OTENKI
Interviewed on: February 26th, 2007
AOL Instant Messager

   Kelly: Alright, so I guess I will start off with the most generic question that I'm sure you're expecting me to ask anyway... What exactly does Otenki mean?
Enoma: Otenki means weather. or rather its an honorific version of the japanese word for weather.
Kelly: Is there some sort of personal meaning there or did you just like the word?
Enoma: Like someone would use it when asking about the weather, " kelly, ii otenki desu ne?"
Kelly: Oh jeez, so are you fluent in Japanese too?
Enoma: Not really. Both Fausto and I speak a little Japanese.
Kelly: Very cool. I don't even know how to say hello... Wait.. Conichiwa!
Enoma: Excellent you just said good afternoon.
Kelly: Fantastic!
Enoma: As far as a personal meaning, for us it added a bit of freedom creatively. With a name that unique and with a meaning for something that constantly changes it allows for us to write whatever we want and surprise people because they don't know what to expect with a name like that.


Kelly: So I think I remember you telling me before that you guys aren't really like anyone else where you're from. How diverse is the "scene" in Houston?
Enoma: Amazingly diverse, which to be honest is really awesome because there are so many types of musicians out there. I think for us the way we stick out is just because of who we are and what we've done being such a young band...relatively speaking. Of course you can't ignore that we're a band mostly comprised of people with latin backgrounds, one nigerian and one white dude....affirmative action is a bitch.
Kelly: Yeah, but I think it's pretty cool... just looking at you guys I wouldn't expect you to be playing pop punk (or whatever you refer to yourselves as... I'm terrible at classifying bands as specific genres)
Enoma: It's hard to say because i dont think of us as a pop-punk band per se. don't get me wrong i love pop punk. grew up listening to blink, green day, mxpx, slick shoes, sum 41 and all that. If anything I would say that we're a rock/pop band. Its a little broad but it allows for us to have that freedom to write anything, as long as we make it catchy. We're all over the place. Plus I'm basing my answer off the new record so its kinda hard for people to see where we're coming from.

Kelly: So you seem to kind of run the show as far as affairs with the band go. Describe to me a typical day in the life of you.
Enoma: Typically it starts with getting up around 5 am, checking the band's myspace, facebook, gmail, blogspot... see if there's any immediate business to handle, then i usually head off to work, while I'm there i'm constantly texting the guys about schedules, photo shoots, and upcoming shows. I head either to home, the gym or to practice. Then we discuss the plans for the cd ,who we want to send it out to, what we're doing for big music festivals, just a lot of planning really.
Kelly: Jeez, so you're pretty much Otenki 24/7
Enoma: Yeah. I try to be as much as possible. We really believe in this new record. The songs are great and Paul's amazing. We really think we can take it to the next level, so we have to have that mentality that we arent satisfied with being where we are. We are constantly pushing, constantly on the hustle.
Kelly: Awesome, I'm excited to hear the CD!
Enoma: Believe me. You will be the first person I send it to.
Kelly: Yay! When does the album come out, anyway?
Enoma: Right now there's no real release date. We're looking for the summer because we've had a few hold ups but mostly because since we are doing it all on our own, it requires a lot of money to push it properly. During the time it's finished and the time we release it we'll be searching for management, a label, lawyers.
Kelly: Nice, do you have any label interest thus far?
Enoma: We're basically being told no by the industry until we show we're worth their time. Gotta be honest we did have some interest from universal but that was fairweather as anything.
Kelly: Well if your new stuff is what you say it is then I'm sure you'll have lots of interest.. Especially if you already had some from Universal.
Enoma: Yeah, we had a great lawyer working with us at the time so he got some people interested and nothing came of it but it's cool to know people in power have heard your stuff.
Kelly: For sure!
Enoma: Plus we have some friends who have worked for FBR and Fearless so it may lead nowhere but we know our music, or even our name will be spoken at one time.

Kelly: Are you waiting to tour until after everything is released?
Enoma: The cd has to come out first then its touring for two years.
Kelly: Two years.. That's pretty intense
Enoma: You cant keep us from coming to Seattle. Twice.
Kelly: DAMN, I was hoping you'd skip over us :P
Enoma: lol not a chance. We're coming and I'm climbing that Space Needle.
Kelly: You can't CLIMB the space needle.. You can take an elevator! The retaurant at the top spins too.
Enoma: I can sure as hell try >:o
Kelly: Good luck!
Enoma: Well when they arrest me, please help us out.
Kelly: I will try.
Enoma: Haha thanks, you're a pal Kelly :-)
Kelly: I do what I can!

Kelly: So what's the biggest show you guys have played?
Enoma: I would say the first Taste of Chaos in Denver, Colorado. It was our first tour, and we ended it with a bang opening that show. We traveled from Houston to Denver.
Kelly: How did you manage to get on that?
Enoma: We entered the BOTB competition and beat out all the local bands to play. I wish we could have played last year but it didnt work out for us. We played TOC 05 and TOC 06.
Kelly: Very nice!

Kelly: Most important question of the day... is.... Mac or PC? CHOOSE WISELY.
Enoma: Damn....gotta go with MAC. It's Apple's world... We're all just living in it.
Kelly: AMEN.

Kelly: Besides Otenki, are there any up-and-coming bands that you think the WORLD (everyone in the world reads RCA) should know about?
Enoma: Yeah there are some amazing bands in Houston. Gotta rep my boys in Three Armada. They're great.. Let me see, the Mountain View, National Product, thelastplaceyoulook.
Kelly: Ooh I've heard National Product, are they from Houston?
Enoma: Nah, Hawaii. But they are our big brothers. Their singer, Danny, is such a big help to me. He really believes in our band, and seeing their success makes me believe we can make it too.
Kelly: That's awesome.. I will have to listen to them again.
Enoma: It's great stuff

Kelly: If you could switch places with any person in the world for one day, who would you choose and why?
Enoma: Um Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World
Kelly: I'm not sure if that even needs an explanation.. hahah
Enoma: Haha nope, because you know I'm the biggest JEW fan out there. Kelly: But who doesn't love Jimmy Eat World?
Enoma: People who suck, that's who.
Kelly: Damn straight.

Kelly: SO. The new EP.. What's it called?
Enoma: The EP is going to be called Making Sense Of Static
Kelly: Sweeeeet, who did you guys record with?
Enoma: We recorded with Paul Leavitt. Kelly: Is he in Houston?
Enoma: He is based in Maryland. He produced All Time Low, Over It, the Bled, Gwen Stacy, Conditions, Mercy Mercedes, Thin Dark Line.. He's done work on a lot of albums. Senses Fail, Circa Survive, From Autumn To Ashes, this dude is insane.
Kelly: Oh jeez, that is awesome. Did he help with the writing process at all? I'm not really sure how involved some producers get.
Enoma: Yeah. He basically listened to the song and let us write how we wanted and would only make suggestions regarding the guitars and vocal ideas. That's where he shines. He's also an amazing guitarist.
Kelly: So it's a full length album then?
Enoma: Nah, just an EP.
Kelly: How many songs?
Enoma: 6 songs, although there is talk of adding a track. One of our older songs fans seem to really like is Ventura. Kelly: Awesome!

Kelly: Alright, just another random question... what is your craziest tour memory? I remember something about a fight...
Enoma: Haha we get into a few here and there. Otenki ain't no punks! When we got back from Maryland with Paul we went to a bar and some crackhead started shit with Fozza and Germ. He was the bar manager on his off night. Let's just say he was shown the error of his ways and now hooks us up with free drinks!
Kelly: Hahaha, that is amazing.
Enoma: Yeah we are cool guys but don't try to punk us. I'm sure there will be a fight song on the full length.
Kelly: Haha, I will keep that in mind.
Enoma: We're troublemakers.
Kelly: Sounds like it!

Kelly: So what are you currently bumpin on the iPod?
Enoma: Well there are some staples in the music diet. Jimmy Eat World, Anberlin blah blah....haven. Havent found any really amazing new music. My friends started a neat little project though thats fun. Link. Outside of them, just trying to find some up and coming bands to jam like Settings, Windsor Drive, Holiday Parade.
Kelly: Very nice, so you're kind of all over the board.
Enoma: Yeah I try to be as random as possible. Makes for interesting listening.
Kelly: That's the way to be. I will have to check out some of those bands.
Enoma: Yeah especially black sex. You can never have enough of that in your life.
Kelly: Hahahaha. I'm listening to my friend's band's new EP but after I'm done with it I will check out Black Sex.
Enoma: As you should. Though fair warning make sure you're alone. These songs are sexy. sexy enough to make you want to bang the first person you see.. so close your eyes until you see your bf again.
Kelly: Oh wow
Enoma: Yeah, that sexy.

Kelly: Well, I think that's it as far as questions go.. did you have anything you want to add?
Enoma: Thanks to everyone who has been listening to us. Thanks to Paul for making our record sound amazing. Thanks to Rain City for being friends to us...we're stoked about that... and please keep checking www.myspace.com/otenki for updates on the record release. We should have a song up by mid March
Kelly: Awesome! Thanks for the interview.. now go get your dry cleaning :P