Bôa: Beyond Serial Experiments Lain
An interview by Skysenshi

Any cyberpunk anime fun should not go on to the afterlife without knowing what this Bôa is all about. Famed throughout otaku-dom and Japan for their opening act in Serial Experiments Lain's Duvet, many fans have wondered what they're really like—without the word "Lain" attached. Listening to their album Twilight, you'd definitely find yourself intrigued: "Wow! They don't sound JPOP!" Ahem. Uh, sweetie, that's 'cause they aren't JPOP...well, technically. This talented group hailed from the UK, but of course, there's more to them than that. So before I bore you with my useless chatter, let me introduce the world of Bôa.

Skysenshi: Your band's name has been a constant source of curiosity for a lot of people. Why "BOA"?

Boa: It's just so much better that Cry wolf!!

Skysenshi: And so much simpler to write too. [Grins]. We noticed you sound very diverse. Like you've had a lot of influences from various genres. Who or what are your inspiration when it comes to music?

Boa: Everyone is inspiring to some degree, by how much you want to emulate and by how much you don't. So it's difficult to say, everyone in the band has very different tastes in music, Boa is a kind of meeting in the middle—although I'd like to sneak in our mutual love for Bill Hicks at some point in this interview.

Skysenshi: For the sake of the readers who've just been introduced to BOA's music, how did you guys find each other and formed the band?

Boa: Steve is the brother of Jasmine, so they met first. Then Ed, our first drummer met Steve at school, he brought in Alex and Paul. Alex brought in Ben and then Lee when Ed left to finish university.

Skysenshi: Any contemporary bands/artists that you admire?

Boa: Of course, but we'd only argue if we tried to write them down.

Skysenshi: Ha ha! What a safe on-the-record answer! But here's a question I've been dying to ask since I connected the name Rodgers. I understand that two of the band members, Steve and Jasmine, are the children of classic rock legend Paul Rodgers. Did the band ever felt intimidated by Paul Rodgers' shadow?

Boa: Where there is light no darkness can prevail, why should there be intimidation? We set out to play music, to be part of something beautiful.

Skysenshi: And beautiful it is. Speaking of beauty, if you were to be tapped as image/commercial models for a particular item/brand, what would it be?

Boa: Erm... [derision from band] Tuna steak in brine is one suggestion....

Skysenshi: [LOL] Hard to imagine the guys promoting tuna steak in brine. On another note, being an anime fan, I can't help but ask...are any of you Japanese?

Boa: Steve and Jasmine's mum is Japanese.

Skysenshi: Aha! I knew it! You guys just look so exotic, and I mean that as a compliment. So, have you seen Lain? I know that's a weird question, but people are curious. Ha ha!

Boa: Actually, yeah we have. Most of it. But we only got sent a couple of programmes worth so we didn't see all of it. Money must be tight!!!!

Skysenshi: Are there any other favorite anime?

Boa: Godzilla, Scooby Doo, the classics…Akira, Ninja Scroll

Skysenshi: You seem to be also active in the concert scene. What was your worst experience during performances?

Boa: Playing Glastonbury Festival, a particularly rainy one, where Lee's drum stage started sinking in the mud while he played. We had to carry equipment over a mile of knee high mud.

Skysenshi: What was your most memorable?

Boa: We had a great gig in Texas for Anime Fest, everything was wrong before the gig so consequently the gig turned out to be the best of all—we pull together very well when we need to and there's nothing better than that feeling of joy and relief when that happens.

Skysenshi: You've mentioned in our earlier conversations that you're preparing for a new album. Can you tell us a little something about this exciting (upcoming) release?

Boa: It's so good that we're very happy. But it's taking ages to get it out there—aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrgggggggh!!!!!!!!!!

Skysenshi: Ok, I really can't wait for this surprise. Any concert tours planned for the year?

Boa: Actuallly, yes, we're supporting Bad Company in September of this year in the UK- dates are on our website www.boaweb.co.uk

Skysenshi: Any parting words for our readers and your fans? Beauty secrets? I'd definitely want to know Jasmine's beauty secrets, he he.

Boa: Try not letting the monkey in your brain control your life! Meditate! Eat good, sleep good, exercise good and party good!

I'm going to put these words to heart and follow them when I can. Whew, that was quite an enlightening interview. Let me just get the pieces of my brain back together from that monkey who got in.

Well, for those of you who are reading this, don't forget to drop by their website at http://www.boaweb.co.uk for more information to satisfy your Boa fix. You can also support them by buying their records, and not condoning piracy.