Glitter, heartbreak, eyeliner, repeat. Kawaii AF are back and louder than ever. The pop-punk outfit behind the viral emo revival movement just dropped their newest single 'Simply Hopeless', a caffeinated blast of candy-coated chaos that turns unplanned infatuation into a full-throttle anthem. Think bubblegum breakdowns, confetti choruses, and riffs sharp enough to cut through even the toughest crush.
Hailing from the glitter-drenched fringes of the DIY punk scene, Kawaii AF have made it their mission to resurrect the spirit of the 2000s with MySpace angst, screaming-while-smiling catharsis, and all. But 'Simply Hopeless' hits different. A track written over a decade ago, it marks the start of a long-awaited full-length recorded at ZK Productions in Atlanta, a dream studio moment that’s as full-circle as it gets.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with them to find out more about their origins and what has been inspiring them most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Waffle: electric guitar
Nathan: electric guitar
Ricky: Kazoo
Ryan: drums, tried guitar multiple times before picking up drums.
Brandon: some toy harmonica when I was like 6, but the snare drum took over my life after watching the movie “Drumline” in theatres when I was in fifth grade. It’s the only instrument that I’ve ever actually became dedicated to learning.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Waffle: Metal
Nathan: Pop punk, Hardcore punk
Ricky: Punk rock and electronic
Ryan: metalcore/post hardcore
Brandon: bubble gum pop, pop punk, emo hip hop and R&B, Nu Metal, alt rock and musical soundtracks.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Waffle: Metallica Load, Weird Al – Poodle Hat, MMMbop Hanson
Nathan: anti-flag: for blood and empire
Ricky: Eiffel 65: Europop
Ryan: Killswitch Engage: End of Heartache
Brandon: Simple Plan’s No Pads, No Helmets, Just Balls
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Waffle: Pretty Rave Girl
Nathan: Code Monkey
Ryan: Dayseeker: Pale Moonlight
Ricky: The Beths: Expert in a Dying Field
Brandon: Dirty Little Secret by The All American Rejects
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Nathan: Song ideas hit naturally for me, and collaborating with the band always elevates them.
Ricky: I usually really try to make sure I’m in a mood where I’m really really stoked about music by listening to whatever music I think will get me most stoked beforehand, unless I’m already stoked. After that, writing with my band can flow right.
Ryan: I like to make sure I have a solid meal first and I grab myself an ice cold Coke Zero and then I’ll isolate myself in my music room. I can get pretty self conscious about my writing and playing so I like to do new songs completely alone so I can comfortably get everything out the way I want. After I get my initial ideas down I like to bring that to the band to workshop and tweak together to get a final product we all love.
Brandon: I go outside and skateboard. If I can’t skate (like if I’m at work or in the car) I let my imagination run wild, and try to see the song I’m writing like a music video for a band that only exists in my head. I allow the song to almost tell me what it wants to be and how it wants to sound. If it’s not coming naturally, then I’ll go listen to other songs similar to what I’m trying to go for and get inspired. There is also lots of candy involved. Gummi Bears and Lifesavers gummies usually does the trick.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Waffle: Oingo Boingo and Jonathan Coulton.
Ricky: Femtanyl, 8485, Ozigiri, Insect Warfare, Scott Brown, Em Essex.
Ryan: State Champs, Dayseeker, From Ashes to New, Bad Omens.
Brandon: After, Audrey Hobert, Clipse, Ryan Cabrera, Kim Petras, State Champs, The Audition, We Are The In Crowd, American Hi-Fi, Bobby Brown, Michael Jackson, the new Hilary Duff releases.
Nathan: Fleshwater, Underscores, Knocked Loose, Poppy, Heart Attack Man.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Waffle: Skrillex
Ryan: State Champs, they’ve been my favourite pop punk band for as long as I can remember.
Ricky: 100 gecs
Brandon: Fall Out Boy
Nathan: My Chemical Romance
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Ryan: When we play shows and we have people come up to us and just in general tell us how much they loved watching us play, but specifically when people will say they drove several hours to watch us. Knowing we’ve created something that means so much to people they’ll devote an entire day or weekend to watch us play means so much.
Ricky: I liek play loud fun sound.
Brandon: seeing and hearing the impact it brings to people. The fact that some silly songs I wrote in my head and sang to myself in my bedroom can affect anyone is magical. The sparkle in fans eyes when they are watching us live. When people of all ages be it kids, teens or people my age and older, can be taken to a special place that they never felt or thought they never could feel again. Being told that I inspire them to do whatever they want to do, live how they want to live unapologetically and go after their dreams just like I’m doing.
Nathan: definitely when people are singing your songs back to you. There really isn’t another feeling like it. It’s a sense of belonging. Also love cranking a guitar cabinet in a big room. It’s pretty rad.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Ryan: Hitting writers block. Every musician will hit it and the longer it goes on, the more frustrating it becomes. Just feeling like nothing you’re writing is up to par with what you know you can do can make it really rough to continue writing.
Ricky: The most frustrating part of being a musician is navigating the unexpected; there’s always a next step and always several snags along the way to learn from and adapt to, and sometimes that takes trial and error. That’s a little vague, but really how I feel.
Brandon: being smart enough to know all the steps to succeed but feeling powerless to the fact that so much of that is out of my hands (and out of my price range). Trying to shake the feeling that I’m always running out of time.
Nathan: I genuinely love the process but some moments burn hotter than others and when it fizzles it takes a toll on you emotionally. Having patience is the most frustrating.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Waffle: Great white gave us great advice in person about doing whatever it takes to fund your career even if it was painting address numbers on the side walk.
Ryan: continue to make music you believe in and it will eventually find the right ears. too many people get caught up in making music that will sell and there’s no passion in it and people can tell.
Ricky: My dad said when I was a kid with a guitar to always put myself around people I can learn from, because it helps you grow. He also said believe in myself and stuff.
Brandon: That whether someone is at the top or grinding at the bottom, no one really knows what they’re doing and are just finding their own path. So focus on what works for me.
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Kawaii AF's new single 'Simply Hopeless' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.