The Belair Lip Bombs in Conversation with DYGL

Last Updated on 2026-07-10 by a-indie

June 9, 2026, FEVER in Shindaita.

Maisie Everett of The Belair Lip Bombs, hailing from Frankston, Australia, sat down together with Nobuki Akiyama and Yosuke Shimonaka of the Japanese rock band DYGL.

This conversation brought together two acts who have delivered music from two island nations, Japan and Australia, speaking candidly about the hardships of touring, strange incidents from live shows, musical influences, and even differences in language and culture.

What did Maisie really mean when she said, “we are definitely connected under that broader umbrella of indie rock” when describing her band and DYGL?

The Belair Lip Bombs x DYGL Interview

Artists:
Maisie Everett of The Belair Lip Bombs
Nobuki Akiyama and Yosuke Shimonaka of DYGL
Interviewer: Maririn
Interpreter: Ayako Takezawa
Photography: Ted Orsenado
Editing and proofreading: BELONG Media, A-indie

The Warmth of Welcome Felt on the Japan Tour

Maririn: To start, I would love to ask about this Japan tour. Maisie, what has your impression of coming to Japan been like?

Maisie: It has been really good. The night before last we played a show in Nakano, at a really tiny venue, maybe eighty people capacity or so. The response from the crowd was so warm. I really felt welcomed.

Shimonaka: We had actually done an event at that same venue before you all came.

Maisie: Oh really? That is funny.

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Memories from the Australia Tour

Maririn: DYGL, you all went to Australia for the first time this January too, did not you? How was it?

Akiyama: It was wonderful. Coming to Australia was something we had been dreaming about for more than ten years. Some of the other members, like our guitarist Kohei Kamoto and our bassist Yotaro Kachi, actually studied abroad there as teenagers, but this was completely my first time. It really hit me. We played a show at Singing Bird Studios, and the vibe was so good.

Maririn: Maisie, how did it feel hearing that DYGL had also played at Singing Bird Studios?

Maisie: That is really cool to hear. Singing Bird Studios is a really special place for us too. It is in Frankston, a little town on the coast, about an hour from Melbourne. It actually opened around the same time we started the band. It is one of the only all ages venues in Melbourne, so young people can come to shows there safely, and a really good community has grown up around it.

Akiyama: In the US, a lot of venues do not let minors in either, right?

Maisie: It is pretty much the same in Australia, ninety nine percent of the time you have to be eighteen to get into most venues. That is why places like Singing Bird, with a full all ages license, matter so much. You just have to show ID at the bar if you want a drink, but hardly any venues have that setup. It also costs a lot more to run.