They're not Harajuku girls. But they sure have style. And they know how to make music that puts The Beach Boys "Good Vibrations" to shame. They have soul. They have that cute girl-next-door charm. And they are kind of a bad ass. What more could you want from an all girl super group that calls Tokyo their home?

A while back when I first came across The Suzan, I was so intrigued by not only their unique sound but by the girls themselves. From their colourful faces, to their wild fashion taste, there is just something about The Suzan!

This Japanese riot girl band is formed by sisters Rie (keyboards and guitar) and Saori (vocals and guitar), along with friends Nico (drums) and Ikue (bass). At the beginning in 2003 it was just the sisters making tracks in their home. They didn't have plans to do any gigs like other bands, but soon enough they got a record deal with a Japanese label. So they gathered up their friends Nico and Ikue, and started to call themselves The Suzan (the sisters' nickname since they were kids).

Not surprisingly The Suzan have played with several notable bands such as Peter Bjorn & John and The Go! Team. This September the girls will be releasing their much anticipated record "Golden Week For The Poco Poco Beat" with Fool's Gold Records. Produced by Bjorn Yttling from Peter Bjorn & John, the album is bound to make you get up and clap your hands and dance around wildly!

I recently had a chance to get to know the girls better. Here are the highlights from that interview.

Can you tell us a little bit about your musical influences growing up and now?
When we were young, we used to listen to classic music mainly. Now we enjoy all kinds of music, such as rock, pop, dance, hip-hop.

You have a new album coming out soon. What was it like working with musical mastermind Bjorn Yttling?
It was really fun for us to work with Bjorn and really exciting. We learned a lot from his style, like choosing the right sound and reorganizing compositions. We have lots in common with Bjorn when it comes to making music, therefore working with him was such a smooth experience, even though we only had about 2 weeks.

What was the greatest challenge you all faced while working on this record?
Skills for playing the instruments. I think we are all good at creating songs and performing on stage, but we still need to work on playing all the instruments well.

You all have a really unique and fun sense of style. As of late, artists and fashion seem to go hand in hand. Would you say your style is a direct reference to your music?
Yes. Very much.

The Suzan makes it home in Tokyo, but your music is certainly making a splash here in North America. What's it like knowing that your music is being heard across the world?
Rie: I think it's great and also very interesting to imagine the situation where people who didn't know of us before are listening to our music now. Also I would love to hear their reactions or feedback after listening to our record.

Nico: It's very exciting because we've been longing for this moment. We have been ready to step out into this world for 5 years now! I'm itching to fly out to all over the world.

Saori: I am proud of this record and sure that everyone willl love it. Hopefully we will have more chances to play in different places in the world than before, which would be very delightful.I would love to see you all come out to see our exciting shows.

Ikue: I'm so thrilled that people living in places that we've never been to are listening to our music. And I can 't wait to meet those fans!

Are there any plans to tour North America/Canada?
Not yet. But maybe around the time when the album is released. Hopefully, at the end of August or in the fall.