I first came to see Appi by accident. I was at a show in a steaming hot Shinjuku to see, mainly, Ether Feels and also Looprider. Appi, I think was the third act to play, the previous 2 bands being perfectly listenable acts but after the second band there was to be much activity on the stage as the drum kit was being moved from the back to the front and side on to the audience. Given the tightness of schedules at Japanese gigs, they all seem to end crazily early, this was a major upheaval as it would more than likely need to be returned to the more usual drummer at rear as soon as the act had finished. That act being Appi. The band consisted of a drummer and guitarist/singer/laptop operator who I later found out was Hisana Nogami, better known as Appi, who also plays in the band NIM. It was a belting set, completely different to the previous acts. I had been looking for acts to work with and suddenly I had found one. Blown away by the performance, and suitably impressed I made contact with her and the drummer at the end of the evening… hoping there was some language ability between us, I needn’t have worried as it seems Hisana’s English is pretty good. Which is just as well. Now, 6 months or so on, I have her latest 10” EP ‘Unsweetened’ on vinyl here on my label for sales in the UK and EU as well as her previous excellent CD of her full length album ‘In Yourtopia’. Now it's time to find out a bit more about her so we chatted, me in London and Hisana in her home in Kyoto. Q. Hi Hisana, where are you today? A.In Kyoto. Where I live. Q.Who is your favourite band who may have influenced you? A. A band called Now, Now From Minnesota in the USA. Q. What musicians do you most admire? A. The original guys in the band NIM. I first met them at a studio I used to go to when I was learning guitar while at high school. They used to rehearse and record there and I just got to know them. A few months later they had a live event there and I saw them play, I was quite shocked to see a band really expressing their emotions while playing, unlike a lot of the major label bands I usually listen to. It was a life changing experience for me and I would go there after school everyday to hang out, play music and just chat really. They also taught me how to play their songs. 4 years later they opened their own music venue in Kyoto called Gattaca and I worked there for a bit but the running of both the band and the venue took its toll and two of their guitarists quit the band to concentrate on Gattaca. One of those who left, Shogo, taught me to pay a lot of their songs and, as they had a tour to complete, I joined the band… 9 years on I am still here and when Shogo re joined some years later, I actually had to teach him how to play the newer songs as I had become the main songwriter. It’s a bit crazy, I never know what is going to happen in my life! Nong, the drummer, is my favorite musician… he also plays at my solo live shows and was the drummer who played at the Shinjuku show you came to. Q. How difficult is it to combine your solo work with that of the band NIM and which do you prefer doing? A. It’s not difficult for me, I enjoy writing songs for both and if the song turns out girlish, poppy or ambient they become Appi songs. I probably like the NIM ones best as once the other members of the band get involved it becomes something far beyond my imagination. Q. Favorite album? A. ‘Threads’ by Now Now. Q. And when not playing or writing music? A. Spend time with my cats… I have 3. Q. And,finally, your name, Appi, please explain? A.It has been my nickname since I was a baby. Thank you Hisana, it has been an absolute pleasure. Appi’s latest EP, ‘Unsweetened,’ is out now as a 10” vinyl on Koenji Music as is her CD ‘In Yourtopia.’ www.koenjimusic.bandcamp.com NIM latest release is available on www.JetsetRecords.net in Japan and www.shiftingsounds.com in the USA as well as usual streaming services. But hey, support these artists and buy the physical copy! © www.koenjimusic.co.uk