We Spent The Day With Singer Kiriko April, Here’s What Happened
“Hey, I’m Kiriko Kajiwara. I’m a 4D experience, IMAX. A multi-media-clown-fashion show on wheels” (points down to rollerskates).
And just like that is how we began our first introduction to Kiriko. We asked for her perfect elevator speech and her response couldn’t be truer. Kiriko, who creates under the name, Kiriko April, is a Korean-Japanese-American artist from Midcity, Los Angeles. Were you confused by all the hyphens? I know. Things can get really convoluted when it comes to cultural identity in America, but thank goodness for bold artists like Kiriko who attack the topic head on. But that’s besides the point. We’ll come back to this.
Kiriko April is a singer/ songwriter, sculptor, animator, performing artist, painter, and roller-skating queen. Her Instagram page is where she posts eclectic artwork, fashion, sculpture work, and art from other artists that she admires. Her style, although eclectic seems authentic and original to herself. Drawing from an interesting mix of influences, the themes in her work seem to center around surrealism, hyperrealism, and indigenous art. Musically, singing has been a part of her creative outlet. In April this year she released her mixtape, “April Fool” to much of our delight and we had to reach out.
So when did you start making music?
Well if we’re talking about the first song I wrote that would be sometime in elementary when I would force my friend to try making an original song with me. I never took it too seriously although it would always call me back to try here and there. About 3 years ago when I was a freshmen in college I met this guy from Tinder and I was immediately infatuated but he basically told me he didn’t want to be my friend so I made a song over a J Dilla beat and called it “LAME BOY”. A year passed after that and I met another guy who became my muse for 2 years and so that’s when I made a lot of music. I think I have around 25 songs just about this one guy.
Tell us about Midcity, Los Angeles. What was the environment you grew up around like and what were your earliest influences?
I am from Midcity, Los Angeles. I was born here and I have been in the same house since I was around 3. Growing up I was going to different private schools starting with a Korean school. I was in a choir and in the school musicals including Cinderella with Brandy. After this school, I went to a pretty artsy, elective-heavy school where I was in art classes, school musicals, dance clubs, and a fun singing class where we were able to sing whatever song. My mom enrolled me into ballet, Jazz dance, gymnastics, and Japanese Saturday school classes. The Japanese Saturday school was intense. It’s basically taking school from Japan and cramming it into 7 hours a week so the load included science, history, Japanese, math, and whatever else. There was a rule that you can only speak Japanese and I was really bad at Japanese so I couldn’t really make any friends so I’d go to the little shack that they turned into a small library and I would rent books so that I could copy and draw the covers or illustrations. This is more about my interest in picking up drawing which is one of my other media I use. When I was about 6 or 7 I remember taking a shower and singing about my dad and wanting to become a successful singer so that I could make money to give to him. At that time my parents had already been divorced and in my eyes, my dad was like the caveman from the Geico commercials and I pitied him because I thought he was poor. He is a self taught musician and can play a lot of different instruments and when he’d take me to hang out every other week, he’d take me to jam sessions with his friends at a studio, a party where there was also live music, Venice beach drum circles, or to his house where he has a whole room dedicated to music. He had me sing on a few songs and I remember since then I’d always wanted to sing. I also remember him telling me the cure for anything is laughter and song and so I would always be singing.
You are Korean and Japanese, correct? Which parent is Japanese and which is Korean? Why don’t you know your Korean side, as stated in your song , “Sakura Tree”?
I’m Korean and Japanese. My mom is Korean but was born in Osaka, Japan and my dad is Japanese born in Ome, Tokyo. Because my mom’s Korean family was born in Japan there is that disconnect from just being Korean because they’re culturally Japanese.
How do you feel about your most recent project, “April Fool”? It seems you are already starting out from a solid musical foundation.
Thank you! I feel glad to have done it because I feel it marks the beginning of my music journey. The further away I’m getting from it makes me want to make better quality things.
“Sakura Tree” is a captivating track for a lot of different reasons. On it you talk about a lot. What are some the identity issues you struggled with?
Thank you. When I made this song back in May 2018. I was trying to dropout of college and with that decision also came the fights with my mom which is when I tried to also leave home. Before I dropped out I was taking a lot of personal identity classes like Japanese history and Bi-racial Bi-ethnic Asian-American identity. As I was trying to find out I started disassociating from school and ended up leaving. The identity issues that would come up is not knowing where I came from or who my family is or my ancestral tree. It’s the disconnect I feel between my extended family. It’s only me and my mom in America. Even my dad is in Japan. I would wonder who it makes me, being raised in America with all the cultures that I’ve grown up around.
Why do you sing in both Japanese and English? Makes the music very dope and it is original to you. Do you wish to appeal to a specific demographic?
When I was making “Sakura Trees” I was thinking about how it’s my first time singing in Japanese but I realized it actually isn’t because my dad had made a track called “Minna Genki” which means “everyone’s happy” that he had me sing on when I was little. My 2nd song, “WATASHINOKOKORO BAKUHATSU” (My heart explodes), I sang it in Japanese so I can talk shit about my ex without him knowing. Then the decision to put it here and there came about when I wanted to create a whole, more intentional project so I wanted the code switching to link the album together. I do want Asian-American people to give it a listen to see if they can connect with it on a certain level but also I’m a bit embarrassed for Japanese people to hear it because my mom told me that the Japanese grammar is all sorts of messed up which is pretty funny since that’s HOW IT BE. But recently someone from Tokyo sent me a DM on Instagram saying they listen to WATASHINOKOKORO BAKUHATSU everyday and I thought well they don’t mind my gibberish Japanese!!
What are your interests outside of music?
My interests outside of music are making experimental clothing, roller skating, drawing, tattooing, doing makeup, making sculptures, eating with friends, and dancing (I just started taking dancehall classes and my thighs are getting rock hard.)
I got into stop motion animation a few weeks back when my school quarter started. I was storyboarding for some songs in April Fool and drew a few scenes I wanted to make with claymation. Later that week my friend told me to follow her to a stop motion animation class and there it was, the claymation. My teacher Heather Collins has been showing us so many great works and bringing in some people from the industry.
How long or tedious is the process of stop motion?
Stop motion animation is a very arduous process. The amount of patience and dedication needed is something I’m really learning through the process. Although it’s a lot of work for seconds of video I LOVE IT. I’m in the studio about 4 hours a session and I love being alone in my bra and sweats getting it done! It’s the most fulfilling feeling once I’m done and get a clip out of it.
What has your experience been like at University of California, Los Angeles?
My experience at UCLA… it’s been all sorts of things. I feel like I’m always fighting school, at least lately. Because I have something specific I want to focus my energy on so it becomes hard balancing school work. I’m trying to find ways of getting the best out of each class and somehow intertwine them with my personal projects. I’ve met amazing people who I admire and love a lot.
Do you have any big music or art connects as of now? If yes, who and if no, who would you like to work with?
My music connections are really only starting to be made with this past project and a lot of them started with finding people on Soundcloud. I would love to collaborate with Tierra Whack and Junglepussy. I hadn’t really thought about this but, wowww. That would be crazy.
What’s something that no one could ever know just by looking at you?
I didn’t know how to answer this question so I facetimed my friend Maya and her friend Jaxon said I wear myself on my skin pretty well. Yeah I always look like a clown so I can’t say you won’t know I’m an April Fool baby.
Lastly, who are some artists you like that you could put us on to?
A recent artist I found was Akio Takamori. He passed away in 2017 but he was a ceramic sculptor from Japan who moved to America in 1974 and made beautiful figures of people from his childhood in his village. I immediately felt a connection to his work. I’ll stumble on different Japanese artists and just feel SOME TYPE OF WAY. Masaaki Yuasa’s animation film, “Mind Game,” is another work that I was wowed by. I felt like his animation style was SO ME. I also LOVE Sasha Gordon’s paintings. And Cheyenne Julien’s drawings and paintings. Some music artists I love are Hope Tala, Rico Nasty, Tierra Whack, Raveena, Junglepussy, Kelsey Lu, and Joy Crookes.
Get connected with Kiriko April on Instagram @kirikoapril and of course, check out her project “April Fool” out now on Spotify, and Apple Music.
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