. the tuxedo is an escape zone for my solo career.

I heard that you came up with the name "Tuxedo." How did you come up with this word?

mayor. Many of the bands we are influenced by have one-word complete names. For example, Zap. We thought it would be easier to remember if it were short and tight. . and the name "Tuxedo" came to mind. . a glamorous party, and an elegant appearance. . We linked our music with these images.

Like the name of your unit, you wear a tuxedo on stage, right?

Jake.. Yes, it is. The year before last, I had the opportunity to perform at Summer Sonic, and to be honest, it was really hot and tough... (laughs). I was sweating a lot and had to run to the dry cleaners right away.

How many tuxedos do you have?

Jake.: I have about 10 pieces. Mayer has more.

mayor: Too many. quite a bit more than Jake. . some cheapo, some very well-tailored, a wide range. But tuxedos are gorgeous, so they all look good, don't they (laughs)?

You are a singer, and Jake is a producer.

Jake.: Tuxedo is a special space for me. I can only do what I do with Mayer. . I can't play the sounds I play here on other projects, and I don't give my demos to other people.

mayor. the tuxedo is an escape zone.

Escape Zone?

mayor. In the solo, I express "Mayer Hawthorne" as an "individual". . So the music is more personal, deep, and emotional than in Tuxedo. But Tuxedo is different. It's about having fun. We just value the feeling and enjoy the sound. That's why our music is simple in structure and doesn't have a strong message. Everything is simple.

We have no desire to change our stance.

Who takes the lead in songwriting?

Jake.In the previous album, I wrote the music and Mayer put melodies and lyrics on it.

mayor. yes, the roles were separate. . But we worked on "Tuxedo II" as a unit, working together as a unit. From the songwriting to the lyrics, we worked together.

Tuxedo II" was a continuation of the musical style of the previous album , which made me think that this is the music of Tuxedo. . I think it was an album that fit the listener's feeling.

mayorI'm so glad you think so. I'm very happy if you think so.

Jake.. We recorded "Do it" and "So good" in New York. We recorded "Do it" and "So good" in New York, and the moment we finished them, we felt confident that this was our music. Even now, I still believe that our music is unique. . so I'm not going to go out of my way to change it.

mayor. We had great success with our last album. As Jake said, we were able to make music that only we can play, and to our surprise, the sales exceeded our expectations.

I heard that your last album "Tuxedo" was a worldwide success.

mayor: Yes, we really appreciate it , and we are very grateful for it. . But that doesn't mean we want to change our stance. We didn't want to add anything to the music to make it flashier, or to appeal to a deeper audience. We just wanted to keep it fun.

What did you want to express through this work?

Jake.. I used the feeling I had while I was on tour for two years to write the songs.

mayor. It was a very stimulating two years. . I was able to visit many countries, not to mention the U.S. . . I was able to visit Japan as Tuxedo, and I reflected those events in the songs.

What exactly did you reflect?

Jake.. For example, "Back In Town" is a song about visiting different cities and the people I met there. Take A Picture" is a show song. Everyone is trying to take a picture of us with their iPhones in hand, right? So we wanted to make a song that everyone could press the shutter at the same time. Also, "Fux With The Tux" with Snoop Dogg started out as a joke.

He only makes songs that he thinks are good, without worrying about sales.

Your collaboration with Snoop Dogg is a major topic of this work, isn't it?

mayor. The song was already written, and he happened to be in the studio with me. . He happened to be in the studio with me, and he improvised a song to go along with it, just going with the flow (laughs). . That's how the song came to be.

This episode is very typical of him, and conveys his free stance (laughs).

mayor. we've been fans of his for a long time. . We feel very privileged to be in such close contact with him. . because he's always supported us, not only with the tuxedo, but also with the solo stuff.

What attracted you to him?

mayor. Among the many people who make music, he is one of the few artists that we can really trust. . which means he is a rarity for us. He really understands Tuxedo's music. . Actually, he rarely listens to rap music in private.

That's surprising.

mayor. we lean towards funk and soul, and that's our common language. . so we work very well together.

What, if anything, have you gained through your interaction with Snoop Dogg?

mayor. Have fun. . that's what it's all about. If he thinks something is cool, he goes all out to enjoy it . No matter what anyone else says. I think that goes for the music he makes as well.

Jake.He only writes songs that he thinks are good, without worrying about sales.

mayor. We respect that attitude, and we try to be the same way.

Are there any other artists you would like to perform with?

Jake.. I'm Charlie Wilson.

mayor. maybe The Whispers.

Why is that again?

Jake.. I like his voice a lot. . and he's a good improviser.

mayor. his improvisation is genius.

Why do you recommend The Whispers?

mayor. In the course of their long career of 40 years, the band has changed its musical style in response to the changing times. . They have released many great songs during that transition. I have nothing but respect for them.

Anyway, I like Sushi.

What kind of music have you been listening to lately?

Jake.. maybe Future the Rapper. There is an album called "HNDRXX" that was released this year , and there is a song on it that I am a producer on.

mayor. i'm listening to Busy Pea. Like Jake, he is featured on a song called "GIENIE" that was released this year. I've also been listening to Kadia Boney a lot lately. She is a female singer to watch out for.

When you and Jake are together, what do you talk about besides music?

Jake.. about good food (laughs). We love sushi .

mayorWhen I'm in the U.S., we often have sushi meetings (laughs). (Laughs) . We talk about this and that over sushi.

Have you eaten Sushi yet since you came to Japan?

Jake.. of course, I was in Paris for 3 weeks and I missed Sushi all the time. . You can't eat Sushi in Paris. I went to eat Sushi as soon as I arrived at Narita (laugh).

What is your favorite story?

mayor. for me it's salmon. I think it's basic and classic stuff.

Jake.. love the Toro .

Simple rhythm and good melody. That's the charm of Tuxedo.

Tuxedo is performing in Japan more and more often. How do you two see the Japanese audience?

mayor. so dedicated, so much love .

The show is not limited to young people, but also includes people who came through the disco boom of the 80s.

Jake.. It's not only in Japan. People of all races and ages come to see our shows. It's really nice.

mayor. our music is simple. Simple rhythms and good melodies . . so it can be enjoyed by both children and adults. I think that's the charm of Tuxedo.