Rina Sawayama

Rina Sawayama seduced us last month with the sultry lullaby “Sleeping In Waking” which arrived alongside a super-luxe black and white video.

The 22-year old Cambridge politics graduate was born in Japan and lived there until the age of five but she’s now resident in London and set to make waves amongst those who appreciate the finer side of complex, shimmery pop.

When did you decide on a career in music, Rina?

When I was little, really. I’ve always known that I wanted to do music and I was singing when I was one. I sang all the way through school. During University I was in a hip hop group called Lazy Lion. We did quite a few gigs and lots of May Balls in Cambridge. We’re all doing our separate things now. The guitarist is now in Wolf Alice. We’re all doing really well. It’s quite freeing to be back in London. Cambridge is really intense.

So how has your sound developed since you went solo?

I think it’s influenced by R&B from the early 2000s, when The Neptunes and Timbaland were all you heard.

I lived in Japan until I was five because I went to a Japanese school in England, I listened to a lot of J-pop. The song writing of J-pop songs is very rigid and structured. So I think I got quite used to that and it has helped me write.

How do you think the Japanese music scene differs to London?

Oh God, it is completely different. J-pop is seriously behind, in my opinion! I don’t find a lot of innovation and inspiration in J-pop unfortunately. There are a few Japanese singers and songwriters – like the girl from Little Dragon – but the J-pop scene is very behind. Great song lyrics but the UK, America and Scandinavia are way ahead.

Why do you think Japanese music fans are so passionate about the music they love?

There’s a culture of idolising there – a lot more than in the UK. There was recent controversy over a huge girl band there, because the tabloids found that one of the girls had been sleeping over at her boyfriend’s and she was so ashamed that she shaved her head on YouTube. The music industry is owned a lot by the mafia, so there’s a lot of concealing when it comes to people’s private lives. In essence, if you get rid of someone’s personal life (which is so blown out in the tabloids in the Western world) in Japan a lot of it is hidden, so the person isn’t like a person, they become an idol. Girl bands have to preserve this image of being virginal. I need to tread it a bit carefully if I’m going to go over there.

How are you dealing with the incredible response online to your debut track ‘Sleeping in Waking’?

I wasn’t expecting it at all. I’ve actually been sitting on that track since I was 18. I’ve just started re-producing my entire back catalogue. “Sleeping In Waking” was a folk arrangement and I re-did it with a producer called Hoost and it was just amazing. He’s actually still at University.

I wrote when an ex wanted me to write him a lullaby. I don’t know , I don’t speak to him anymore!

The B-side is going to be released very soon, when the 7-inch is out. I’ll probably release the next single within the month after that. I want each single to have its moment rather than releasing an EP. At the moment I’m working with different producers and seeing what works for me.

I think is quite diverse, and I hope people like that. I like anything that’s really catchy. That can go in-between genres. There are a couple of songs that are quite cheeky. I’m just wondering what people will like. In the next year I’d definitely like to put out an album.

The video is very sultry; what made you go with that particular aesthetic?

We worked with a guy called Jack Greeley-Ward and we chatted about ideas and his thoughts about the song completely matched mine. It was a black and white thing, and we took inspiration from people like Feist. The brief was that it needed to look as though I really knew the song inside out and that I was performing it to people. Rather than a typical lip sync.

What inspires you musically at the moment?

There’s a girl called Banks from LA, who is quite big on the blogosphere. Justin Timberlake, obviously. I’m a massive fan. I think he’s great, but him and Timbaland together are golden. I’m really enjoying Beyonce’s new track, ‘Bow Down‘. I’m not sure if she’s having a mid-life crisis or something! But Beyonce’s top-lining is really inspirational.

What can we expect from your London live debut?

I’m really excited nervous too. It will be a really nice live set up and hopefully I’ll be doing my own vocal effects.

Rina Sawayama plays at The Monarch, London on 17 April.