naruto" style and the Little by Little style are the same so it was really rather easy to do.

Are you planning on another anime collaboration?

tetsuhiko: If there is talk of it, we will consider whether we can do it. Recently, we participated in a movie. From anime to movies this time... we just thought "let's do it."

Ah, is that, "Rise Up"?

hideco: Yes, "Rise Up"

So for this movie you participated in, what kind of story is it and what kind of song did you contribute to it?

hideco: It's called Never too Late, a feeling of "don't give up."
tetsuhiko: No matter how old you are, or how long it takes, you should keep going without giving up. We wanted to convey that kind of feeling with this song.

And what kind of story does the movie tell?

tetsuhiko: It is a movie about the trials of being young. It is about a young boy and girl and their relationship as they fight then reunite again such that they can sit and watch the same scenery together... it is that kind of film. hideco also appeared in the film.
hideco: One minute (in English)... one minute? Twenty-five seconds...
tetsuhiko: Two seconds. (laughs)

What kind of role did you play?

hideco: A pet shop staff. I had a hamster.
tetsuhiko: What's a hamster... a mouse?
hideco: Yes, a kind of mouse. But they're not the same, they're very different. (laughs)

Did you have any lines, hideco?

hideco: Just one line...what was it 'makige no marmotte desu yo.' Marmotte? 'A curly marmotte...' (hideco translates her line into English)
tetsuhiko: The movie is quite interesting. It was her first time as an actress.
hideco: Is it okay to call me an actress? It was only two seconds!
tetsuhiko: Radish actress.*
hideco: Why radish? Ah that's terrible!
(tetsuhiko laughs)

Anyway, are you planning to release your song on CD or as an mp3?

tetsuhiko: It will be download only.

On iTunes?

tetsuhiko: Ah, no.
(The manager interrupts at this point.)
Manager: On chaku-uta. (mobile phone downloads)
tetsuhiko: Yes, on chaku-uta. In Japan only.
hideco: After that, it will be sold at lives.
Manager: At the livehouse, a limited-edition CD will be sold.

What about the movie soundtrack, will the song make an appearance there?
tetsuhiko: The soundtrack? Ah yes yes. We have made but it's not available by download yet.
hideco: tetsuhiko wrote all of it.

That's amazing! What is the creative process you go through when making your songs, like melody and lyrics?

hideco: I don't do anything. (laughs) Well, firstly, we find a CD we really like and think "ah this kind of song is really good."
tetsuhiko: At first we make many songs, then we have a discussion together. We choose one that has a good feel for Little by Little but sometimes as a songwriter it is hard, like...
hideco: Like "why am I giving up on this song?"
tetsuhiko: Yes.

So as for the lyrics, also tetsuhiko?

hideco: All tetsuhiko. He is the composer.
tetsuhiko: Lyrics, music, sound production, playing the piano, playing the guitar, playing the bass and playing the computer.

The computer?

tetsuhiko: Ah yes, I use Steinberg Cubase to produce.

Wow. So tetsuhiko, you have written songs for many different artists, right? What kinds of artists have you written for?

tetsuhiko: Artists who are all quite unlike Little by Little.

So for example, what kind of music?

tetsuhiko: J-pop. For example, w-inds, MAX, OLIVIA... who else... Sowelu
hideco: You can't remember?
tetsuhiko: As an old man it's hard to remember. Ah, Johnny's too... Tackey

Oh, Johnny's!

tetsuhiko: You know of Johnny's?

Ah yes, they're famous overseas.

hideco: It wasn't for Tackey though, was it? Tsubasa?
tetsuhiko: Yes, Tsubasa.
hideco: It was Into the Blue

Those artists all make different kinds of music, right? Of all the kinds of music that you make, which is your favourite?

tetsuhiko: Uhm...

Little by Little?

hideco: (laughs)
tetsuhiko: Uhm, I find that Little by Little's style when performing live is the best because I feel I have freedom. I can make the kind of music I like. But when making hit songs, I get ideas that I can gather to use with Little by Little.

Ah, so you like the feeling of freedom?

tetsuhiko: When making songs, I write about girls', men's, boys' and older people's feelings, as well as our feelings too, so there are many different kinds of interesting things I can write for.

Is there a style you would like to try with Little by Little?

tetsuhiko: Well, rather than trying a different style of music, there are many interesting audiences in Europe and so I'd like to hold concerts. This has been my dream recently — to take a plane.
hideco: On the planes that you hate.
tetsuhiko: Yes, even if I have to take planes that I hate, I want to go.
hideco: There are many places abroad which we want to go to

Which country would you most like to do a concert in?

tetsuhiko: London... Manchester.

How about hideco?

hideco: I'd love to go to England.

So where would you like to play in Japan?

hideco: Tokyo Dome? (laughs) Ah, but livehouses are fine. Small livehouses are good.
tetsuhiko: Yes, playing in livehouses are fun.

They have a good atmosphere, right?

hideco: Yes, they do, because they are small.
tetsuhiko: But I'd like to play outside of Tokyo too.
hideco: Ah yes, that is a nice idea.
tetsuhiko: Like Osaka, Sapporo, Hiroshima, Fukuoka. I want to hold concerts in those kinds of places.

Like a nationwide tour?

tetsuhiko: Yes, outside Tokyo.

Not related to music, what do you like to do in your free time?

hideco: Hmm, what... bathhouses. Spas.
tetsuhiko: Like onsen?
hideco: No, not really, just bathhouses.
tetsuhiko: (turns to JaME) Have you ever been to a bathhouse?

Not really. I've only been to onsen in Ryokan

tetsuhiko: Do you have them in England?

No, we really don't. We have many pools but no onsen.

hideco: I go to sento... kind of smelly onsen. The waters are kind of smelly. There are many in old Japanese towns and I have one near my house.

And tetsuhiko?

tetsuhiko: I go fishing. Lure fishing.

Fishing? Why do you like fishing?

tetsuhiko: Ah, it's difficult to explain. Uhm, your favourite fish is kind of like music, you can also fish however you wish, so it is different for everyone. For me, I prefer the top water where I can see many interesting designs of the lure that I use.
hideco: It's strange, those lure, Budweiser has the shape of lure.
tetsuhiko: Beer, yes some lure have the shape of a Budweiser bottle... then there are other ruar shaped like a woman in a bikini.

That sounds... interesting... Finally, what is Little by Little's dream?

tetsuhiko: For us, we listened to our favourite artists and began to play music. So in the future, if children listen to our music and then make their own, I will feel really happy.
hideco: Global. To be a global band.

Can you send a mesage to our readers?
hideco: I hope I can meet you all, I'd love to do lives abroad.
tetsuhiko: Please check us out on our Myspace sometime.

Thank you very much.

*A 'Radish Actress' or a 'Daikon Joyuu' is a Japanese term that means an actress with poor acting abilities who as a result is not very popular.


JaME wishes to thank Stardust Promotion for this interview

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