Feature: West Wickhams Decodes ‘Sakura’
Punk Head: Your single draws on the Japanese aesthetic of mono no aware—beauty wrapped in melancholy. What drew you toward this philosophy for the foundation of the song?
West Wickhams: Thanks the EP is called Sakura which is the aesthetic sense of "the pathos of things" highlights the deep understanding and sensitivity to the transient nature of life, a concept strongly associated with cherry blossom.
In Japanese art and culture, cherry blossoms (sakura) symbolize the fleeting nature of life through their short, beautiful bloom, a concept known as mono no aware. This philosophy emphasizes the transient beauty of existence and encourages appreciation of the present moment. The symbolism is found across various art forms, including paintings, poetry, and even kimono designs, where the ephemeral beauty of the blossoms serves as a reminder of life's fragile and impermanent nature.
It just seemed very inspirational when we found this out.
Punk Head: Cherry blossoms bloom briefly but brilliantly. How does that fragile intensity reflect your own creative process or personal worldview?
West Wickhams: We would hope that everyone can keep creating art or supporting it forever.
Punk Head: You describe your sound as a “lo-fi post-punk bedroom synth pop dreamscape.” What emotions do you hope listeners feel inside that dream?
West Wickhams: Thanks, we would hope that any listener has their own opinion and can feel anyway they wish about music. Music is a personal and unique experience as we all know.
All we are is a dream inside a dream someone once wise said.
Punk Head: West Wickhams emerged from Tresco, a place you describe as “the island of lost souls.” How does that unusual origin still haunt your music today?
West Wickhams: It’s definitely highly influential due to all the great characters and nature on the island.
Punk Head: Relocating from shipwrecks and subtropics to “where the creatures rule." Has Richmond changed your sound or sharpened your vision?
West Wickhams: It may give us a broader perspective musically due to all the places and shows we can go to but it does not mean we would ever forget our origins which are equally as inspiring.
Archipelago go!
Wander among King Protea and Lobster Claw, the great blue spires of Echium, brilliant Furcraea, Strelitzia, and shocking-pink drifts of Pelargonium. A network of paths crisscrosses this subtropical wonderland, inviting discovery at every turn.
Punk Head: Punk roots meet poetic philosophy in “Sakura.” Do you see beauty and rebellion as two sides of the same flower?
West Wickhams: Yes, I think Andy Warhol once said to Lou Reed why don't you write a song about a flower that is rebellious (or words to that effect), so he wrote Vicious, so that is a good example of where we want to be songwriting wise one day hopefully.
