Sena Kana – Serenity

By starrymag | December 23, 2020

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound? 

A) Personally, I think I have a sound that envelops the listener and it’s the message in my music that sets me apart. Some people find my sound special, but for me it is all natural; perhaps a blend of the music and movies I grew up with or the classical music I studied in college, all coming together to make a voice. The resulting voice created is what makes my sound unique.

 

Q) Who are your musical influences? 

A) To be honest, I don’t have a specific artist or sound that has influenced me the most. I am inspired by all the music I hear, whether it’s someone from a similar time period and genre as me or a big-name artist like Michael Jackson or The Beatles. I draw inspiration from the musical movies I’ve watched when I was small and couldn’t even read the subtitles, traditional Japanese singers, and the classical music I studied in college.

 

Q) Tell us a little bit about your recent EP Serenity and the first single “Undisputed.” 

A) The Serenity EP is a collection of songs that express a message of positivity and inspiration and is a reflection of my message to my fans. “Serenity,” as the title of the EP suggests, is the number one word that I wanted to bring to my fans as the core of my messages. “Undisputed” has become a very important song to me since the moment Poo Bear first wrote it for me. The image of being deep under water and desperately seeking the light of the “warrior” came to me. Also, the fact that he joined as a singer on the final version made it even more special to me.

 

Q) Are there plans to do a music video for “Undisputed” in the near future? 

A) Well, there is nothing I can share with you on that at the moment, but there is definitely more coming from me before the end of this year so you’ll just have to keep your eyes out for that!

 

Q) American songwriter Poo Bear was also featured vocally on “Undisputed.” How did you come to the decision to include him on the track and what was it like getting to work with him? アメ

A) I first met Poo Bear in the middle of 2019. With each other having the message of peace at the core of our minds, it was natural for us to hit it off right away and start working together. Shortly thereafter, we had a session together in his studio. From there, we went back and forth with our ideas and values to finally produce the EP, Serenity. Poo Bear also came to Japan during the process and I believe it enhanced the quality of the EP greatly. He was the main writer for the whole EP, so it was a natural decision for him to join “Undisputed” as a vocalist. It was great to work with such a talented writer, and I really like the songs he writes.

 

Q) One of my favorites on Serenity was “Your Eyes.” Which song was the most fun for you to record and why? 

A) Well, honestly, it’s hard to say which was my favorite to record. “Your Eyes” was recorded directly with Poo Bear in LA. Meanwhile, the other records were all done with another Engineer, Ken Lewis, who I have a great work relationship with. I must say that all of the sessions were equally meaningful and exciting to me.

 

Q) What do you hope fans take away from Serenity? 

A) The concept of the EP, and the lifelong theme for me, is that I wish so that people can feel the ray of hope at any moment. Whenever I sing, I wish for the happiness of the listeners. My goal is to make my audience around the world feel better, see hope, light and kindness. On this EP I hope to be able to reach out to people in different situations through the variety of types of songs. I feel very calm when I sing it. I hope that my fans will remember, feel and try to find their own “serenity” after listening to it.

 

Q) With the recent release of the EP, did you get to have a virtual listening party or do any live shows via social media for your fans?

A) I have not been able to do any yet! As of right now I have no virtual concerts in the works at the moment. But I do really hope that when the world starts to return to normalcy, I will be able perform in some ways for all my fans.

 

Q) Getting the chance to listen to the EP felt like a subtle nod to your Japanese heritage. How important is it for you to incorporate your roots into your music? 

A) Personally, I think it is important, of course, to incorporate my heritage because it’s part of my world view, but at the same time I do like to have my message and music to be universal enough that anyone from any walk or life or place in the world and listen to it and relate to the messages.

 

Q) You also recently made history as the first solo female Japanese artist to reach Gold status for your single “Up” with Wiz Khalifa and Sheppard. What was it like getting to work with them and how did their contribution influence the overall feel of the song? 

A) Working with Wiz Khalifa and Sheppard was great. They both brought their own sound to the record which together I think really made it so special. That culmination of different genres and voices working together ended up producing an amazing song and personally I couldn’t be prouder of how it turned out.

 

Q) What would you like to share with fans & supporters of your music? 

A) Again, I wish that people can feel a ray of hope at any moment. When the corona pandemic occurred, I was right in the middle of working on new projects. What had been the norm was no longer the norm and new standards were being set. Recording remotely was one of them. Still, I at least sang every day as much as possible and tried to be always grateful for the opportunity to do so. I think a lot of people have come into contact with new standards in a variety of ways that they have never faced before. I finished this EP hoping to give people in need a little push. I hope my fans enjoy this EP and feel the hope and brightness that I tried to incorporate in it.

 

 

 

Watch the Video For “Undisputed”