Getting to know Kat from Hello Tokyo is like being body-snatched from an isolated adobe casita in New Mexico and dropped in Times Square at midnight on New Year's Eve. The sensation consummates an obvious but newly spectacular realization: I am ALIVE. In other terms, I am a writer and a massage therapist. Professional endeavors for me are alternate forms of cave dwelling, frequently incorporating nudist accompaniment for intuitive, ritualistic dances (in both circumstances, though the nakedness quotient is considerably diminished when I'm writing and this is hardly a relevant forum for elaboration). My creative practices are bizarre mutations of spirituality and skill that feel like desperate concentration as I rub two sticks together in the dark. Kat arrives with a blowtorch and sparklers. Kat is a rock star.

Hello Tokyo, the power pop group from Brooklyn, NY, emerged in 2004 and has thus far conquered a spectrum of accomplishments so inclusive they are one rock n' roll ambition short of throwing live puppies into the audience. The band consists of Kat on vocals, John on guitar, Sam on drums and Blake on bass. Look for their soon-to-be released new album Sell The Stars and check out their website for details on upcoming shows...

October 20th... Black Cat, Washington D.C.

October 24th... The Annex, NYC

October 30th... Manhattan Room, Philadelphia

The Interview:

Lisa: I hear you've just returned from a studio recording in Hollywood. What were you working on?

Kat: We were working on a previously released song. Producer Greg Richling, aka our hero, showed a lot of interest in the band and in June 2007 flew out to New York City to re-work a song that's been very very good to us. With regards to which song, that's all I can say right now. The vibe was great and there was some serious chemistry. After a few months we flew out to Hollywood, recorded it and presto! We have a new killer version of a killer song that we're hoping will continue to be very very good to us!

We ended up recording at an amazing studio called Sunset Studios in Hollywood, CA in the room where Prince's Purple Rain was recorded along with other artists. There are three studios in total and the other two were taken up by Maroon 5 and Goldfrapp while we were there, two bands that we are totally into. The whole experience was surreal and very exciting.

Lisa: How would you describe the band's songwriting dynamic?

Kat: We have all been involved one way or another with the band's songwriting. The cool thing is we each like very different music so a little bit of this and a little bit of that equals something magnificently different and not like anything you have ever heard before. We definitely pay tribute to artists who inspire us but all together, we just go with the flow and take in everyone's ideas and influences and do our thang with it.

Lisa: You've got several upcoming shows beginning with MEANY Fest at Crash Mansion in NYC this Saturday. What's this event all about?

Kat: The fest began in September 2004 when 266 bands performed all over NYC and audiences voted in their favorites. It's a really fun, hands-on contest where the crowd is required to get involved. We had a great time last year and are on the bill again this year at Crash Mansion this Saturday.

Lisa: Have you played the Black Cat in D.C. or The Annex in NYC before?

Kat: We've played the back room a long time ago at the Black Cat. Every time we visit D.C. we always try to get ourselves there to see a show or hang out with friends. The club is artist friendly, all ages and has a lot of history so our October 20, 2007 performance, this time on the main stage, is something we're very much looking forward to. It's a really big show for us. We have also performed at The Annex. It's a nice club in a great location!

Lisa: Tell me about The 2007 Dress Responsibly Look Book presented by Fashion Fights Poverty that you'll be appearing in.

Kat: Fashion Fights Poverty created by the Style & Image Network is an organization featuring national and international designers who employ ethical means and practices in their design and manufacturing processes to produce products that promote economic development and betterment of communities. The Dress Responsibly Look Book is the official style guide of Fashion Fights Poverty. Hello Tokyo was invited by the FFP team to represent the New York City edition of the book for 2007. The book just launched last week and is available to the public through their website: www.fashionfightspoverty.org.

Lisa: How did your music end up on MTV's The Real World: Key West and Animal Planet?

Kat: We were contacted by MTV and they wanted to know if it would be okay to use our music. I'm not sure how they found us but I think it had something to do with us working our butts off promoting Hello Tokyo, seeing as we never had any contact with MTV up until that point.

The production company of the Animal Planet show Horse Power fell in love with our song Radio (2005) and thought it would be perfect for the opening credits for the entire length of their show. We were told a staff member working the show was a big fan of Hello Tokyo and recommended our music.

Lisa: Aside from individual shows, has Hello Tokyo ever toured or do you have plans to tour?

Kat: We mainly tour the east coast. I think the furthest we ever went west was Kentucky for a festival a while back. We definitely have plans to tour and perform in every State that is United. We promised a lot of fans we would and we always keep our word. Not only will we be definitely touring domestically but also internationally and we promise all this will take place very soon.

Lisa: When is your next release?

Kat: In about a month we are releasing a new album, our first full length Sell The Stars through an Indie Label (also a first for us) called Right Hook Records. They're really artist friendly and totally dig our music which is why we signed with them for this upcoming record.

Lisa: What is The Studio D Project?

Kat: The Susan G. Komen Foundation (the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures), Elle Magazine & Ford Automobiles teamed up and formed the Studio D Project. The Studio D Project went on a U.S. tour and set up booths at local malls reaching out to people with information about breast cancer. The booths were set up with various activities sponsored by Elle Magazine and listening booths which featured a few artists such as Hello Tokyo and Kat Parsons.

Lisa: You seem busy with various endeavors. What's the most exciting enterprise the band's got going right now?

Kat: The most exciting thing right now is the release of our album Sell The Stars. We didn't have the pressure of time and money this time around so the end result was everything we had hoped for.

We're also looking forward to a 2008 US Tour, specifically looking forward to meeting all the people that have stayed in touch with us, supported us for years but have never had the opportunity to meet us. Overall, we just can't wait to meet all our fans!