PROFILE
Formed in March 2016, this five-piece band has a sensibility that is rare in Japan, sounding vivid guitar pop reminiscent of the UK in the 90s and a dream pop sound similar to 4AD. After releasing their debut album "Luby Sparks," which was recorded entirely in London, the band went through a vocal member change and released a four-song EP "(I'm) Lost in Sadness" last November. . They have also served as the front act for many international artists' performances in Japan. . and just recently released a new song, "Somewhere".
(from left) Tamio (Gt.), Erika (Vo.), Sunao (Gt.), Natsuki (Ba. / Vo.), Shin (Dr.)
How long has it been since you formed?
Natsuki:We formed in the summer of 2016, so it's been about 3 years . It has been about another year and a half since Erika became the vocalist , too.
The fact that the band's sound is so different from that of a university student, the fact that their debut album "Luby Sparks" was recorded entirely in London, and the fact that they have been the opening act for many international bands have helped them gain recognition, but now that Erika has taken over as vocalist, the nature of the band seems to have changed. It seems that the nature of the band itself has also changed with the change of vocalist to Erika.
Tamio:Musicality is changing all the time, but more importantly, the atmosphere of the band off stage has improved.
Do other members feel the same way?
Sunao:It's more like they are there as a mood maker.
Shin:Erika also works as a model, so she is able to communicate in all kinds of ways. . I have the impression that we have "expanded" in many aspects.
Erika, how do you feel about the time since you joined the group?
Erika:I moved to Tokyo from Kansai by myself, and there was a time when I was troubled by the circumstances of replacing the previous vocalist. When I first joined the group, I felt that I had to create a comfortable place for myself and fit in. . So, if you feel that way about me outside of the music, I am very happy.
Tamio:I didn't show my distress to those around me, but it must have taken a lot of courage to jump into this environment by myself, where I was already a solidified member.
(I'm) Lost in Sadness" was released after Erika joined the band, how do you feel the band has changed?
Natsuki:Our sound, which was reminiscent of Cocteau Twins or 4AD of the 80s and early 90s, received good reviews from critics and people who were deeply interested in the music. . On the other hand, there was a big reaction to the refreshing guitar pop of the first album.
Erika:Some fans might have been upset.
. And your new song "Somewhere" was recently released, wasn't it?
Natsuki:Actually, I do quite a bit of ego searching, and I often see comments like, "If only we had one more signature song that would make me gush" (laughs).
Sunao:That's right (laughs).
Natsuki:But that's what we thought, too. After receiving various responses and taking a bird's eye view of ourselves, we decided to make this new song "catchy" while still following in the footsteps of our past two albums.
Tamio:The presence of young people who like the vivid sound of the first album and those who like the dream pop-like sound of the EP has increased the presence of Luby Sparks itself, so we decided to make these songs at this time.
Do you think that all the members of the band were aware of your intentions before recording the album?
Erika:Yes, it is.
Sunao:I played it thinking, "This should sell! I played it thinking (laughs).
Natsuki:I wanted to create a melody that sounded like something you would hear in a trailer for an old-time coming-of-age movie, like Sixpence None The Richer's "Kiss Me" or a Blondie song. I was worried about how the song would turn out until we started recording the song, but the moment I put the song in, I was floored.
Sunao:It's also different from the catchiness of 2021, like the singing spirit of the early 00's. .
Natsuki is the main songwriter, but what did you think of "Somewhere"?
Shin:. It's been a while since I've heard a song that was easy to understand, and I felt that it was good. On the other hand, the songs are more complex than the ones from the early days, and I felt that the drumming was lacking in some technical aspects. It's as if my technique couldn't keep up with my ideas.
Natsuki:. When you make a song sound like the 80's, you have to rely on the drums a lot. The reverb is quite effective, the volume is unnecessarily loud, and there are a lot of hands.
Shin:I had to practice quite a bit.
Sunao:The Cocteau Twins were often quoted in the previous EP, and finally ), a Japanese guitarist and engineer who worked with the Cocteau Twins in the 90s and has released a solo album under the name Tate Mitsuo (Flat7 ), who also released a solo album under the name of (Flat7, joined us for the recording. He allowed us to use his guitar and other equipment used in those days for the recording. We were able to come up with ideas that we could not have come up with before, and this helped us to reproduce the sound that we wanted to create.
Natsuki:The other big thing was that we consciously changed Erika's singing style for this album. I sent you Pale Waves as a way of singing that I wanted you to refer to.
Erika:Yup . But to put it in an extreme way, I just went back to a straight singing style like Avril Lavigne, which is my roots, so if anything, it's easier to sing and put emotion into the song.
Natsuki:I asked the singers to arrange the songs freely, and they sang rather sensitively, but it turned out to be a good thing. Those who listened to "Somewhere" for the first time must have had the impression that the songs had changed.
And then you had the dream come true to have Robin Guthrie, a member and founder of Cocteau Twins, remix "Somewhere" for you!
Natsuki:We were always talking about Cocteau Twins and it came true. They are our heroes, and it is a dream come true.
How did you make the offer?
Natsuki:There is a female artist from Australia named Hatchie, whom I like a lot these days and often refer to her sound, and I have played with her other band Babaganouj with Luby Sparks in the past. She did a Robin Guthrie remix as the B-side of the single. I saw that and knew that Robin was still taking on music jobs, and Tate, who helped me with the recording, is still in touch with Robin, so I asked him if he would do it for me. I sent him the completed song "Somewhere" and he liked it so much that he agreed to do it.
What kind of communication did you have with Robin?
Natsuki:First Robin asked me what type of remix I wanted. I asked him if he envisioned something completely different, something more elegant and smooth, or something that came out of my head. . So I immediately said, "Just do what comes out of your head and let Robin's vibe come through, whatever you want.
What are your impressions of the finished remix?
Tamio:When I first heard it, I thought it was a completely different song. It was like a remix that changed everything we had written in one shot, like when you give 1 and you get 10 back. The atmosphere of the remix is dreamy and psychedelic, but the original chord progression and melody of the song are brought out in the atmosphere, and I feel the song has been updated.
Natsuki:Hatchie's remix version was very plain, not much different from the original, so I was actually a little apprehensive about Robin's remix. But when I first heard the remix that was sent to me, I was really moved and almost cried. It was half-tempo, with extreme breaks added, and the bridge was boldly cut to connect to the chorus very well. Unlike the remixes done by so-called "club" types, the drum pattern was re-recorded with Robin playing the bass and piano again, and although it was only one song, there were many references in the arrangement that made the packed melody stand out even more. It reminded me of "Evangeline," one of my favorite songs by the Cocteau Twins. I thought it was really beautiful.
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