Pop punks GOOD GRIEF have an album, a ton of singles, with an all new single out this next year! This Japanese band, has a lot to say about their creativity with music, influences, and plans to play shows everywhere real soon! The band discusses all of this below.
1. Where did you get the idea for the band name—was it planned or spontaneous?
I named the band Good Grief without really knowing what the phrase meant at first. I wanted a name that felt like a mix of sadness and happiness. When I typed something like “良い哀しみ (good sadness)” into Google Translate, Good Grief popped up — and it just felt right.
2. Why did you want to play this genre?
We’ve always loved music that’s both heavy and emotional, but also melodic and joyful. Pop punk is one of the few genres that can capture both extremes in one song.
3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?
No, not really. Good Grief started as more of a college band with my friends from my hometown. The current lineup came together a little later.
4. Where is the band based, and what’s your local music scene like? Any local bands you’d recommend?
We’re based in Tokyo. There are local shows happening everywhere — literally every town has a venue or two. You should definitely check out See You Smile, MIGHTY HOPE, LIKE A KID, and Winter Wakes — all amazing bands from the scene here.
5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?
Anything, really — favorite songs, good movies, anime, random thoughts.
6. What are your songs about?
I tend to write about my personal struggles a lot. That’s just how I feel most of the time, though it could change any day — and I’m open to that.
7. Do you write your own songs? What’s your songwriting process like?
Yes, we do. For Sad Station 2nd, we worked closely with two producers, Daihei and Ken. Daihei and I wrote most of the instrumentals together — we wanted to create a record that future generations of bands would want to write. It wasn’t about chasing trends, but rather imagining what might define the next twenty years of this genre.
Ken handled much of the lyrical arrangement and guided me to “write something so honest that you might not even want to sing it in front of people.” It hurts sometimes to perform those songs — but in a good, healing way.
8. What have you released so far, and what can people expect from your work?
We’ve released over 50 songs in the past nine years, including our latest album. I think our music shows that “sad boys” exist in Tokyo — they love pop punk here, and growing up in Japan gives that sound a whole new flavor.
9. Do you have any new music in the works?
Yes! We’re planning to release a new single by next spring, along with some exciting announcements.
10. What about shows or touring? Any plans?
If you’re in Japan, come to our big show in Daikanyama on November 28th! We’re also aiming to do a U.S. tour in 2026.
11. What are your future plans as a band?
Thanks to social media, people outside Japan have started discovering our music. We want to visit as many of their cities as possible and play shows there.
12. Where can people listen to your music or buy your merch?
Our music is available on all streaming platforms, and you can grab our merch at https://merchcamp.shop/collections/good-grief?srsltid=AfmBOor0WHPxFK-jv5KGpM4BB-KIqroqZGv7_6-c59yGBmjdS65dhf2K.
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