When British art-rock group Black Country, New Road made its Japan debut at Fuji Rock Festival last summer, it was significant in more ways than one.
For May Kershaw, it was a homecoming of sorts: The keyboardist and vocalist was born in Yokohama (“kind of in the countryside”) to a Japanese mother and maintains close ties to her maternal roots. Despite growing up in Cambridge, England, Kershaw speaks Japanese, too. “Although my Japanese is very limited to household chatter,” she says during a video call with The Japan Times. “I struggle with keeping up with the news or anything specialized.”
While she was growing up, Kershaw’s family returned to Japan for the winter holidays, and she spent short stints at a local school. “The culture is quite different,” she says. “There’s a lot more bowing! And it's really amazing that all the kids tidy up every day. I think everywhere should do that.”