It's your 4th time in Poland now...
Fourth?
Fourth, yeah.
Really?
Yeah!
That's a lot...
If I count right...
So, how do you feel about being in Poland again?
I'm honored.
I'm very happy to be here
Always, Polish fans are really, really hot and enthusiastic
They really like rock music, I really feel it
And then, you know, even the hotel staff is really polite
they turn the lights on
Yeah, I always have a great time here
because the typical image of Poland...
Before I came to Poland for the first time
I didn't have an image of kinda "rock"
The same as Japan, I mean (there are) some rock musicians in Japan
but Poland - I didn't have that kind of image
I didn't even know how many fans I have
But the thing is, of course, people love music
and they're really, really enthusiastic
and really energetic
Do you have any special memories or specific things that come to your mind when you think about Poland?
So I, as an artist, always try to make new stuff
because that's what I feel, that's what I think
that's my responsibility as an artist
to take my audience, my fans to the next level
something that they never experienced
especially as a guitarist, I wanted to make something new, especially now
So always making new stuff and sometimes I make
what my fans do not expect me to create
So every time when I play old music, old songs, it's pretty special
for me and the audience as well
And then, maybe for the first time or the second time in Poland
when I performed one of my old tracks, "Selfish Love"...
That was the hottest moment I've ever had when I performed that song
I don't know how to describe it, it was really, really-
The energy level was really high
and then we became one
just really, really strongly united
Yeah, I was really happy to play that song
because, you know, that energy, the energy from the audience is really, really important, every show
So at that moment, I was blown away by my Polish fans
I actually have been there and I remember we were singing very loud-
Oh, you were there?
Yeah, of course!
Do you like when fans sing along or you're like, annoyed that they are interrupting you?
No, I love it, I love it.
You know, that's what I mean when I say we cannot make a show special without the audience.
We are making the show all together.
So the energy, and also the voice from the audience, from the floor, is really, really crucial for us.
So, you know, we are professional performers, musicians
Always take care of our health, condition, even on a tough road, we do perfectly
But also we are human beings and we get affected by the audience.
If the energy level form the audience is really high, we get affected and we go higher as well
So it's a mutual kind of energy exchange
Yeah, that moment- I strongly remember that moment, and I was really really happy.
On your latest album, "Samurai Sessions vol. 2" you work with many different artists with different styles
but you still managed to create a very consistent album.
What was the most challenging thing in the creation process?
Yeah, collaboration, you know, always need to make sure that the timeline and the direction of creation is okay
So of course it's harder that creating something by ourselves
But at the same time there's always chemistry during the session
So especially now I don't know how my fans, my core, strong fans might feel,
but as a guitarist I want to kind of find a new path
as a guitarist, as a rockstar
because you know, "rockstar" is not shining in this generation
Yeah, it's really crucial to find a way to be able to collaborate with other singers
So this time although it was not easy to handle the timeline and everything,
but it was great to explore the new style, new sound.
As long as you have your own style, I mean, as a guitarist
there's a signature tone there
I think we can say "this is the new Miyavi sound".
So, you know, I'm still singing, but like
When I was in visual kei world
I'm still visual kei kind of - I perform
I, as a rockstar, I'm here
But no need to be categorized or stuck in a box
You know what I mean?
Because creation...
The thing is, the way, let's say, the visual kei was born, is like freedom
of expression
But people say "Oh, you're in visual kei, you cannot do that, you cannot have a rapper" or "you can't have a tap dancer"
What does it mean?
Just putting make up on?
Is that visual kei?
No.
It's not visual kei, at all
That's just one of the styles, one of the expressions
To me, now, as a musician, as a creator, as a guitarist, I want to find something new
It's happiness, it's a pleasure
To be able to pursue and also challenge new things
And now I feel that's my responsibility
Which one, out of all of your songs, represents you the best? Like says: "This is Miyavi right now"
That's a good question
I mean, it's really hard
I mean...
It's not good to say this,
but "What's my name?"
But!
Which means
We haven't found the newer signature style yet
But - "Long nights", the track we just released last month
and we featured Sonita, an Afghan rapper
It's a really really meaningful track to me
The song I wrote right after I came back from the refugee camp
in Lebanon
And then, the message
I just thought, it's my message, but also important to
feature and support artists like Sonita
Because her voice is also authentic, from her experience
So, it's also an interesting, fascinating way of creation
As a composer
You know what I mean?
So that I don't have to limit myself, as a creator, with my voice
You were talking about performing older songs
I remember when I first heard "Kimi ni negai wo" back in middle school, it was almost 12 years ago
Are there any songs that you can't relate to anymore, that you wouldn't perform anymore? How do you feel about your older songs?
I still play "Kimi ni negai wo" with the acoustic
and actually I've been playing those old tracks recently a lot actually
because
I don't know, I feel strong enough
You cannot protect your people if you're not strong enough
So now I feel even if we have people who don't know about Miyavi or any of my tracks
I can rock them
Yeah that's why I can perform those old tracks as well
and then, it's really interesting, but recently I've been playing many old tracks
Because time is limited we need to make new tracks and keep moving forward
But the thing is, we cannot go back to the past, right. Playing old tracks doesn't mean that we go back to the past
As long as we see the future
That's the key
I don't want to just keep playing old tracks, it's good of course, I'm not saying that I forget the past
That's also a great achievement, it's also important
Without that we wouldn't be here
But
We need to face the future, we need to face tomorrow
We saw you on the big screen in "Unbroken" and then "Kong: Skull Island"
And this year we are already expecting to see you in two another movies
"Bleach" and "Gangoose"
What is it about acting that you like the most, that makes you want to keep doing it?
Fun.
It's very fun
I mean, especially villain, bad boy, bad guy in a film
Many, many layers of humanity, to get to that level
You know what I mean
So to follow their steps, is really interesting experience to me
And then, again, I'm always Miyavi on stage, even off stage I'm Miyavi
No matter where I am
But on the screen I can be somebody else
And it's also a really interesting experience
I learn somebody else
and their life. Why did they get to that point?
And also it gives me more capacity
Through the experience, to portray other people
And then expression wise, it's really, really similiar to performing on stage
So, we perform in front of the camera like this
In a different way, but it's same, it's all about expression
and message
So it's always important to hold onto the message of the creation you're in
What's the story?
Why are you there?
Why I'm a villain in that story
Why I'm needed
So it's fun
Also the music, acting, fashion - it's really close as entertainment
And now I'm doing humanitarian work, activity, so those three things are really important to explore the new world
So you're busy with all those projects and tours, but what do you like to do on your day off?
Kids.
I mean it's more tiring though.
It's even harder when I play with the kids
We go to the park, we play iPad together
They're 7 and 8
Although they're girls (they're) pretty physical
So we play badminton, soccer, basketball
I teach them how to do the Miyavi jump
Yeah, then we just chill
I just go to the gym, maintain
yeah, gym
playing with the kids
Going out with my family, Melody and the kids
Actually I don't have that kind of idea of a day off, you know, this is my day off
So the thing is, if you're really active physically or mentally
even if you're really busy physically, let's say
the travel day
So today is travel day
From... I mean we're done, we already came to Warsaw, but let's say when we had a show in Paris and the next day I had a meeting in Paris
And then also flew to London
But physically busy, I play and then just get to London, but
In fact, I can let myself take a rest mentally, you know what I mean
I'm taking a rest
So now I'm talking, but my body is resting
So even when I'm talking to you like this, if I close my eyes I'm resting, I'm letting my eyes rest
I'm not using my eyes
So something like that
That's what I'm saying, even on a day off, when I play with the kids, it's hard
It's not easy, travel day like this is even easier
I went to the gym
But when I play with the kids I cannot go to the gym
It's physical
But mentally I'm fulfilled, I feel it
When I don't have work, I mean I also work, when I play with the kids I also sometimes need to check the e-mail
Like today, right before I came here, we just posted the new track "So on it"
But this is day off
You know what I mean?
But the thing is how you manage your body and mental
It's the most important thing
Yeah, again, while I'm playing with the kids, mentally I'm resting
Can you share one of the things from your bucket list that you have yet to cross off?
I don't wanna say that
Yeah just one thing came up, but
Yeah, because I'm trying to make it happen very soon
But
Any trivial things? Simple things you want to do?
I'm thinking to buy a travel pillow
and a travel guitar
because I have everything I need on the tour
and a yoga mat
the powders for smoothie I make every morning
even army knife so I can cut fruits for the offering for prayer
What else?
Tube, TRX for training in my room
Because I don't sit down on a chair
I don't use a chair, I don't trust chairs usually
I always trust the ground
I always want to feel the gravity from the ground
Because chair sometimes... The good chair is fine
But sometimes it gets in the way, so I don't use chairs, always on the yoga mat
But sometimes I feel like I want to lay down, so I'm thinking to get a travel pillow
What are your plans after finishing the tour, can you share anything with us?
Make new music
I mean I'm constantly making new music
But maybe some other activities, going back to my another dimension
Acting, fashion, and humanitarian work, UNSCR
So I visited UNSCR in London after the show in London
And then we had a discussion and we were planning, the next plan
What to do
Now that's a really important mission to me, it's the life work
We don't get paid, we don't get money, but to me it's a destination
So that I can become more famous
That's my motivation
The more famous I get, the more things I can do
Even as an ambassador
More people listen to me
But sometimes the more I say the more people don't want to listen to me, but
Still, once I've seen it, I witnessed what's happening there
I cannot ignore
I cannot stop myself from dealing with it
Because that's our issue, it's not only their issue
I mean refugee crisis
So what's the situation with refugee crisis in Poland
Do you guys accept many refugees, or?
I think we are not that open as other countries
I see, I see
I don't know, Germany, France
Yeah, Germany is really, really generous
But at the same time, there are always issues
Because there's an issue, a problem
That's why it's happening
You know, that's why people had to leave, that's already twisted
So the thing is how we share the thing, the issue
Are we cooperating to solve that issue
Globally
This is not only an European issue, this is a global issue, because somehow even Asian countries got involved with that conflict
Especially the Rohingya people from Myanmar
Even Japan and England used to cooperate
Bangladesh and Myanmar, those areas
We all need to think about it, this is not the thing "Okay, that's not us"
And then I believe there are many ways to get involved
Not only accepting refugees, maybe donation
Many, many ways
If you think about it
And again this is a human disaster
That human beings made, which means human beings should, must find a solution
for that problem
So is there anything that you want to say to your Polish fans and AMP viewers
First of all, I really really appreciate your support
And also again I really feel responsible as an artist to make a new ground with you
That's my mission
To take all of you to the next level
So that's not an easy challenge, it's always hard
But I never give up to keep challenging
And then
But I'm really really happy to be back here and then, every time we have great times.