"Sorry?" splutters Connan Hosford, better known as Connan Mockasin, as his bandmates cackle in the background. "Excuse me ... What did you say before?"
He's got me on speakerphone, and I've just mentioned the name of the group he'll be appearing alongside at his debut Japan show this weekend — Ogre You Asshole. "Oh, man!" he says, regaining his composure. "I know who you're talking about, but I'd not heard the actual name being said."
Playing in Japan for the first time is a big deal for a lot of musicians, but especially so for the 36-year-old New Zealand native, one of the great eccentrics of 21st-century indie rock. After stints in London, Manchester and Los Angeles, Hosford recently moved to Tokyo to be with his partner, former Playboy Playmate Hiromi Oshima, and their newborn daughter.