Hangry & Angry played one of their first international performances at Sakura Con on the weekend of April 10-12. During the convention, JrockRevolution.com had the opportunity to talk with the two about their world, their music, fashion and their fans.


JRR: For those people on JrockRevolution.com who don’t know you, can you please introduce yourselves?
Hangry: I’m Hangry and it looks like I’m really punkish and boyish but I’m very sensitive, very naïve, and there’s a conflict between my looks and inside.
Angry: I’m Angry. I’m very cute and very girlish, but I am very devilish inside, too.

JRR: Since coming to Earth, have you been able to do anything to help save us from global warming?
H&A: We’re here to save the Earth by our music.

JRR: Do you like it here on Earth and is there anywhere in particular that you’d like to visit?
Hangry: Well, this is our first time to be in the United States but we definitely want to go to every single city in the world.

JRR: Did you enjoy the Myspace Japan 2nd anniversary celebration? How did you end up playing there?
Hangry: That concert was really the first gig as Hangry&Angry and we were really keen on how it would go. But it went so well and I was so excited. I was almost overwhelmed by the audience. It was really, really nice.

JRR: Playing internationally is a big step and how does it feel?
H&A: It was very stimulating and we’ve always [aspired] to perform internationally so it’s a very exciting thing. Everything we see is so exciting, and then we have a lot of responsibility to be one of the band members to go overseas to perform. That’s wonderful.

JRR: Was there anything you were nervous about coming overseas?
Hangry: I was very nervous about how we can communicate with the people—the language barrier—yeah, I was nervous about it. [laughs]

JRR: Did it seem to work out well, despite the language barrier?
Angry: We found that it’s not the language, that when we wanted to talk or tell them something… yes, we can do the conversation. That’s what we found out. That’s a beautiful thing.
JRR: That’s fantastic!

JRR: About your first release, Kill Me Kiss Me, is there a particular theme that you had in mind for the single?
Hangry: Kill Me Kiss Me, of course, is the first single from Hangry&Angry and definitely has a meaning to it – [as] a band message and a band mission to the fans. This is a very strong song to give [a] message from Hangry&Angry. [This song was] an opportunity to perform and then actually do it (as a live band), to express Hangry&Angry to the world.

JRR: What is your favorite track and what is the meaning behind that track?
Hangry: Before we [did] the performance, I loved GIZA GIZA, but after we [did] the performance I loved Romantic ni violence because of the cooperation with the fans.
Angry: My favorite song is Angelia, because that’s the name of the girl, and then when I sing I put the passion into it. And how we sing it is that both of us have a different chorus to it and then the balance of those vocals is really great.

H&A-SC01JRR: Kind of on the same track, what is your favorite song to perform live?
Hangry: Kill Me Kiss Me.
Angry: Me, too.
H&A: Definitely Kill Me Kiss Me because the people know that song already and when we did the performance yesterday, as soon as the intro comes out, and then everyone says ‘yes!‘. They were really waiting for it. And also, when we say the chorus, like ‘kill me‘ and the people say ‘kill me‘, it’s kind of back and forth that we communicate with the fans. That’s really wonderful.

JRR: Yeah, it engages them. It was a lot of fun! How did it feel to have them want that encore?
H&A: Even before that, we were so appreciative that the people wanted to hear more for the encore. So that’s the number one thing, that people give us an encore. So then we came out for the second time to sing that song…of course, the second time it’s overwhelming that the people wanted to sing with us. That is really, really wonderful.

JRR: I don’t know if you’ve been able to interact with them, but what do you think of your co-guests, girugamesh?
Hangry: Of course girugamesh and Hangry&Angry have a very different music style but still, like in the audience here, they were open to enjoy both of us. That is really wonderful, music is a universal thing and it’s not only about genre, or boy or girl. It’s a very important thing that people appreciate our music and style, the same [goes for] girugamesh.

JRR: Definitely! So, how did you end up working with h.NAOTO?
H&A: Of course, Hangry&Angry exists as the characters and h.NAOTO said "Hey, we’d like to do some kind of really interesting project, so let’s do it together!" So that’s how h.NAOTO approached us and that’s how it happened.

JRR: Do you wear any of the Hangry&Angry clothes on a normal basis, in everyday life?
H&A: In normal life, we really like to be casual and h.NAOTO’s fashion is very special for us, for everybody. To become Hangry&Angry, it’s a very special character for us, so normally we wear more casual clothes.

JRR: Do you have fun dressing up as Hangry&Angry?
H&A: It’s more like evolving, from normal life to become Hangry&Angry. Of course the fashion, the make-up, and the hair style…we are adding something, a little bit more to become our character. It’s really a learning process, how to evolve to become the different character, to send the message. That’s what’s really fun.

JRR: Is it difficult to make that change?
H&A: It’s so much fun! It’s a little difficult, but it’s so much fun to evolve into the different thing.

JRR: Are you in any way similar to your Hangry&Angry characters?
Angry: [giggles] I love to eat.

JRR: What do you like to eat, what’s your favorite food?
Angry: [Contemplates answer]
[laughter]
Angry: …Meat.
[laughter]
Angry: Steak.

JRR: Ah, yes. [To Hangry] How about you?
Angry: [Helpfully] Tamago.
Hangry: Tamago!
Angry: Egg! Egg. [in English]
JRR: Egg is good!
Angry: Boiled egg! [in English]
[laughter]

JRR: So previously you’ve done more pop music, how does it feel to play something more rock?
Hangry: I never thought on genres of music before, so I never really realized that I did pop before. I never realized I’m doing ‘rock’ right now. So, the music is music and if it’s good music, it doesn’t matter what the genre is.

JRR: Is there anywhere in the United States that you would like to visit?
Hangry: Los Angeles.
Angry: New York.

JRR: Do you like big cities?
H&A: Los Angeles and New York are like the signature cities in the United States. You can tell us what a good city to go to is. We only really know the signature cites.
Angry: Laguna Beach, in Orange County. South of Los Angeles. I watched the Laguna Beach TV drama. I watched that TV drama and it looked so beautiful! I wanted to go there.

JRR: Yeah! There’s also Florida. It’s really nice and warm there. And Disney World is down in Florida.
H&A: We definitely want to see Disney World!

JRR: There’s also Disneyland in California and they have their specific California park there.
Angry: Two Disneylands?
JRR: Disneyland and Disney World.
Angry: Ah!

JRR: Can either of you play any instruments? Are there any you would like to learn to play?
H&A: We both play guitar, just a little bit.
Angry: And the recorder.

JRR: Ah, yes! I remember in elementary school that was the first instrument we learned to play— the recorder.
H&A: It’s the same in Japan!
JRR: Oh, really? That’s interesting!
H&A-SC02
JRR: Would you ever like to be in a full band?
H&A: We definitely want to play with the band, as a band. Hangry plays guitar and Angry definitely wants to play bass.
Angry: I wish. I haven’t studied it yet but I wish…Hangry on guitar and Angry on bass in the band looks really good.

JRR: Do you like any other artists? Do you have a favorite?
Angry: International or Japanese?
JRR: Either one!
Hangry: Morning Musume.

JRR: Is there anyone you look up to, musically or otherwise?
Hangry: Michael Jackson and Britney Spears. Musically. Not the gossip-way.
[laughter]
Hangry: The whole package! As an entertainer, I think those two are the best. Even the gossip, performance, recording, in a musical way. Yeah, that’s a whole package!

JRR: Can you please describe each other—as people?
Hangry: Angry is definitely the character, but it’s very related to her real personality. When she’s very hungry, she gets angry. And when she doesn’t get much sleep, she gets angry. But in real life, she is a very sweet girl.
Angry: [giggles]
JRR: That’s understandable!
[laughter]
Angry: I’m a little childish and I’m a little older than Hangry, but she’s very calm and she sees things very widely. And she’s very girlish inside, very sweet. Very sweet [in English]. [giggles]

JRR: If you could perform anywhere, where would you go?
Hangry: Anywhere I can see the ocean.
Angry: I’d like to see the aurora! In Finland.
JRR: Ah! The Northern lights, in Finland?
Angry: Have you ever seen it?
JRR: [Sadly] No…but I think in Alaska, you might be able to see them, too.
Angry: [Thoughtfully] Alaska?

JRR: What are your plans for the future, individually or as Hangry&Angry?
H&A: As Hangry&Angry, our mission is to save the world by music. We haven’t reached that yet so we’ll continue to, as Hangry&Angry, reach the people. And definitely, we want to release an album in the fall.
Hangry: I want to continue doing music, both with Hangry&Angry and without.

JRR: When you were little, what were your dreams for the future?
Angry: A cake shop.
Hangry: I wished to be Cinderella in Disneyland. That’s what I wanted to be when I was little.

H&A-SC03
JRR: What was your first impression of each other?
Hangry: She has a very high-toned voiced.
[laughter]
Angry: She was very tall—she’s still tall. It was kind of a little scary. Also, she’s very cool.
JRR: Was it intimidating?
Angry: Maybe just a little intimidating!
[laughter]

JRR: What do you like to do in your spare time?
H&A: Just listen to music, that’s the most fun. Just listening to all kinds of music.
JRR: Definitely.
Angry: Eat. [giggles]
JRR: Ah, yes! Eating is good.

JRR: What’s something you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t gotten the chance to yet?
H&A: Driving.
Angry: Getting a driver’s license.
Hangry: Surfing.
JRR: Oh! That’s sounds scary…
Angry: Me, too! [giggles]
JRR: [laughs] Well, thank you very much! We’re very glad to have you here.
H&A: Thank you very much!

Interview by: Kia
Edited by: Ali W.

Photos courtesy of: JapanFiles.com/DerekShawPhoto.com
Special Thanks: Hangry & Angry, Lynks International, JapanFiles and Sakura-Con