Cibo Matto is playing The Sinclair tomorrow night February 8, 2014. (Or are they clog dancing?) Their newest album in 15 years, Hotel Valentine, comes out next week on Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air, and Yuka Honda took some time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions for Allston Pudding. Read her responses below, and tickets are still available for the show, so hop on it!Allston Pudding: Three words to describe Cibo Matto: GO!Yuka Honda: A box of…. (too bad we don’t have four words)
AP: Y’all reunited in 2011 and toured. I got to see you guys for the first time on that tour, and it was amazing. Had you been writing the new songs from your upcoming album, Hotel Valentine, since then or did it start after the initial reunion tour?
YH: Yes we were writing already. The album was conceived on 2/14/2011.
AP: What was the writing and recording process like this time around vs earlier in your career?
YH: We exchange “data”s these days.
AP: The concept of the album I’ve read is, “a love story amid the ghosts traversing the hallways of a hotel.” Did you plan to do a concept album when writing, or did it just happen along the way? I’m always curious as to how those ideas come about.
YH: We are fundamentally a concept band, a concept project team. We work really good with it. The idea, honestly, can be anything as long as we both feel excited about it.
AP: Like a lot of Cibo Matto fans, I discovered you guys thanks to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Do you see that kind of opportunity as something that could help launch a new band in the current music environment?
YH: I’m sure it can help. Any exposure can help people discover you.
AP: It’s awesome that you guys are partnering with our local record store chain, Newbury Comics, to distribute your hand-written Valentine’s Day cards with pre-orders. What kind of notes do we have to look forward to?
YH: We signed our Valentine’s Day Card that we made it specially for this release.
AP: Besides playing an undoubtedly amazing show at The Sinclair this coming February 8th, what other fun things do you plan on doing during your stop in Boston?
YH: We always have an amazing food in Boston. Last time, we discovered a Thai food restaurant that was so good we seriously considered moving there, or at least stay for extra days.
AP: And last but not least, what’s the craziest food you’ve ever eaten?
YH: Crazy as gross, I’ve eaten insects. It was horrible!