IgikoPop Interview – Josie Talks ‘1st MIX’, Kawaii Culture and Finding Her Dream Team in Tokyo

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IgikoPop Interview – Josie Talks ‘1st MIX’, Kawaii Culture and Finding Her Dream Team in Tokyo

Tokyo pop-rock four-piece IgikoPop bring together operatic vocals, punk energy and a love of Japanese gaming culture. Frontwoman Josie (Josephine Jones) began the project in 2018 before developing it with guitarist Connor Bruce and moving to Tokyo in 2024. Now joined by bassist Kevin and drummer Shin, the band continue to shape their sound through recording and live performance.

In this interview, Josie discusses the stories behind ‘1st MIX’, the relationship between kawaii culture and rebellion, and how classical training informs her singing. She also shares how her bandmates have helped familiar songs take on a new life onstage.

Finding IgikoPop’s Sound

How did Josie, Connor, Kevin and Shin come together in Tokyo, and what do you remember about the first rehearsal where you started to sound like IgikoPop?

So IgikoPop was originally a solo project for me back in 2018, and when my guitarist and song arranger, Connor and I moved to Portland, Oregon, we began to fully form the band to my original vision. In 2024, we both decided to move to Tokyo to better pursue our music careers, as we were only really able to get gigs through the anime and gaming convention scene in America.

I first met Shin when recruiting new members on a Tokyo musicians page, and when I saw him play and sing at the same time, I was BLOWN away! Kevin was recruited by Shin when the band was looking for a bass player who better matched our sound.

At our first rehearsal together, I was amazed at not only how fast Kevin learned the songs, but also how he played at a professional level that matched the exact sound of IgikoPop. The moment we all played ‘Boundaries’ was when it all clicked. Everyone was in the music, moving in sync, and when we all jumped at the last chorus, I knew I had my dream team!

You describe your sound as “loud, catchy, a little bit kawaii”. Where does the kawaii side show up on ‘1st MIX’, and how does it play against the heavier guitars?

IgikoPop as a concept is based around the Heisei era of Japanese culture, the ’90s and 2000s era of anime, games and aesthetics. During those days, ‘kawaii’ was an expression against the conformity and collectivism of Japanese society and work. Surprisingly, the kawaii movement has roots similar to the counterculture of punk rock back in the ’70s and ’80s.

I was born in 1996. That was the era I grew up in, and I always aspired to have the exact sound of the games and artists I loved, such as the idol group BeForU and games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and Silent Hill.

For me, although the sound of IgikoPop has heavy tones and darker lyrics, the juxtaposition of the kawaii aesthetic on the artwork and the Harajuku clothes I wear perfectly encapsulates not only the rebellion of punk but also the rebellion of kawaii culture, adding that kawaii flair to our sound.

The Stories Behind ‘1st MIX’

Of the ten tracks on ‘1st MIX’, you point first-time listeners towards the opener, ‘GamePlan’. What does that song tell us about IgikoPop in its first minute?

‘GamePlan’ is the perfect glimpse into the exact world and sound IgikoPop encapsulates. The song itself is an in-your-face introduction to the exact sound of the 2000s, with chiptune overlay, heavy punk guitar riffs and fast drums.

The lyrics themselves have snark and sass. It’s actually based on when I was going to an arcade bar with Connor in Portland before a show and getting super excited to party with fellow nerds and gamers. Not only was it hype for me, but also for my fans, who were hyped to dance the night away to their favourite tunes.

IgikoPop write primarily in English, but ‘Boundaries’ appears in both English and Japanese. Can you share a line or melody that you had to rethink for the Japanese version, and tell us what that change brought to the song?

‘Boundaries’ is a song I’m very proud of because I initially wrote it when I was being harassed by my former boss at a previous job. The feelings in the lyrics were raw, especially with the expletives in the second chorus, “on this fine line f***ed around with no clue why”.

In Japan, there is a serious problem in a lot of companies with what’s called ‘pawahara’, or power harassment. In Japanese, the meaning of song lyrics is not as direct or explicit as in English, so that line is much more subtle and almost poetic. The translation of that line reads, “you’re just fooling around and playing games for no reason”.

I think the lyrics in Japanese resonate a lot better for me, so we play this song mainly in Japanese. The Japanese audience themselves get blown away not only by the lyrics and emotion, but also by the “kawaii” of a foreign girl singing something so close to their own lives.

‘Kenai’ is named after Josie’s hometown in Alaska. What memory or image of home found its way into the song as you made it with the band in Tokyo?

‘Kenai’ was originally written back in 2022 after I came back to my hometown after almost seven years. I always had issues coming back to my hometown due to my own past struggles with the community there, and the lyrics and song itself are probably the most vulnerable I was on ‘1st MIX’.

I keep it close to me, as a lot of people here in Japan who grew up in smaller communities and moved to the bigger cities feel the same melancholy and hesitance about returning, even for a short stay. I try to keep those feelings in the song wherever I go.

Opera, Punk and Voice Acting

Josie, you bring classical vocal training and an opera-pop voice to a four-piece rock band. Where on the album can we hear you leaning into that training, and where did you have to find a different way to sing?

My opera training plays a key part in all the music I have created. I think the two songs that best show off these skills are ‘Boundaries’ and ‘F*** Ken Penders’.

In the chorus of ‘Boundaries’, there are several range jumps that a lot of standard vocalists might find tricky to bounce up and down through. I try to create my music with not only these jumps but also speed. That’s where ‘F*** Ken Penders’ comes in.

In punk music, there’s a lot of speed that needs to be present, and vocals need to catch up. In opera, there is a technique called ‘bel canto’, which is the extreme control of air. That song is super tricky to sing when the lyrics are going at sonic speed (pun intended). That breath control training and pedagogical training make it much easier to speed through without running out of breath or making the lyrics sloppy.

You also work as a voice actress on upcoming major video game titles. Has a technique you use in the voice booth ever helped you deliver a lyric in a way you hadn’t considered before?

Absolutely! Music in some ways is similar to acting. When voice acting, you are trying to convey a character’s thoughts, actions and emotions using only your voice.

That is the same feeling I have when going into the booth to record new music or performing onstage. Since I can actually use my body onstage, it allows me to really convey the story of my songs through my voice but also through stage presence.

How the Live Band Changes the Songs

What’s one moment on ‘1st MIX’ that changed because of something Connor, Kevin or Shin tried in rehearsal or during recording? How did the rest of you build on it?

The last song, ‘WARCRIMES’, on the album is our closer and is pretty cut and dry on the release. However, Shin and Kevin have been extremely helpful when it comes to adjusting the music to better fit the Japanese crowds.

In Japan, novelty is in a lot of performances. Shin had an amazing idea to do a full three-part harmony with Connor and me during the finale to add depth, and I must say I am extremely proud of the result!

Next year, we plan to re-release this song as well as two others with these types of changes. It really makes the songs go from great to out of this world.

With your 29th November Tokyo date and January shows at Shinjuku ANTIKNOCK and Shinjuku HEIST coming up, which song has changed most since you started playing it live? What did the audience or the room bring out in it?

Actually, the song that changed the most isn’t even on ‘1st MIX’, haha! In 2024, I created a song called ‘White Claudia’, based on the first Silent Hill game on the PS1. It was about the story of Lisa Garland, a nurse who ends up becoming a monster as the town falls apart.

Initially, the song was pretty long and drawn out. However, Shin suggested so many changes that took an already amazing song to a piece of art. We cut some choruses, changed the beat drops and added a wailing operatic cry during the instrumental break.

We play this song at every gig, and at every gig I see a lot of tears that I never saw with the original version of the song. We are most certainly going to re-record this early next year, as it truly is my finest piece. Maybe I’ll add it to the ‘2nd MIX’, haha!

Now that ‘1st MIX’ is out, what has the album helped you discover about the band you want to be, and what are you excited to try on the next release?

‘1st MIX’ really was my first album release, and it was a true passion project. I am so grateful to have my current bandmates in Japan, and honestly, the suggestions I get from Shin and Kevin make the songs so much more impactful.

I am definitely going to be incorporating more life experiences in Japan into the next releases and looking forward to more IgikoPop awesomeness to come!

Discover IgikoPop

Thank you to Josie for sharing the stories behind ‘1st MIX’ and the work going into IgikoPop’s next chapter. Her account of finding the right bandmates gives a revealing glimpse into how much a song can grow through rehearsal, collaboration and the response of a live audience. You can read about ‘1st MIX’ here!

‘1st MIX’ is available to stream now. IgikoPop’s upcoming dates include 29th November 2026 in Tokyo, with details to be announced, followed by Shinjuku ANTIKNOCK’s “LOVE DELUXE vol.19” on 4th January 2027 and Shinjuku HEIST’s “Kabukicho HEIST” on 28th January 2027.

Explore the album, live footage and social channels through IgikoPop’s Linktree.

https://www.instagram.com/igikopop_official
https://www.instagram.com/igikopop_josie/