Are you ready to join the pack? Man With A Mission’s Jean-Ken Johnny took some time away from the mask to talk about the band’s long career, letting fans pick their setlists, and why their upcoming shows might be their craziest yet…

Words by Tanita Hingerty | July 23, 2025

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Fifteen years into their career as Japan’s most unpredictable rock band, Man With A Mission’s wolf-pack energy hasn’t slowed down one bit. As they get ready to drop their new XV EP Across The Globe this September and kick off their European Howing Across The World tour, the masked icons are still full of surprises, whether it’s sweating buckets in their famous wolf costumes or packing venues with their signature rock and anime themed songs. We caught up with guitarist and singer Jean-Ken Johnny to talk about their long career, letting fans pick their setlists, and why their upcoming shows might be their craziest yet.

When asked how they’ve lasted 15 years, Johnny keeps it simple: “We just love playing music and travelling the world to rock out with fans. That excitement never faded.” Even as music trends changed, their mix of 90s-style rock and anime-friendly bangers kept finding new listeners. Their recent Japan tour let fans vote on what songs they played, which Johnny says was cool, even if people mostly picked the hits like ‘Fly Again’, which Johny remarks, “that one always gets the whole crowd jumping”, and their popular anime tracks like ‘Database’.

Can we talk about those iconic wolf masks? Johnny laughs: “Wolves are supposed to be all lone and mysterious, but they actually run in packs – just like us.” Their upcoming European tour will bring their full wolf-pack spectacle to the stage, “Yeah, you’ll see five animal-headed dudes rocking out”, but Johnny promises the music comes first. “The show looks wild, but the songs hit just as hard as any regular band, maybe harder.” It’s their first proper European headline tour in years, with all dates including London and Berlin supported by Hands Like Houses.

The new XV EP , coming in September, mixes fresh tracks with live versions of fan favourites. Johnny says it’s the perfect warm-up for the tour.”Grab it, crank it, and get ready to party with us.” As for what’s after the tour? More shows in Asia, and eventually new music, but for now, they’re just pumped to get back on the road.

For a band that started as a weird experiment (legend says Jimi Hendrix created them), MAN WITH A MISSION’s real talent is making everyone feel like part of their wolf pack. As Johnny puts it, “Let’s make these shows unforgettable.” The wolves are back, and they’re ready to tear the roof off.

Their HOWLING ACROSS THE WORLD tour starts October 2 in London. Grab your tickets here.

MAN WITH A MISSION’s XV EP ACROSS THE GLOBE drops September 19.