Hiya Toshio, thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today. Grab a brew and take a seat.
Thanks for having me, mate! Lemme grab my coffee for today. And, it’s a nice Chinese speciality coffee brew from Old Spike for me!
What made you decide that music is a thing for you?
Well, music has always been a part of my family. I was raised listening to some reggae, jungle, dancehall, the usual urban classics back in the days. Eventually, I branched out into listening to some metal music when nu-metal became mainstream in 00’s. Then it went from playing on the piano to video game soundtracks to attempting to learn some riffs on the guitar without an amp, and now it went to making music using Audition (I think it was called back then) before FL Studio. That was when I thought, yeah. Let’s make some effing metal!
Introduce us to you and your musical history.
Yeah. So, the name’s Toshio Kirushima-Bailey. I’m the singer/songwriter for my solo artist project, My Broken Integrity. As mentioned, I once learnt how to play the piano when I was 8. Tried to learn guitar without a tutor but currently on an extremely long hiatus with that.
But when I was 14, I started using Audition to create game soundtracks midis from Sonic or Darkstalkers. When I was in college at 20 (don’t ask), I got into FL Studio, which has always been the backbone of my musical work due to its handy piano roll. So in essence, I’m self-taught as a composer and a lyricist. And yet, my music theory is still sh**. *laughs*
What’s the live music scene like in London right now? Anyone we should be looking out for (bar you, of course)?
There’s a strong variety of local metal bands and artists in London who are hungry to perform for everybody! The London Metal Coalition are spearheading this movement to bring more metal gigs to London, especially for female/non-binary fronted bands.
Halberd and Zombie Ant are my personal picks for anything old school and thrashy. For some sick rap/grime metal, The Doberman Boys are the ones to watch out for. Finally, This Dying Hour seriously caught my attention the first time I saw them play. As an extra bonus, Dread Fury is another one-man band to look out for.
Either way, any band or artist who’s caught my attention is worth checking out in my personal opinion. I’ll take the time to mention them in my socials whenever I can!
I’ve seen a lot of people struggling for support recently online. What’s your view on the industry?
MASSIVELY competitive! At one point, the record label companies, their CEOs, and their cronies are sitting on their big chairs, smoking their cigars while they’re waiting for the next big thing to happen for exploitation to line their pockets with. In the meantime, grassroot venues across the country are vanishing left, right and centre due to a lack of funding or tickets not being sold at all, considering the economic state of this country.
Which is why I’m backing the Music Venue Trust to save our grassroot venues and I would strongly encourage everybody to share their mission and/or donate whenever they can. Plus, good music deserves the attention with the right marketing strategy without the big 3.
Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry?
The bottom of the barrel. *laughs* I guess, being a solo artist in the metal scene would put me at a disadvantage more than getting a band together to perform with me. Mainly because they’re looking for metal bands as opposed to solo artists to perform at gigs, unless they’d manage to get session musicians together for half of their monthly salary. Then again, look at Nine Inch Nails and E’spirt D’air. One man created something spectacular by themselves before they had help. If they can do it, so can I.
Tell us two truths and a lie about you.
I fist-bumped Benji Webbe of Skindred in one of his gigs. I stayed in Scotland for the weekend. I can make a killer ramen from scratch.
Do you ever worry about people taking things the wrong way or cancel culture?
Because of how my Autism affects me? Yes but no. Yes, because I can be EASILY misunderstood. People in general are quick to persecute someone over what they did or say years ago, or even something that wasn’t maliciously intended and yet they’re denied the opportunity to redeem themselves. Which is incredibly disappointing considering the state of this society. Although, when it comes to serial sex offenders, pedos and abusers, then it’s open season. *laughs*
And I will say no because quite frankly, I don’t give two sh**s about what people think about me anymore. I’ve been ruined by a lot of people who are too quick to judge, who doesn’t want to understand me, and proceed to abuse me because I’m jot5 “part of the crowd”. So I couldn’t care less about them anymore. If anything, it’s another song idea I’m working on.
What was your best experience on stage?
The headliner performance as a band at The Beehive in Bromley-by-Bow in May 2023. Hands. Down. The experience was awesome enough to get my family, friends & fans under one roof to perform for them. I’m yet to find another performance to top that.
What was your worst experience on stage?
Oof. Oh boy- I think it was that open mic night at Fulham last year February. As much as I was there to perform, I didn’t have my fans to support me, there wasn’t anybody who’s a fan of metal, and I lacked the right equipment at the time. Whilst I had a few applause, I didn’t think I got the support from everybody who was there to support their friends. Plus, I was dealing with a lot where my mental health plagued me at the time. So that didn’t really help with my confidence either.
Tell us something about you that you think people would be surprised about.
Honestly, I’d like for them to ask. Though, I guess they’d be surprised about how much of a good singer I am or my stage presence at Karaoke. I mean, that’s from what they’ve told me. I’m never perfect as a vocalist. But I can always be better. *laughs*
What are the next steps you plan to take to reach the next level?
I’m currently looking into recording vocals for the rest of the tracks for this year. I got my boy, Marcus, getting the rest of the guitars nailed out with my guidance. And it’s being able to plan how I can get some gang vocals sorted out in my home or elsewhere.
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
Yes. It’s called Empty Walls. It was something that I was working on for several years. It’s a song that’s based on my struggles with isolation as a result of how my Autism affects me, which came after being bullied and abused for a lifetime. It’s this form of emotional experience where I’ve felt unheard, unseen, and it’s like I’m just screaming at that empty wall. Hence, it’s namesake.
What was the recording process like?
Joshua Taylor of The Walrus, Forest Hill, London, is an absolute saint. He’s very versatile when it comes to recording metal vocals compared to my home studio. He understood what I wanted, especially when it was my first time recording in a professional studio. In terms of recording my vocals, I started with my cleans and backup vocals to get them out of the way before my metal screams. The breakdown was the most taxing in terms of how my energy is used up. That’s where I felt emotionally charged to channel my anguish into this moment. There’ll be BTS footage of it on my socials.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tunes?
I’d say it’s either thinking about the sort of vibes the song would resonate with the theme of the song or thinking about how my lyrics can flow, especially with how I’d scream/sing it. With the breakdown for Empty Walls, the lyrics were a bit too wordy for me. Hence, why I needed to rewrite it.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
Not really, I’m very happy with how the song was written and produced in the end. Everybody and myself have done a brilliant job with it!
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
Yes! Empty Walls and the last two tracks, both Obsession and 3/11 (A Day to Remember), are part of an EP that will hopefully, touch wood *touches the nearest wood*, get released by this year. That being said, funding for this EP is paramount for it to stand out. Merchandise will be coming soon but I’ve opened up a donation link for you to assist me with the production of this project.
If you enjoyed my tracks and would want to see this EP become a reality, your donations will be very appreciated and will not go unrewarded! So until then, stay conscious, Dreamers and Fighters!
FOLLOW THEM HERE // STREAM HERE
MORE TOP BANDS COMING OUTTA LONDON HERE