Source:
https://scmp.com/magazines/hk-magazine/article/2031945/upclose-king-koya-goes-ape
Magazines/ HK Magazine

Upclose with King Koya Goes Ape

Hisakazu Koya is the bassist for the very cool, Very Ape, and will be playing at HK Live! this weekend. He talks to Bobby Lei about being a hard-drinking, hard-rocking bass player.

HK Magazine: How did Very Ape get together?
Hisakazu Koya:
We’re all Japanese. The Japanese community in Hong Kong is not so big, and the music community within that is even smaller. I owned a studio and did engineering, and the two other guys were musicians, so they came here to jam. The drummer and guitar player started in a Nirvana cover band. Very Ape is named after a Nirvana song. The singer was a Nirvana freak but soon quit and moved to America.

HK: Who rocks your world?
HK:
I’m a bass player and my idol is Ronnie Lane from The Faces. Normally I like freestyle music; it’s my policy to improvise.

HK: I hear you are now a full Hong Konger – congratulations.
HK:
Yeah, I came here eight years ago and became permanent this year. I used to work in a record company in Japan. I had to travel a lot so they transferred me overseas to Hong Kong. But they kept making me travel so I quit. I did like traveling, and still do, but now I’m afraid of airplanes.

HK: Well, I guess that means you’re here to stay. Do you like the local scene?
HK:
To be honest, I was really disappointed when I came here, both with the commercial and the indie scenes. But in the past four years, the indie scene has really grown. There are more good bands with more motivation and better attitudes to music. The commercial scene hasn’t changed much. The top artists are still old artists, and it’s almost like the companies don’t want to grow new talent. That’s why Korean, Taiwanese, and mainland singers are becoming bigger now.

HK: How do you unwind after a big gig?
HK:
After shows, I like to drink. Last time we played at the Rock It audition, a young fan called my name and came over to me. He said, “Hey, my friend said you’re always drunk on stage, is that true?” And it is.

HK: What do you parents back in Japan think of your rock n’ roll lifestyle?
HK:
My parents are quite special, they like rockabilly music such as Elvis. They didn’t hope I would be a businessman, they just hoped I would find my own way. I think they’re quite happy; they never minded. The only thing they said to me was “don’t be a mobster.”