Even though we’re taking a break for the summer, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to bring you a bonus episode featuring a great guest, and for a great. Today, we’re thrilled to introduce you to Toshi, the “emo vampire” pre-debut artist hailing from the vibrant streets of New York.

Toshi has been making waves recently with his release, “u wont hear this anyways,” a compilation of demos and covers you can listen to on SoundCloud. And the timing couldn’t be better: Toshi is coming down to Florida this week to do shows and appearances in Jacksonville and Orlando, and we’re here to get all the details about his tour straight from the source.

Let’s dive right into the conversation and get to know this rising star. We’ll give you just a teaser here of how the conversation got started and then we recommend you listen to the interview so you can hear the answers directly from him.

Getting to Know Toshi

MIA2K: Without further ado, let’s hear from the man himself. Hi there Toshi! Please introduce yourself to the fans and listeners tuning in!

Toshi: Hi my name is Toshi. I’m in indie pre0debut artist from New York.
I’m an independent artist right now and I like doing music because it’s one of my passions.

The Journey to Music

MIA2K: Toshi, when did you first realize that you wanted to pursue a career in music? Was there a specific experience or person who inspired you to chase your artistic dreams?

Toshi: Ohh yeah, so I actually to be completely honest, growing up, I wasn’t like really into music or anything and really wanted to become a video game designer. And it’s something I’m still passionate about now, but I started wanting to become a musician when I was scouted to be a trainee when I was very young.

MIA2K: How old were you when you were scouted?

Toshi: 12-13.

Host: Wow, that’s young. And so through working through that training process, you discovered that you actually did have a passion for music and the video games were gonna be put into the resting room while you focus on your career here.

Toshi: Right. And then I came back to America and listened to music in a completely different way. And one of my biggest influences was this band called Paramore.

To find out more about Toshi’s influences, his process, and his inner workings, we recommend listening to the interview:

But of course, we won’t leave you without the most important information, which is Toshi’s schedule while here in Florida:

Here are all the details for all the Toshi stops in Orlando. You can check out @/skzinflorida on Instagram for all of this information and to RSVP for the events that have limited spaces or shifts: 

• Saturday September 30th there will be a Bobarista Meet & Greet event at Ice & Bites from 11:30am-3:30pm which has limited tickets 

• Also on Saturday after the cafe event there will be a free Meet & Greet at Cranes Roost Park from 5-7pm where you can bring your own blanket and listen to Toshi sing a few songs

• And then on Sunday October 1st, there is a Pop Up K-Pop Party at DGBEK Studios from 6-10 pm, where Toshi will be doing a live performance between 8-9pm. 

Again, you can check out @/skzinflorida on Instagram for all event details and ticket information. 

And if you prefer YouTube over streaming platforms, we got you:

Special thanks to Toshi for coming on our show, and to our friends at SKZ in Florida for facilitating the interview!