By Jase Walker
Harajuku-core quartet Hanabie. are definitely a #HotTopic at the moment, with the release this past week of their latest five-track EP of that name. I initially caught up with the ladies following the Amsterdam leg of last November’s virtually sold-out headlining tour, before touching base with them again to chat about the latest release…
I started by asking them if there were any standout moments from that Melkweg show…
YUKINA (vocals):
Amsterdam was such a wonderful place—the city and the people were amazing, and we even enjoyed some time off there. We had fans from all different generations come to the show, and the whole atmosphere was filled with love. We’d played in Amsterdam before at a festival, but this was our first headline show there, so being able to spend such an incredible time with everyone made me really happy. I can’t wait for the day we get to come back!
You mentioned you went shopping while in the Netherlands, did you do much shopping across the tour? If so, what was your favourite purchase and where from?
HETTSU (bass):
I really love the Christmas items I bought in Linz, Austria, and the coat I picked up in Paris – something I don’t think I could find in Japan. I bought so many things that my luggage was completely stuffed on the way home.
There’s a lot of growing interest in Japanese metal around Europe recently. Do you feel that this helps when you return to Europe?
MATSURI (guitar/vocals):
I can really feel the growing interest in Japanese metal year by year. Since we started touring Europe in 2023, it’s been amazing to actually see the change in the local reactions with each visit. Being able to tour during a time when Japanese metal is spreading more and more feels very meaningful to us.
Were there any surprising moments when touring through Europe? (Can be recent or on previous tours)
CHIKA (drums):
On the final day of our previous European tour in Madrid, some of our staff – like our manager and drum tech – suddenly jumped off the stage in costumes. None of the members knew about it, so it was a complete surprise, and we were laughing so hard while performing.
Fans also sometimes show up in funny outfits or hold up boards with amusing messages, and seeing those always makes me happy.
What do you think about just before you go on stage? Do you have a plan for each show?
CHIKA:
I usually don’t get nervous, even at big venues, but I always warm up with stretching and light exercises so I can give a strong performance from the very first song.
A live show is like a sport, so taking care of my body is essential to make it through a tour. And when I’m waiting backstage and hear the voices of the audience, it makes me really excited and fired up!
Is there anything you’d really like to do in a live show next time you tour through Europe?
MATSURI:
More and more people in Europe are getting to know HANABIE., even if it’s little by little. So next time, I’d love to create a setlist that mixes in more of our older songs along with the new ones – maybe about half and half. I think that would be really fun.
Do you have any bands or musicians you’d love to collaborate with on a song?
YUKINA:
Personally, I really love Sabrina Carpenter! If she ever needs shouts or screams for a song, I’ll rush over anytime. Ha ha ha.
Is there any anime or manga you’d love to do an opening/closing theme for?
HETTSU:
I absolutely love the ‘Pretty Cure’ series, so if the day ever comes when we get to work on it, I might cry from happiness.
Before all of that, of course, there is the small matter of the new five-track EP, released just this past week… so, I caught up with the girls once again to get their thoughts on the finished product and their personal picks from the release…
YUKINA:
We’ve put together another EP packed with a wide variety of songs this time around. With our new tracks ‘Iconic’ and ‘Tokimeki About You’, I’d love it if everyone sang along and jumped around during the chorus – I can already picture the scene in my head! I can’t wait to perform these live at our shows.
‘Girl’s Talk is a song that captures who we are right now, just as we are [while] ‘Spicy Queen”’looks back to our early days and reflects that original spirit. Both of these have already been released as singles, but they’re absolutely essential in bringing color and balance to ‘Hot Topic’.
As has become something of a tradition for us, we let ourselves go all out with one playful track on an album or EP – this time, it’s “Theme Of Hanabienchan’. I’d love to see the confused looks on everyone’s faces when this song comes on after listening to the other four tracks! Please enjoy this EP to the fullest.
MATSURI:
[It’s]n EP perfectly suited to kick off 2026! ‘Iconic’ and ‘Tokimeki About You’ are punchy tracks that is simple x electronic with playful elements. By embracing a side that is different from usual, we feel that a new side of HANABIE was born. This EP delivers many different expressions of HANABIE., so please enjoy listening to it from start to finish!
HETTSU:
[With] ‘Iconic’ and ‘Tokimeki About You’, we challenged ourselves with song structures and genres unlike anything we’ve done before. ‘Tokimeki About You’ is our first-ever straightforward love song as HANABIE., and a key feature is the groovy sound of the instrumental section. It’s a track that we feel is great to move along to, so we hope everyone who comes to our live shows will enjoy it.
The fifth track, ‘Theme Of Hanabienchan.’, is the theme song for HANABIE.’s unofficial character, ”Hanabienchan”. As our wild-card track that is in every EP or album, it finally makes its appearance here! There might just be a second installment if there is a good response…?? With our 10th-anniversary track ‘Spicy Queen’, a more mature side of HANABIE. in “Girl’s Talk’, and three brand-new tracks with fresh styles, we feel this EP displays a new side of HANABIE.
CHIKA:
‘Tokimeki About You’ is my personal favorite as the drummer. I focused on creating contrast and dynamics in the drum arrangement. I especially love the moment in the first chorus where the cymbals drop out, and the strength of the rhythm section throughout the song. The fifth track is a special one — I think it will get stuck in your head once you hear it.
As for the longer term future…
ALL:
We have so many things we want to do and so many dreams, both in Japan and around the world. We’re going to make them come true one by one, so please keep supporting us.
- ‘Hot Topic‘ is out now.
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