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【"her" Magazine, Vol. 1】TOMOMI - Private Interview


"As human beings, we four should be nice people"


Since last year, TOMOMI has become even more natural and relaxed. Surrounded by flowers and plants, she gently spoke about her daily life basking in the sun.

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"I want to be happy when I'm doing what I love to do, and I want to indulge in the things I love"

―We originally thought you had many interests, but it seems that they've grown a lot recently, haven't they? Your interest in flowers in particular has grown, right?

TOMOMI: Starting from last year I might have more things that I like. Particularly, my project held at Feedback! was a big part of that. I've always liked flowers, but that year I was more up close to them than before. As I started collecting dried flowers and going to see a lot of them, I also started to dry and dye the flowers I'm growing, and also began make herbariums and floral swags. I decorate my place with them as well as give them to friends.



―You're getting more and more organic (laughs). Is this the mode you've been in for the past few years?

TOMOMI: For the past few years, perhaps. Originally, my grandma loved flowers and was crazy about tending flower beds, so this is something I've seen since I was little. My mom started making herbariums about a year before I got hooked. Fondness for flowers probably runs in our blood (laughs). Also, moving to a new place and changing my life might have a lot to do with it too. There's so much sunlight that comes into where I'm currently living and it feels great. I've become a tree-like person who wakes up basking in the sun (laughs). At my previous place I used to care for plants that don't need much water, like cacti, but at my current place I'm nurturing plants that I must take care of every day and spray water on. My love deepened. The biggest one I currently have is an everfresh tree. The leaves are open because it wakes up in the morning and noon, but at night the leaves close and it sleeps. That's so cute. It's firmly insisting that it's alive (laughs). I didn't really mean to talk about that. Because of this, the way I spend my time off has changed too. In the morning I take everyone out on the veranda and have them take in breeze and bask in the light. It's like I'm taking them out for a walk.



―You're living a very healthy life (laughs).

TOMOMI: Yeah. My lifestyle has changed. After I moved, I feel that my flow of energy improved and I was able to find a lifestyle that fits me. I spend more time awake. I get up earlier than I used to. That's also probably related to the sun (laughs). When I tour overseas I do think, "I've come this far, so I want to stay up for even a second longer," and right now I'm close to that state every day. I'm happy when I get up and do what I love, so if I can get up then I want to get up early and immerse myself in what I like. This is also all thanks to my plants (laughs).



―Moving may have been a pretty big change.

TOMOMI: That's just it. My exposure to the sun changed, and I started caring for plants and waking up early in the morning. Also, one of my classmates in high school now lives about 10 minutes away from me. That's why they come over quite often, and since they regularly come over at 6:15 I've coordinated my schedule and we cook and eat together (laughs). I might be living a rhythmic life.



―If that's the case, is how you have fun changing too?

TOMOMI: Totally. Lounging at home is fun, and I also now go camping! I surprisingly have a lot of friends who like to camp. At first I was just following them along, but now I'm pretty hooked on it. Last winter I camped along a river when it was about -5°C/23°F. Though it's freezing, having a bonfire makes it feel like you could live like that the rest of your life. By doing so, camping during the winter becomes more fun. You can buy a sleeping bag that can withstand below freezing temperatures. You wake up when the sun rises, cook, and take your time eating. That's so much fun.



―Lastly, please tell us your thoughts on establishing "her." How do you feel?

TOMOMI: It feels like we now have our own private place, and I want to keep decorating the interior. Accordingly, our everyday lives, how we live our lives, and our mindsets have emerged clearly. As human beings, we four should be nice people. It feels like we can grow stronger if that happens. We'll be ourselves more than ever before.

TOMOMI's current obsession:

Utsuwa

Ever since I started to cook a lot, I've become more enthuastic about the dishes I use. I know food gets more delicious when served on a cute plate (laughs). That's why I became interested in them and started collecting them. My collection's been growing since a friend gave some to me for my birthday, and I'm thinking of making them myself now. I'm addicted to pottery right now, so I'd like to try making pottery. I ask the people at the shops I often go to about pottery (laughs). I'd like to try making something on a potter's wheel.

【"her" Magazine, Vol. 1】RINA - Private Interview


"Even if I live for decades, I won't be able to do anything more important than this"


Last up is an interview with RINA. This past year was a difficult one for her. She'd like for you to accept her positive and happy mindset after overcoming her difficulties.

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"I want to continue to leave behind concrete things other than music"

―Has your desire for art increased dramatically in the last year or so? You've been to a lot of places lately, haven't you?

RINA: I have! My frequency in going to galleries and solo exhibitions certainly did increase in this past year. I've been making appointments to meet with creators that I'm interested in (laughs). Earlier I made my own zine for the first time, and that was when I contacted one of my favorite artists and made it with her. I also took pictures with her for fun. I might have more creator friends now.



―You released that zine last year, right? When did you start working on it?

RINA: We started working on it at the end of 2017. We gathered the outfits and stuff that we could use in it, searched for studios to use, and thought about what makeup to do. I looked at the finished item and added my own words. I took a chance on it, and I realized that I like people who make things that are biased towards their personal hobbies. I really like the fact that it's like lumps of individualities, and that it won't make sense to people who aren't interested. I now find it interesting to touch what I've shaken off the most, and think of how I can return it back to our standard music.



―Do you want to continue making zines and shooting pictures for works?

RINA: I want to continue to leave behind concrete things other than music. I think it would be fun if I could do things that I can't do as a musician at the same time as playing music for fun. Perhaps the existence of social media also plays a big part in me feeling this way. If my Twitter is mainly about music and my Instagram is about me consciously sending out things other than music, I realized that I do in fact like clothes, hair, and makeup. I started thinking that I should openly give shape to the things I like and leave them behind in a proper form.



―It's also important for there to be fans that'll accept them straightforwardly.

RINA: Exactly! If on my Instagram I post a picture of someone's exhibition, there will be some fans who will go to it. I'm really proud that our fans pick up on what we show and act on their own to listen and see things for themselves. There are many fans who don't stop at that and really learn about SCANDAL and myself. Our fans are cool.



―I'd like to ask you about the past year or so. What kind of period was 2018 to now like?

RINA: There was a period when after making HONEY I couldn't write any lyrics for several months. That was because 2018 was full of both good and bad things that happened in both my personal and professional lives. For my private life in particular, I had to work hard on my own to overcome my struggles. While hitting countless walls, I wanted to be able to create cheerful music when I'd be able to overcome everything. When things worked out and I began writing again, I naturally became able to write punkish songs.



―What you wrote after climbing over those walls were "Masterpiece" and "Mabataki." During that time in your personal life, what kind of time was it like for the band?

RINA: This kind of feels bad to say, but right now we might be the closest we've ever been (laughs). We've always been close, but we've been having even more fun these days. This chance of fate truly is amazing. I'm confident that even if I live for decades, I won't be able to do anything more important than this, even if the band stops being a band at some point. Even if I lived to be 100 years old―although I'm still only 27―I don't think there's anything more important in the future than this band.



―And that led to weekly rehearsals in the studio (laughs).

RINA: Yeah (laughs). I didn't like only going to the studio before a tour, before a live show, or going only when we had to go. There are times when all we do is just chat, and the four of us have this studio time where we play our instruments and have fun. As a result, we've gotten a little better at our instruments (laughs).

RINA's current obsession:

Movies

I've always loved movies, and I still want to watch 100 movies in a year. It doesn't matter what genre, or whether I like it or not. The criteria I have for liking a movie so much I buy it on DVD is that it has fashion elements, or it's a little erotic or grotesque. I love chick flicks. There was a recent movie that came out called "Blue My Mind," which is about a girl who turns into a mermaid. When she gets her period, her body turns into one of a mermaid's and returns to the sea alone at the end. It's a metaphor for growing up and leaving home. I think I like movies that get interesting after learning about its meaning after watching it, and ones that have beautiful scenes.

【"her" Magazine, Vol. 1】HARUNA - Private Interview


"It's more fun to live life your own way"


Following the long interview with all of the members, are solo talks where they each roughly talk about their current statuses. Unlike the first interview, we asked them to talk casually about their private lives. First up is HARUNA.

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"It's just a waste if you live your life only listening to what others say"

―HARUNA, your solo trip to New York during the New Year's holiday [December 2018] really was a big thing for you, wasn't it? Haven't you always been the type of person who travels alone?

HARUNA: Not at all (laughs). That was my first time traveling alone! I had a friend in NY so I went out to eat dinner with them, but during the day I actually was alone for my 4-night, 6-day stay.



―And NY is overseas too. I'd understand if you had gone to somewhere like LA.

HARUNA: I thought that too (laughs). I thought I prefer places like LA where you can take it easy, but I oddly got hooked on NY after traveling there in the summer and fall last year. That informative feeling is fun. Something I've never done before was riding the train by myself to Manhattan after arriving at the airport. I didn't expect that doing things like that would give me experience points. That made me happy.



―Why did you feel like traveling alone at that time?

HARUNA: Right? For some reason I started to get into this "I want to travel alone somewhere and do something by myself" mode during the latter half of 2018. After my New Year's trip to New York, I felt more interested in seeing and experiencing more things. Turning 30 probably has a lot to do with it. I want to try doing things by myself that I haven't yet experienced.



―Has your mindset changed after turning 30?

HARUNA: I think so. I've been able to comfortably come to terms with many things, with music and in my private life, too. From the start I've been the type that tends to pay attention to other people's needs, but the more I insist on my ideals, the more I can enjoy life and relationships. I don't know if it's because I have this sort of career, but I always felt like I was a child. For example, it was a given that I'd be picked up when going to work; when on tour we had everything arranged for us, and all I had to do was go with it. I wanted to try taking a solo trip, and I also wanted to try doing everything for myself. I've turned 30, but I'm still childish. I've been alive for 30 years, so it's just a waste if I live my life only listening to what others say. If I have another 40-50 more years of life ahead of me, it might be more fun to live life my own way.



―Is that the same for your musical activities as well?

HARUNA: Yes. I realized recently that, as a vocalist, it's important to convey your feelings during each and every live show. It's important for all of us to say things, but you need to say what you're thinking about. I hope it'll be connected in the future as well.



―It feels like the atmosphere between the members has grown more intimate because of personal growth such as yours. It's close to the love that comedians have for their partners.

HARUNA: I get that (laughs). It's like we're absolute partners. Also, we've recently been going to the studio once per week.



―Really? That's shocking! Since when?

HARUNA: About 4 or 5 months ago. Just the four of us voluntarily began going. We always meet up whether we have things to be done or not. So, there are times when we're completely honest when talking with each other (laughs). That also might be showing in our recent moods. I think we've grown to care more for each other.



―You guys are too strong (laughs). How did that start?

HARUNA: It was pretty natural, but if I had to guess, I'd say it was probably due to starting our label "her." Although we check in every day via LINE, we thought it's better to have more days where we're able to meet face-to-face. Actually doing it is really great.



―Lastly, what's something you want to challenge yourself with?

HARUNA: Compared to last year, there are quite a few festivals we're playing at—like ARABAKI ROCK FEST—that we haven't yet played at. I want to get even more pumped for those. Although we travel while on tour, I'd also like to travel domestically separately from the tour. Going to all kinds of places via car and such. The travel bug has bit me pretty hard after all.

HARUNA's current obsession:

Tarako pasta

I'm so obsessed with tarako pasta! It originally started when I went to Dan, a restaurant specializing in tarako pasta in Meguro. I first got hooked on that place, and I've also gone to the Hategaya sister store Kabe no Ana in Shibuya, which is said to be the birthplace of the dish. The thickness of the noodles is slightly different, there are many toppings, and each is respectively unique and delicious. I think my favorite right now is Uncle Tom in Ebisu. For the time being, I'm taking care of myself and don't eat it often, but I did eat it two days ago (laughs).

【"her" Magazine, Vol. 01】MAMI - Private Interview


"It's as if we're high school classmates who became mom friends (laughs)"


Next is the personal interview with MAMI. In 2018, her hobbies turned pro when she sold remade items. Focusing on her thoughts on that point in time, we had her talk about things like her overflowing love for the members.

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"It personally feels like a new start to me, but SCANDAL's not changing at all"

―During MAMI WEEK [in 2018] at the Feedback! Shop in Shibuya, you sold remade items. You put quite a lot of effort into it, didn't you?

MAMI: That was one of my highlights of 2018 (laughs). It was like, "I'm finally going beyond the field of my hobby, and am selling it!" (laughs). From the start I've liked to design apparel, but my hobby taking a clear and defined shape surprised me as well. It might have been the hardest I've ever worked in my life (laughs).



―I was surprised at how well-done it all was. It was pretty tough, wasn't it?

MAMI: Because there's no template unlike musical instrument software, I had too much freedom and it was really hard to come up with ideas. They were remade items, but I wanted to make things that could be used everyday. When I previously asked Yoshie, [clothing store] CANDY STRIPPER's designer, for advice, she said, "I think music and fashion are very closely related to each other right now. You listen to music influenced by fashion, and you make clothes influenced by music." It's exactly like that. It was the first time I thought that way after making my own clothes.



―As always, it's amazing how you get into your hobbies.

MAMI: If you're hooked on it, you'll thoroughly pursue it. Like, I'm at the point where I'm like, "What's the name of this part? This sewing method? This wool?" (laughs). Since I myself am a craftsman, I'm very curious about a crafter's soul and its reverse side. Lately, I've been going to festivals where handmade things are for sale—not just handmade clothes, but also things like sweets and tableware. It's hard when you go to events like that because you find so many things you want to buy for others. Like, this bowl would be good for TOMO-chan, or these earrings would be nice for RINA-chan. Ever since last year, I've been giving out "ordinary-day presents." That means I give something to someone on an ordinary day that is neither on their birthday nor for Christmas.



―It seems as if the members already share a love that's like one between a middle-aged married couple (laughs). It seems like you guys have been getting along even better recently, hasn't it?

MAMI: We have a good friendship between each other, as if we're high school classmates who respectively got married and became mom friends (laughs). It's a transcendent friendship that's different from friendships during high school (laughs). I think it also has to do with age. Everyone's grown up.



―I hear that you all go to the studio once per week (laughs).

MAMI: That's right (laughs). It always starts off feeling like, "We weren't at the studio two days ago, right?" (laughs). We keep in touch almost everyday, so it feels like we're seeing each other even though we're not.



―I know there are times when you get together because you have a goal like a tour or solo live show, but I think it's really amazing that you get together even when you don't have something coming up.

MAMI: This is the most important thing. We all have that kind of awareness. A former roadie of ours told us that we seem even closer compared to before. When you're looked at and evaluated objectively, you realize that you're achieving results.


―Finally, we'll ask you about "her." How would you convey your current situation to the fans?

MAMI: It's so that we can entertain everyone even more. It feels like we still have more room to grow (laughs). We're women, we're at this age, we're worried about our audiences—rather, we were concerned that something could happen. We don't know if might disband, or if we might take a break, etc., but something like that's always on the table. However, by creating "her," it gave us relief. There's still much more to come. It personally feels like a new start to me, but SCANDAL's not changing at all. Rather than it being like chapter 2, doesn't it feel more like after two years of training as described in the manga "One Piece"? It's not "One Piece 2," is it? But they got together, got super strong, and made a comeback (laughs). It feels really fresh, so that in itself is something new. It feels more like we powered up than being made anew.

MAMI's current obsession:

Croissants

When we were on our US and Mexico tour in 2018, croissants were sold absolutely no matter we went. I started eating them because the taste is more consistent than soups and sandwiches, and I got hooked after that. I like plain croissants without any chocolate or ham inside. Surprisingly, there are popular croissant shops in Japan too. I'm so addicted to croissants that I have a private croissant account on Instagram (laughs). I've gone to almost every croissant place in Tokyo, so the only places I can post about now are when we go to rural places while on tour.

【"her" Magazine, Vol. 1】What is "her"? Interview - Part 2

Koyanagi: You could say that you thought long and hard about yourselves in 2018. Do you feel like you can see the outside now?

RINA: I think that's part of it. Since we're doing this as four women, I was afraid that if we weren't more edgy than necessary, many people wouldn't understand. But now that I'm free from that fear, I'm able to think that it's really cool to have classic melodies and straightforward lyrics. I'm happy about that. I don't feel like I have to play those songs, but rather I want to play them. I can write lyrics that are completely different from what I used to write.

HARUNA: That's how all of us feel right now.

MAMI: When a song that sounds like part 2 of one of our songs is created, we don't try to go beyond it by saying, "We need to put a phrase with more impact here," or "We need to start this way," etc. We only look at part 1. It was around the end of the year that we decided to get rid of that and create a simple band sound. From there, the four of us began to create songs that we could all agree were good. We were in a new mood, and we were able to create something that we felt good about now. That sense of security is a big part of it.


Koyanagi: So, it's like you're moving houses and going, "Onto the next place!" (laughs)

TOMOMI: Essentially (laughs).

MAMI: I don't think we had anything definite in mind, but I think we were thinking a lot about things like, "What are we?"I think I put a lot of thought into things like that. I think everyone understood that, even if we didn't say it in words; they could sense it in the atmosphere. It was overflowing.


Koyanagi: The four of you say you're always having fun, but I think there were some crises after all. It's like the excitement is decreasing, or it seems that way when you think it's a crisis..

HARUNA: Yeah, I think the crisis was a crisis. We might have still been in a crisis if we didn't talk about creating a label.

TOMOMI: And now we can't think of any other way we could do things.

HARUNA: We forcibly created [our label]. We might have done it in a state of uncertainty.


Koyanagi: The name of your label is "her." How did you come up with this name?

RINA: We felt that this was our theme. When we thought about continuing to be a rock band for a long time, and with four women, we began to feel that we did not fit in well with the way men had been doing things. We like things that we can do because we're women, things that are feminine, and we thought it would be better to cherish those things. We wanted to be the four of us to live cool lives as women before being musicians. Lately, we have been discussing "As an all-girl band" a lot, and conversations like "This is a little too masculine" or "Only a girl could do this; how interesting" have been happening on a daily basis. We started to think that was our theme. "her" is a word that can have various meanings depending on the words that come before and after it. We thought that "her" could be a theme for us in the future, including the freedom it gives us.



Koyanagi: So it's a word that came up in conversation. Were there any other candidates?

RINA: There weren't, but our staff asked us to submit up to five choices (laughs), and when we looked again at the names of various companies for reference, we thought that many of them were simple and cool, so in the end we only submitted "her" (laughs).



Koyanagi: Hahaha. It's more of a theme than a label name. It was probably easier after raising that point.

MAMI: Yes, we could see what was ahead. Our fans as well, who were watching us and wondering what would be waiting after HONEY, which we said was an awesome album. I think it was great that we were able to present an image of what was to come.

HARUNA: We're saying it's okay to continue on as women. When you're a woman in a band, sometimes you have to forget that you are a woman. But now that I'm 30, I'm entering a period in my life where I have to take into account the fact that I am a woman in order to continue to play. I was happy to be able to affirm that about myself.



Koyanagi: That's a stylish way of thinking.

TOMOMI: That's the first time we've been told that (laughs).



Koyanagi: It's very chic.

MAMI: Yeaaah. It's kind of embarrassing (laughs).



Koyanagi: You can fight more flexibly from here on.

MAMI: It feels like we can head forward lightly. Freedom is a word that we have always focused on. I feel like we're walking around with a sense of freedom.



Koyanagi: Therefore, the songs that are born are definitely different. You're doing what you're good at, but the way they're born is totally different.  I dare say that they're "masterpieces" (laughs).

RINA: (laughs) I went crazy with the lyrics. I decided to use this melody because it is absolutely good, and then I was wondering what kind of lyrics it should start with. To begin with, we don't like singing about ourselves too much. But I thought it would be unnatural to ignore the fact that we had made it 10 years and that we were about to make a new start. The next day in the studio, I said, "We've been avoiding songs where we're the main character, but maybe this is the right time to do it." Everyone said, "That sounds good." So, I was conscious of writing a song that would kick things off.

MAMI: I thought that the words "beginning," "newness," and "rebirth" should come next. From the beginning, I had the impression that it was a perfect fit.

HARUNA: I thought, "Is it still possible to feel like such rookies?" (laughs). It's almost embarrassingly fresh. But we couldn't sing it until now, and I felt like we were able to strip it down and arrive at lyrics that anyone could understand, because we'd accumulated so much experience.



Koyanagi: Your singing is also straightforward.

HARUNA: I feel like the song called to me. I was excited.

RINA: It really suits you.

HARUNA: With SCANDAL as it currently is, we have tried many things and updated ourselves so much that I would never have imagined singing this melody with these lyrics, but now is the time to return to our roots. I didn't think we would be able to come back there.

MAMI: Yeah. I feel like we have to put some kind of a twist on it. I think the song turned out to be one that people can enjoy without having to forcefully create a catchy part. That's what I think it means for SCANDAL to write and sing this song now, after 10 years of experience.

HARUNA: The creation of this song made the rest of the production easier. It's okay to write lyrics about something so easy to understand. No matter who listens to it, they can understand what we want to convey, even if we don't use metaphors or analogies. We have come to a point where we can continue to create songs like this.



Koyanagi: It's like, "It's okay to draw on this pure white canvas." There are still so many firsts even after 10 years.

RINA: There are fewer rules for songwriting. There are some parts where I intentionally leave it rough. Like, there are times when "kimi" (you; typically less polite) and "anata" (you; typically more polite) are mixed together. In movies, there can suddenly be a line spoken to the audience, right? That kind of mixing of trickery and reality is possible in movies, but it is difficult in music. But I thought it would be a good idea to try to make a one-on-one appeal, even if it's just a single phrase. I would never have thought of doing that before. Once "kimi" was used, "kimi" would be used throughout the whole song, but I thought I'd try a new challenge. It's very detailed.



Koyanagi: That's wonderful.

RINA: It's kind of fun.

MAMI: We have been experimenting with different songwriting methods and have gone through several stages, so we have a lot of our own rules. But we talked about whether we should reconsider it. This song was created when we talked about doing whatever we wanted. This is the first song.



Koyanagi: For example, even if there are inconsistencies, you're just like, "Let's just keep it fun and free." This side of SCANDAL is fascinating.

MAMI: Originally, the arrangement was completely different, and I had added a lot of strings. It was a song that developed rapidly toward the chorus. However, for this song, I wanted to incorporate a third party's opinion. I couldn't have made it completely different on my own. I think that's why I was in a situation where I could only do part 2. So, I left the arrangement to the staff who have been working with us for a long time, and I think the fact that we were able to create a completely different song is one of the reasons why SCANDAL is opening up right now. It turned out to be a very satisfying song.



Koyanagi: "Mabataki," the other A-side song, is another wonderful song. I think it's a song typical of RINA, who writes episodes one by one.

HARUNA: We were like, "This will be heard right after 'Masterpiece'; will people be okay emotionally?" (laughs)

RINA: We've written plenty of love songs that escort you to the goal, but I wanted to write a song that starts and ends ambiguously. We finished it with TOMOMI on main vocals for the first time in a while.



Koyanagi: What made you decide to do that about vocals?

RINA: We once tried having all four of us sing vocals, but it turned out to be a little too energetic. So we decided to focus on TOMOMI's voice, and everyone sings the chorus.



Koyanagi: That's also an easy decision.

TOMOMI: It was close to the initial stages of the song. We all sang together once. It felt like it was made like a puzzle.



Koyanagi: I think this sense of privacy is made all the more charming by the word "her."

RINA: We've been talking about music that fits in with everyday life, music that has a lived-in feel, and music that has sex appeal. I thought it would be nice to have girlish music that is more in tune with our hobbies, and I thought we could do that now.

MAMI: Before, I would have thought it was a bad idea to pair them. Now that "her" exists, I feel like we can put out what we really like and what we want to do. If it weren't for "her," we probably would have included this song in the album, but that's the usual pattern, and I think we were able to do that because of "her."



Koyanagi: The songs you make will probably change from now on, and I think you'll be able to make classic J-Pop songs as well. Finally, could you tell us about your hopes and what you want to do in the future?

RINA: I wonder......

HARUNA: There are an infinite number of things to do...but I can't think of anything at all (laughs).

RINA: I feel like I want to live my life with a cheerful mind and create music along the way. It's not like we're going to hold a festival called "her"; rather, I want to live my life as a female musician while releasing music from a place called "her."

MAMI: The way our songs are released to the world and the way we perform live are the same as before, but the way we deliver them and the way SCANDAL wants to deliver them should have changed completely. In any case, I'm very happy that we're able to do this feeling very fresh. Everything is new to us, so I want to have fun doing it while feeling even fresher.

TOMOMI: It really feels like we're making our debut again, like we're rookies. As a first-year student, I want to go to festivals again, and it really feels like everything is new to me. I want to do this with the mindset of starting from scratch.

MAMI: That's surprisingly stoic (laughs).



Koyanagi: You really do seem to be in a good, pleasant mode. I'm looking forward to what's next.

All: We'll do our best!

【"her" Magazine, Vol. 1】What is "her"? Interview - Part 1

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"her" is SCANDAL's own imprint label founded after their 12th anniversary. To put it simply, it's like they now have their own atelier. SCANDAL and their true colors will be delivered with more freedom and flexibility. This means that there may be sights that have never been seen before. First, we'd like for you to experience a little bit of our world view with this 【her Magazine】.

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A long interview was conducted upon the launch of their imprint label "her." Here's the special interview with the members' highly trusted 「ROCKIN'ON JAPAN」 editor-in-chief Daisuke Koyanagi!


SCANDAL has launched an imprint label 10 years after their major debut. It can be said that the quartet, who shouldered all-girl rock bands of the 2010s and have opened up countless new landscapes, have finally arrived at a base of operations for just the four of them.

Its name is "her." Its message is to be a woman, and fight freely, lightly, and flexibly. It is a slogan that conveys the fresh mindset of the quartet as they take a new step toward their next decade of glory.

The commemorative first release is Masterpiece / Mabataki, SCANDAL's first double A-side single. The first track, "Masterpiece," is a rock number by the golden duo of RINA (lyrics) and MAMI (music) that moves forward lightly, sprinkled with a straightforward sense of speed. It maintains SCANDAL's signature tone, but it also conveys great excitement and a bit of nervousness about the new story that is about to begin. In that sense, it is a more personal song than SCANDAL's previous songs. It sings about the flexible way of life of a woman who wishes to remain independent in this era. It is a declaration of "her" to those who have lived their lives together that could only be drawn by the quartet who have been running without a single break for 10 years.

The second track is a soft midrange song written by RINA. It features TOMOMI on lead vocals for the first time in a while, letting us hear lustrous vocal relays with HARUNA. Both of these are very fresh songs that convey SCANDAL's current drive.

What are the four of them thinking now that they're at a new starting line? What kind of future are they trying to envision after 10 years of progress? We asked them to tell us everything that was in their hearts through the thoughts that went into these two songs.

Koyanagi: You're finally launching your imprint label "her" and starting new activities. First, let me ask each of you what you've felt and what has changed in the past year after releasing your latest album HONEY and touring in support of it.

HARUNA: Personally, it was the year I turned 30, so that was a big topic for me. It was a year that made me want to improve as a human being, as a band member, and as the band's vocalist.


Koyanagi: Was age a big factor in the change? I have a feeling it wasn't just that, though.

HARUNA: Hmm. Age was definitely a factor. I spent my time wanting to express my thoughts clearly and finding my own personality during concerts. I realized there were things I needed to do for us to become an even cooler band in the future, and that I needed to break down my image of HARUNA of SCANDAL as a vocalist. I thought it'd be good to just be as I am, and not be too pretentious. I thought it would probably make it easier for me to do things in the future, and also make me like the band more. Besides, I feel like I can live more easily that way. I feel like I spent 10 years trying really hard to hide my weaknesses. But it's okay to reveal them now, and it's okay to be bad at something. I guess I'm now able to admit that to myself. Even so, I'll try my best (laughs).


Koyanagi: I see. What about you, RINA?

RINA: I'm having the most fun being in the band right now, and I feel like I'm able to continue doing what I really love. It has been a year in which the four of us have been able to keep a strong link our music and ourselves. With HONEY, I had the pleasure of creating a work that exceeded my own abilities. Once again, we discovered that our private lives and creativity are more connected than we thought. So I wanted to absorb and see more and more things, and I wanted more and more things to happen to me, both good and bad. Every day I wanted to feel different things. I finally felt that way at the end of the year. 2018 was an intense year with about three years' worth of events. It may have been a year where I could have said, "If I wasn't doing this job, it would have been tough,'' but in the end, I'm glad that I was able to spend an intense year as a musician on stage.


Koyanagi: You were able to output a variety of experiences.

RINA: Yes, that's why I'm having fun making things now. I always have fun doing it, but right now I'm especially able to write at a nice pace.


Koyanagi: What about you, TOMOMI?

TOMOMI: I moved in 2018. The windows got bigger, and a lot of light comes in (laughs). Along with that, I started putting plants all around, so I've started to wake up in the morning. I used to wake up in the afternoon and stay up until the wee hours of the morning. Inevitably, I end up thinking about the band a lot from night to morning, and I tend to think about the dark side of things. I was wondering if I could do something interesting in a place that wasn't right in the middle of that. But after all, when you live with the sun, you start to think about the middle.


Koyanagi: What did you think about?

TOMOMI: Like, we should be a fun band (laughs).


Koyanagi: Hahaha!

MAMI: Moving was the right thing to do (laughs).

TOMOMI: It really isn't good if humans and plants don't live with the sun (laughs). I feel like I'm storing up a lot of nutrients right now.


Koyanagi: Truthfully, I think it's essential (laughs). What about you, MAMI?

MAMI: Well, I think it was a year of getting more involved in the band. I think we've accomplished the goal we set for ourselves that year, which was to forge our solo concerts. But it was also a year when I was itching to perform at festivals and events. In my personal life, I started going outside a lot. I found events like food festivals and handmade festivals where they have a collection of fabric and yarn. I guess it was a good year of preparation.In terms of public appearances, there may have been fewer opportunities for people to see us, but as a band, we felt like we were always moving. It was a nice little busy time (laughs).


Koyanagi: Perhaps it was a year of rethinking what kind of band SCANDAL should be, after 10 years of outward-looking strategies. The idea that came out of that was to start a new imprint label. What was the trigger?

HARUNA: The trigger was clear: Our currently label staff asked us,  "Why don't we do this together?" At that time, the band was just wondering what direction to go next. It had been 10 years since our major label debut, and if that was a milestone, it was time for us to enter the second chapter. We had a vague idea that it would be nice to do something, and we wanted something to continue for a long time, but we didn't know what that something would be. It was at that time that we received an offer to start an imprint label, and that's when we started working on it.


Koyanagi: Before that, did you ever feel that an imprint label might be right for you? Did you become more aware of it after you were approached?

RINA: It wasn't always there. However, when we made HONEY, it felt like our desire to start anew had reached its peak, and that the all-girl band SCANDAL had found an answer. It was the right time to think about how to create something new from this point on, and how to stay cool when everyone is over 30 years old.


Koyanagi: Yeah.

RINA: There were some uncertain feelings that we were holding, and we felt like we had reached a certain point. So, for better or worse, we're going to destroy this sense of accomplishment. We came to the conclusion that this might mean making our own imprint label, re-debuting from scratch, and making music from scratch. We wanted to make music with people who thought our music and way of life were interesting and cool.


Koyanagi: But it felt like, "I didn't know we could do that!", didn't it?

MAMI: I think this is an element that is very easy to explain when describing the band SCANDAL. I think this is a band that requires a lot of explanation. I think it's going to be something that's easy to put out, like, "This is SCANDAL." I feel that we have found our direction and are excited to start again from here.

TOMOMI: To be honest, I was worried right after we talked about it. We had worked together with our previous label for 10 years and have a lot of affection for them, and we were friends who created the band SCANDAL together, so I never thought about leaving, nor did I think I would ever experience it. But when the current label staff talked to us about the future, I had a sense of excitement, or rather, a premonition, and I was able to step forward with the desire to make a debut again.


Koyanagi: That takes courage.

MAMI: Because we had a huge desire to change. It was strong.

TOMOMI: Yeah, even before we were approached about the label.

HARUNA: We absolutely needed something beyond the sense of accomplishment that HONEY had given us. But we couldn't find that on our own.


Koyanagi: Yes, from my perspective, there was certainly a sense of having done it all, and conversely, without the idea of a new label, I don't think you would have known what to express with your new identity.

RINA: No matter what song I wrote, it ended up being like a part two of an existing song. There were times when I felt flustered because I couldn't write songs that I was satisfied with at all. There was a time when I tried to force myself to give them shape. But I felt like announcing the label to everyone suddenly opened things up all at once. Then, I was able to create more and more new things. I felt it was the right decision.

A behind-the-scenes interview about the production of SCANDAL's double A-side single 「Masterpiece / Mabataki」!

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SCANDAL is an all-girl band who celebrated the 10th anniversary of their major label recording debut last year. Their private record label 「her」 was established at this commemorative milestone, a place where they could express themselves more freely was created, and SCANDAL's new chapter began. The first release from 「her」 is their newly-issued 「Masterpiece / Mabataki」 single that was just released on 3/27 (Wed.). It is an artistic masterpiece of a double A-side single. We interviewed SCANDAL's guitarist & vocalist MAMI who came to Fukuoka to serve as a one-day manager at Tower Records for an event for this release! We asked her about her thoughts on their private label 「her」 and behind-the-scenes stories about the production of their new single.

——You launched your private label 「her」 last year! How did you go about doing that?

MAMI: The band formed in 2006, and last year we celebrated the 10th anniversary of our major label recording debut. That was when the four of us talked about things like, "It'd be great to do something new once more." However, it wasn't clear at first what we should do. As we were discussing things, we came to the conclusion, "Shouldn't our next step be to start our own label...!?"

We didn't write the music for our songs when we had debuted, and we still had a complex about it even when we began to self-produce our songs. But, it became possible for us to acknowledge that complex gradually by continuing to do professional activities for 10 years, and now we thought we'd try challenging ourselves to create our own place.


——Have there been any changes since establishing 「her」?

MAMI: Firstly, the "feelings" we have are completely different (laughs)! We've gained more freedom by having our own label, and we're excited to start new things.
The reason why we went with the name 「her」 is because we want to cherish our femininity as an all-girl band. You can tell that it's a female artist's label with this one word, and how the written word looks and its nuance are also nice. I'm glad we went with 「her」 and not 「she」, nor another noun.


——The double A-side single, your first release on your new label, was released on 3/27! It seems like you made this as if you're re-debuting!

MAMI: Our drummer RINA handled the lyrics for 「Masterpiece」, and these past 10 years have made us who we are now. We spelled out our thoughts of, "Let's kick off to another start from here!" It feels so fresh because everything is renewed and we're off to another start.


——The first lines of lyrics in 「Masterpiece」, 『A starting signal always rings out suddenly - My racing heartbeat can no longer be stopped』, reflect SCANDAL's current state of mind.

MAMI: Recently, we hadn't really done much to spell out our state of mind in our lyrics. We didn't want to force our feelings nor our circumstances. That's why there were a lot of lyrics that we left to the listener, but this time, these are lyrics that we can write right now, and ones that we can only write right now. We hope that it'll be a song that intersects our story with your daily lives!


——The music also conveys a momentum to push on forward!

MAMI: That's right. Since this is a song that's packed with everything we have, it feels like we get stronger each time we perform it.
Actually, it originally wasn't like how the song is now. Although I had already completed writing the melody and arrangement about a year ago, the arrangement at that time had a beautiful nuance that contained strings, and it had a totally different atmosphere from the current song. However, when we talked about how it would be enlisted as the first single from 「her」, I inwardly sighed and felt troubled... A year had passed since completing the song, so I might have not been able to face it in the same feeling as back then...that's what I thought. It became an important song that would kick off a new start for us, and we decided to rearrange it once more.

For the arrangement, we entrusted it to Keita Kawaguchi-san and gave him detailed requests like, "We want to make something that's endlessly bright," and, "We want it to start with a heavy riff." Kawaguchi-san has been continuing to watch over SCANDAL since our debut, so he took good care of our thoughts and feelings!


——What were you picky about when recording it?

MAMI: SCANDAL's recording style has always been one where, whether it's an instrument or a song, everyone directs each other and searches for the best form. For the recording of 「Masterpiece」, we had debuted the song at a few live shows at the end of last year, and we recorded it while keeping that same groove we had at the shows! As for the singing, we kept it cheerful and light while having a little bit of innocence. We've always wanted to make a favorite live song, so we're satisfied to have the perfect work♪


——As opposed to 「Masterpiece」, the second song 「Mabataki」 is girly and cute♪

MAMI: 「Mabataki」 features lyrics and music by our drummer RINA while the arrangement was handled by me. RINA had sent me the lyrics, melody, and rhythm via a voice memo, so she had a clear image in her head from the beginning. She had specific requests for the arrangement, and I made sure to not make it too loud. To express a girl's airy, swaying feelings, the instrument phrases have been looped; a keyboard is used; and we made the "gaps" into feel-good music.

But I have a habit of making arrangements too heavy (laughs). I first made it at 100 so that I did not put the crescendo on the instruments as usual and then subtracted from there. We hadn't done arrangements where we configured the keyboard to sound like anything but what it originally sounds like, so that was a new approach for me personally. I'm happy that there are many people who have praised this arrangement!

——Please tell us about the 「"her" Magazine」 that comes with Limited Edition A.

MAMI: We want you to see the natural us, and there are exclusive pictures; an interview about 「her」; solo interviews; and a personality quiz with a chart where you can see if you're the "MAMI type." At any rate, we wanted to make an unprecedented, luxurious edition (laughs). Limited Edition B comes with a t-shirt.


——How is your current state of mind during your 11th year of being a major label band?

MAMI: We want to continuously put out good music from our new label 「her」. Also, since we're a band that loves live shows, we want to tour non-stop! Our nationwide tour starts in June, and since we'll be coming on 6/22 (Sat.) to play a live show at Zepp Fukuoka, please come out and experience the current SCANDAL for yourself!

——We're looking forward to the show in Fukuoka! By the way, what's something popular among the band?

MAMI: Maybe the rice cracker "Sharizou"〜 (laughs). It's so good! There are all sorts of flavors including the plain flavor with dashi, but the one I like the most is the "nori wasabi" flavor. We exchange info each time a limited edition flavor comes out and eat them noisily. We often get excited sharing these types of snacks♡

——MAMI, you're such a trend leader! What fashion-related thing are you currently obsessed with?

MAMI: Maybe clothes that come in primary colors. Today, it's yellow! These days, since i have this hair color, I often choose blue clothes. Basically, I go with blue・red・yellow. Oh yeah, when my hair was pink before, I often wore pink clothes〜.


——For MAMI, who has come to Fukuoka several times, what do you enjoy about the Tenjin area!?

MAMI: It has to be the food! Aren't there a lot of unagi (eel) places in Fukuoka? I feel like I caught sight of a lot on the road. Oh, and speaking of which, I thought that there were many opportunities to eat salmon in Fukuoka—in fact, I also had it for lunch today (laughs). I plan to go eat at 「Kawaya」 at night. I've al〜ways been interested in it, and since I heard that it tastes different from the one in Tokyo, I want to try how it tastes where it originally comes from!
Also, Fukuoka is famous for its udon. I want to try an udon challenge when we come to Fukuoka in June for our show♪

Today's summary
Theme：RINA

We were in Osaka today too
First,
We went to
"SCANDAL her ～Kanojo-tachi no Atelier Ten～ (A Girls' Atelier Exhibition)"
Currently on exhibition until 4/14 (Sun.)
At Tower Records Abeno Hoopー!

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The space is so large
That it can't be shown with just one picture
It has so much stuff
And is so, so awesome!
It made me really happy
That we had a space made
Where you can enjoy
Our precious songs in new ways
And in such a three-dimensional form

We've buried
Comments and autographs in all sort of spots
There's also a place where everyone can leave messages,
And I tried reading as many of them as I could
The thoughts conveyed through text
Made me tear up a bit
Thank you so much as always


After that, we did several
TV and radio recordingsー!


YTV's "-ONCHIKA-
Will air on 4/11 (Thu.) from 1:59 am〜
It was a taping that was so feverish we lost our voices haha
We'll have the other info posted on our site soon!


And then,
At night we had our anticipated
"Hohoemi Zadan-kai (Smiling Round Table Discussion)"




Many people gathered
In the cold while it drizzled!
It was so much fun haha
It felt so warm
To be able to spend some great time together︎

A new imperial era was also announced
And I think there are plenty of people
Who will be starting something this spring, or whose environments will change.
I hope that "Masterpiece" or "Mabataki"
Can be a small switch
That'll diminish the anxiety of changing moments
And boost your hopes
We'll always be supporting you︎



RINA

2019/4/1 23:03

Spoiler:

SCANDAL｜The beginning of our second chapter set in our own place

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SCANDAL will be releasing their new single 「Masterpiece / Mabataki」, their first single in two years, eight months.

The first work that will be delivered from their private label "her" that was established at the end of last year is SCANDAL's first double A-side single. The song 「Masterpiece」 that they debuted live last year is a punkish number that loudly conveys their new start, and the second song 「Mabataki」 is a city pop-like love song that extols a soft atmosphere. Having two songs at opposite ends of the spectrum, the quartet will once again show their pride of being Japan's leading all-girl band.

This Music Natalie cover story features close coverage of a day in the life of SCANDAL. We snuck in to the studio they visit every week, and we conducted an interview with SCANDAL after they finished a meeting at a cafe. We had the quartet, who cannot hide their excitement about the activities that'll start in earnest from here on out in a new environment, talk about the process leading up to the launch of 「her」 and the thoughts they put into it, as well as the production of their latest work.

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A day in the life of SCANDAL

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Once a week, on the same day of the week, at the same time, the four members of SCANDAL always go to the studio. HARUNA picks everyone up in her car and heads to the studio. The studio is always reserved for two hours, and during that time they have sessions, bring in new song ideas, and/or place their instruments. They spend those two hours talking away and doing whatever they like.

Up until a few years ago, SCANDAL would often go to the studio for live show rehearsals before a tour. At some point they remembered "goofing around in the studio," and it is now incorporated as one of their weekly plans.

They keep in touch and decide a few days before what they'll be doing in the studio. On this day they had a session with songs from popular bands who have appeared at the same festivals as them. SCANDAL says this about this studio work: "It feels like our groove is enhanced by meeting once a week at the same exact time every week and having conversations in a space with just the four of us." They can share new ideas while they're fresh, and it seems like it keeps the band healthy.

When time's up, they put away their instruments and jump back in to HARUNA's car. When they arrive at a favorite cafe of theirs after being driven by HARUNA, they catch up with each other and ask, "What did you yesterday?" After that, HARUNA drives each of them back home. SCANDAL―who celebrated their tenth anniversary with its original members, and who celebrated the tenth anniversary of their major label debut―spends two hours a week as just the four of them.

SCANDAL's interview


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By establishing "her," it seemed like "The four of us can still do this"

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──SCANDAL celebrated its 10th anniversary as a band two years ago in 2017 [Note: That anniversary was actually in 2016, though...], and celebrated its 10th anniversary being a major label band last year in 2018.

HARUNA: The two years of "10 year anniversaries" coming in succession marked a new chapter for us―rather, it was a huge thing for us to feel that we reached one big milestone. Because that was there, I think it led to the establishment of our new private record label 「her」.


──You debuted the song 「Masterpiece」, one of the songs on the new release, early during your 「SCANDAL TOUR 2018 "Kanshasai"」 held last November. Not only were you immersed in your strong emotions towards your 10th anniversary, you were already moving towards the future.

RINA: That's right. Last year we took a break from appearing at festivals and only had a few chances to be out in the spotlight. That might be why it made us think, "What are we doing?" While we were getting things ready for 「her」 behind the scenes, we had been making songs the entire time. It was a year the four of us got together and did a lot of inner activities.


──Why did you originally decide to launch a private label at this time?

MAMI: 「HONEY」, the album we released last year, gave us confidence that we made something really good, and since we reached the chapter of [being a major label band for] ten years, we all thought, "So what should we do now?" The four of us shared the same feelings of simply wanting to be more excited and to do something new at that time. At first it was a vague thought we had, but as we entered the studio once a week and got together to hold meetings, I think around last summer......or so, the idea of establishing a private label came up naturally. If that was to happen, it was possible our freedom would greatly increase and we would be able to do something new again, so we started to move specifically from there.

TOMOMI: It's because a "We want to update ourselves" mood had always been flowing through the band. That's why, when we talked about that, all of us had the same motivation to be able to get there.


──You announced the establishment of 「her」 during last year's Christmas live show on 12/24. It's been about three months since then; is there anything that establishing your label has brought to the band?

RINA: We went with the word 「her」 so that you could automatically tell it's a label launched personally by an all-girl band, and it feels like that made us see big themes for our future again. Rock bands generally have a cool; sharp; strong image to them, but it's possible to also express sweetness and softness as women in a band. Since that's a strength and delight of being an all-girl band, we as SCANDAL want to focus on that.


──It feels like you've renewed your readiness as an all-girl band and have strengthened your resolve.

MAMI: Yes.

RINA: That's why we thought, "The four of us can still do this." It felt like our future as SCANDAL extended further.

──But SCANDAL has been doing very well so far. Like, since you also have a solid style you've built up, you haven't really felt that worried about the future.

RINA: But we've always had feelings of wanting to improve. Looking back on it now, after releasing 「HONEY」 in 2018, there were times when production did not go well. We couldn't really write anything like our newest "special move," or, rather, a "strong song."

MAMI: That's right. It doesn't mean that we were in a slump since we could write songs themselves, but they all tended to feel like they were "part 2"'s of our past songs. We weren't satisfied with that.

RINA: Those songs somehow took shape because we've been a band for 10 years, but none of them broke through. It's because we could only make hazy songs that were like, "It seems like we could keep going, though" that it felt like we needed to completely change how make music. Thinking about it now, we may have hit a wall at a good timing for the band.


──On the other side of that, you were also confident that, "If we're together, we should be able to produce even better songs. We should be able to aim even higher."

MAMI: That's right. Even if they were songs we weren't satisfied with, they could certainly exceed our past songs. But, we constantly felt like we should be able to be even better.

HARUNA: Yeah. I think that's probably the confidence we've accumulated over the past 10 years.

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「Masterpiece」 is a song that the current SCANDAL should be playing

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──Was your new song 「Masterpiece」 born after the production of your album 「HONEY」?

MAMI: Yes. The melody itself was made about a year ago, but at that time it had a completely different arrangement from its current state. I didn't really like that arrangement, so I put away for the time being. I'm the type who, if I don't get it right the first time, basically won't want to do it anymore. Even though everyone was saying, "That song you made earlier was good, so why not try one more time?", I was stubbornly like, "No, I don't feel like it now" (laughs).

RINA: Because of that, we're a band who has zero songs stocked up (laughs).

MAMI: Even though I should be able to stock them up, I throw them all away (laughs). But everyone, including our staff, liked this song, so I started to feel, "All right, for a change I'll try it again." Since that was when we were also all discussing 「her」, I was like, "If the band is renewed, then I too will be renewed," and got rid of my weird stubborness (laughs).

RINA: You became flexible (laughs).


──What kind of arrangement did it originally have?

MAMI: It felt formal and used strings. Other than the main focus being on the band, it was something completely different. So, we talked about arranging it once more, but since I couldn't change it myself no matter what, I entrusted it to the arranger Keita Kawaguchi-san. Kawaguchi-san has watched over the past SCANDAL as well as the current SCANDAL, so I had faith in him and asked him to do it.

RINA: When we heard the completed arrangement, we were like, "That's so cool!" and all got excited. When we order an arrangement, we tell them what timbre and configuration in lots of detail, but he really went beyond that and made the greatest arrangement.

TOMOMI: Our impression of the song also completely changed, thanks to the arrangement. I think it's become a song that the current SCANDAL should be playing. For the instrument recording, the groove was very easy to make since we had performed it several times on last year's 「Kanshasai」 tour. We made the sounds close to the atmosphere we have for our live shows. We're also doing a lot of experimenting, like making it so distorted that you don't know where the outlines are.

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A word we can use pleasantly

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──The lyrics for 「Masterpiece」 were written by RINA, and its content is fitting for the band's new start.

RINA: Until now, I was trying not to write songs that pumped out too much of our story. That's because I wanted us to keep being a band that you could understand and enjoy no matter when you started listening to us. However, I thought it was unnatural to ignore the 10th anniversary of our major label debut and the establishment of our private label―basically, who we are now. So, I wrote the lyrics with the intention of making it the song that would start off SCANDAL's second chapter. It felt like we were able to remake a debuting song once more.


──The positive message that's almost refreshing feels like it perfectly fits the word "debut." But, it's also a word that you can put a spin on because you've stacked up a 10-year career.

HARUNA: Yeah. After all, we definitely couldn't write a song called "Masterpiece" at the time of our actual debut (laughs).

RINA: It's because it means "an excellent work." Now that it's a word we can use pleasantly, it turned into a punk song that's also rounded in a good way. I hope it'll create some spectacular scenes at upcoming shows.

HARUNA: Singing this song makes it feel very fresh. It's because it's a new song where we've kind of broken down what's been piled up―rather, we can see what we've cleared it away in a good way. However, we felt a unique feeling of tension when recording it. That's because it's also our first single in a while.

RINA: After all, it's been two years and eight months [since the last single]!

HARUNA: That's right! Also, it's our first single from 「her」. That's why I put all I had into singing it. I think it turned out to be a really good song because it took more time than usual to record.


──So, this single is a double A-side one. The other song 「Mabataki」 is a city pop number with a girly atmosphere to it. It feels like there's a great meaning by including this song with the abrasive rock tune 「Masterpiece」.

RINA: That's right. We thought that it'd be possible for the four of us to also make a more personal, girly song by having something crowned with the word 「her」. Since we had an image of wanting to make a double A-side single with a cool song and a cute song, I tried writing a world that leaned towards being very cute. I'm really happy because it really feels like I was able to give shape to one of my favorite types of songs.

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Singing 「Mabataki」 at 10% power

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──The lyrics and music for 「Mabataki」 were both written by RINA.

RINA: Yes. I thought having a song with content that was a little more vague than usual would be good, so I wrote the lyrics as if having the song end on the note of, "So, what happened to to this love?" The ending isn't clear by only vaguely thinking in their room at night of the person they love. I personally really like having rounded words to express that vagueness, so I think that my preferences came out quite a bit (laughs).


──Being able to depict that kind of world is something unique to all-girl bands, isn't it?

HARUNA: Yes, we think so.


──MAMI did the arrangement. It has a very nice sound that makes you feel the breadth of the band's musicality.

MAMI: Thank you very much. That makes me happy! As I had a rather clear image of what RINA-chan had in mind, I made it while we exchanged fine details. We usually use driving drums that are relatively close to a raw sound, but this time we chose to go with techo and dance music-like sounds. We overlapped two or three different sounds of the kick drum and were conscious of making sounds that didn't exist. I think I was able to try various things while inserting sounds that felt comfortable.


──The way you constructed it is completely different from 「Masterpiece」.

MAMI: It is completely different! The way we recorded the music was completely different too.

RINA: It's really fun to be able to do a completely different approach as one band. This song features TOMOMI on lead vocals.

──It feels like it's been a while since TOMOMI has sung.

TOMOMI: Since it had been a while, I was able to sing with a very fresh feeling. Like in the past, after HARUNA and I each sang the entire song, I also enjoyed the task of dividing the parts up like a puzzle. Since this is a soft song, I first sang at about 30% of my usual power. But when I was told, "Maybe make it a little gentler," I ended up singing at 10% power (laughs).

RINA: (laughs). It was really fun because we went in a different direction than usual, like, "Not energetically; conservatively!"


──HARUNA, did you also sing at 10%?

HARUNA: I did (laughs). I'm really glad that we recorded vocals for 「Masterpiece」 on a different day. It definitely would have been impossible if it had been on the same day.

MAMI: We recorded the vocals for 「Mabataki」 after first recording the music. Besides, we got a little sleepy since we had eaten. I think that influenced the song in a good way (laughs).

TOMOMI: We sang it around 10 pm. We were singing while feeling airy (laughs).


──It's a song that depicts one girl's personal feelings, but it's also fun to sing it with two people.

RINA: Yeah. Therefore, a dreamy-like atmosphere comes out in it a bit.

HARUNA: It's fun being in SCANDAL since two songs at opposite extremes were born. Girls' appearances change depending on the day, right? Like, "I'll wear these clothes today," or "I'll do this kind of makeup today." Being able to enjoy that feeling as a band is one of the best parts of SCANDAL―I thought again through this production. Two songs that express the multifacetedness of girls turned out to be the perfect first work, and one that we're proud of, released on 「her」.

_____________________________________________________________

Aiming the fan club tour towards "MANIA" while feeling summer gradually set in on the nationwide tour

_____________________________________________________________

──You have your 「SCANDAL MANIA TOUR 2019」 fan club tour that starts at the end of March, and then you'll start your 「SCANDAL TOUR 2019 "Fuzzy Summer Mood"」 nationwide tour that starts in June.

MAMI: First, we'll have a pretty manical, interesting setlist for our fan club tour. So, we want the "MANIA" people to look forward to it.

HARUNA: We're planning all sorts of things (laughs).

RINA: Then, in June is our first tour of the new era. I think it would be nice to have a feel-good tour while feeling summer set in gradually amidst ambiguous temperatures when the seasons change.


──That's exactly like the title (laughs).

RINA: Yes (laughs). Our fan club tour also hasn't started yet, so we'll be working the content out from now, but we hope to deliver something solid as a band while having a structure that's more self-directed. We want to make sure to convey our current mood.

HARUNA: We're also going to the area of Obihiro for the first time. It'd be great to get more new comrades.

MAMI: I think it's also great that this is a live house tour. We're going back to the basics―rather, it really feels like we're starting again from here on out.

TOMOMI: Our environment has changed and we're feeling very excited right now. It feels very fresh, so we hope to keep holding on to that the entire tour. It's been like that since we first formed, but since we've headed towards something that makes us excited and seems like fun, we want to always keep chasing after new things.

https://natalie.mu/music/pp/scandal09

#front-page #masterpiece_mabataki

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SCANDAL's release event for 「Masterpiece / Mabataki」 - a huge success

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SCANDAL, who released their first single 「Masterpiece / Mabataki」 from their private label "her," held 「SCANDAL New Single 『Masterpiece / Mabataki』 Release Commemoration - Bakuon Shichou-kai (Explosive Listening Party) at Kawasaki CLUB CITTA'」 on 3/27.

MAMI: Just like our standing positions when we play a live show, the guitar sounds are divided between the left and right sides so that you can hear each of phrases played by HARUNA's guitar and MAMI's guitar.

TOMOMI: We make sounds so that the bassline can easily be seen on typical recordings, but this time it was distorted to the limit to do the same thing live. Please feel the vibration of the bass with these big speakers today.

Talks about manical "sounds" unique to this explosive listening party unfolded. Additionally, as a special surprise, they streamed the first demo of 「Masterpiece」 made by MAMI, exciting the fans throughout the venue who were able to hear this rare audio that is completely different from the CD version.

At the end of the event, RINA said this: "The four of us got the courage to start our label, decided to try creating various things from scratch for the first time, and began our new musical lives together with this year's spring. 「Masterpiece」 means "an excellent work," but it's not simply about this work only; I want to call fun things, sad things, and stories I've walked through so far, "masterpieces." There are all sorts of things that happen in your every day lives, but there are no useless moments. Those are the thoughts we put into this song. We're always thinking of how thankful we are that you've chosen our music among the many bands out there. We'll keep making music that gets close to you and makes your daily lives brighter and enjoyable."

They also conveyed a message to the fans about the joy of being able to release something from their new label, ending the successful event as the venue was filled with warm applause.

The short film-like music video for 「Mabataki」 that's like peeking into SCANDAL's room has been released as well. They will also be holding 「SCANDAL New Single 『Masterpiece / Mabataki』 Release Commemoration　Hohoemi Zadan-kai (Smiling Round-Table Discussion)」 at Abeno Q's Mall in Osaka on 4/1.

What "Masterpiece" means
Theme：RINA

Our double A-side single
『Masterpiece / Mabataki』
Is out today!

We talk more about the songs
In all sorts of interviews
So it'd make me happy
If you check them out while enjoying them

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The word "masterpiece" in Japanese
Means "an excellent work"
Originally, MAMI sent me a demo
Fitted with a temporary song sung in nonsensical English,
And I misheard something in first few lines
As "masterpiece."
After that, that word somehow stuck around in my head...

Since last year, every Wednesday
The four of us alone go to a rehearsal studio even if we don't have an upcoming live show
And make time for us
To practice, produce, have sessions, and talk.
Last year was also the year
The four of us celebrated the tenth anniversary of our major label debut,
And we had many chances during interviews
To look back on who we are now.
Maybe because of that too,
There were many days
Where we'd reminisce naturally in the studio
And talk about the future we're currently thinking of

It's only been ten years, but they've been ten steady years.
We feel that this is really a result
That only could have been obtained by continuing this
So it feels like it's an important footprint for us.
That's why we made a song
Where we wanted to write lyrics
That properly summarized our story
And searched for and gathered up lots of words
That could be delivered to everyone right now.

"Put all of the regretful, lonely experiences
Happy, tearful events
Joy and sadness together.
All of the days so far have been necessary,
And each day that you have passed through
Is each its own masterpiece"
We want to continue to saying this with our music.

May we continue being able to take you along with us



RINA

2019/3/27 21:30

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

【Translated Summary】LINE LIVE Specials to Celebrate SCANDAL's New Single, ＃3 (Final) - March 25th

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The last of these monthly streams!

Spoiler:

Masterpiece / Mabataki Single Lyrics

01. Masterpiece (マスターピース)
02. Mabataki (まばたき; Blink)

Kana:

Kana:

thoseguiltyeyes wrote:

thoseguiltyeyes wrote:

Star~world96 wrote:Final LIVE LINE starts tomorrow, I completely forgot about this broadcast lol. I wonder what they'll show/talk about since every info about the single has been out.

Maybe they'll premiere the "Mabataki" MV? That's the only thing I can think of that hasn't already been revealed.

lol I must have a knack for predicting things about "Mabataki" For my final prediction, I predict that full version will premiere on 3/27 at 12 am JST on SCANDAL's YouTube channel lol

Star~world96 wrote:What's with the "Special Presents" at the end of the CM, does it come with the magazine or something?

The 「SCANDAL」 exhibition held at Tower Records Abeno Hoop - Imagining song world views

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The collaboration POP UP GALLERY 「SCANDAL her ～Kanojo-tachi no Atelier Ten～ (A Girls' Atelier Exhibition)」 has begun from 3/26 at Tower Records Abeno Hoop's SpaceABENO.





This is a collaboration project in commemoration of the first release from Osakan all-girl band SCANDAL's private record label 「her」. It features things such as an exhibiton of panel pictures that imagine the world views of the songs on their double A-side single 「Masterpiece / Mabataki」 out on 3/27, and a lyric video of the world of 「Masterpiece」 will be screened here only, along with the sale of collaboration merch.

The collaboration goods: Portable charger (3700 yen), rubber band collection BOX (1800 yen), towel (1500 yen), picture magnet (500 yen)



This is the first event at the newly created event space 「SpaceABENO」. We will continue to develop exhibition events, etc. in the future.

Business hours are from 12:00～21:00. Admission is 500 yen (free for elementary school children and younger). Runs until 4/14.

SCANDAL, who established an imprint label, will be releasing their first double A-side single 『Masterpiece / Mabataki』 on 3/27!

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SCANDAL has established an imprint label. The first work they will be releasing on their label on 3/27 is the band's first double A-side single, 『Masterpiece / Mabataki』. We asked HARUNA, MAMI, TOMOMI, and RINA about the details on how their label was started, as well as their latest work that starts the band's second chapter.

―Before talking about your new single, we'll be asking about your imprint label "her." When did you start thinking about establishing a label?

HARUNA: Last year we celebrated the tenth anniversary of our major label debut, but right before that is around when we started thinking, "It'd be great to do something new in anticipation of SCANDAL's second chapter." As we were discussing that, it flowed to, "How about establishing an imprint label?" We prepared for it and were able to launch it this year.

―I'm the sure the members all felt that reaching the point of ten years after having your major label debut was a major break for the band.

RINA: Yes. It felt like a major break. It was also a year where we felt we got to experience all sorts of things, and our desire to do something new reached its peak. After we released our album 『HONEY』 last February, we couldn't make songs right away that made it seem like "This is it!"... Up until then, we'd digest the desire to do something new whenever we'd write a new song. However, we didn't feel that last year. We thought it'd be best if we created a new place before we created new songs. We needed a change that would completely change our environment. Since we had those kinds of thoughts, we needed a lot of courage. We decided to establish a label ourselves and make a style of releasing things from there. Accordingly, our music-making started to go smoothly after we decided to establish a label, which means that this was the right thing to do.

―Did all of you come up with "her" for the label's name?

RINA: We all discussed what name would be good. We had the general framework of going with a name that would tell you at first glance that it's an all-girl band's label, but there's a surprisingly limited amount of words that directly remind you of women. It was kind of like, 「"she" doesn't feel right. So, maybe "her"」.

MAMI: The word "her" came out in a very natural flow. I think it's because it was close to what we were thinking of.

TOMOMI: The word "her" is the theme we have within ourselves―rather, if there was a book about ourselves, we'd want that word to be the title. It felt like we were moving anew when we established our imprint label, but perhaps it felt more realistic when we decided on a name. It feels that comfortable.

―It doesn't mean that your recording and music production style have changed greatly, but it's a big change emotional-wise to decide on the name of your label and release your work on there.

TOMOMI: Yes.

―Its first work will be the band's first double A-side single, 『Masterpiece / Mabataki』. This song [Masterpiece] features lyrics by RINA and music by MAMI.

MAMI: 「Masterpiece」 had a completely different arrangement when it was just a demo song. The members and the staff liked the song when I made the demo, and we talked about how we'd like to release it someday. But, at that time, we thought that the timing was a little off and I therefore did not give the song shape. Even though I would make songs, I wouldn't stockpile them if the timing didn't work out. However, this time, everyone told me, "That song would be great!", and I tried throwing away my stubborn sense of pride a bit (laughs). But, since only the original arrangement would come to mind, I had Keita Kawaguchi-san do the arrangement. Lyrics-wise, since I entrenched myself and didn't think I could write them well, I had RINA write them.

―RINA, what kind of lyrics did you decide to place on MAMI's song?

RINA: The four of us had always been talking about how a cheerful song would be nice, so I thought that lyrics with that kind of content would be good. Because the four of us reaching the tenth year of being a major-label band is linked to us having greater confidence in ourselves, I thought that having content that acknowledged that and pumped out our story would be good. It's our starting song, and since we made it a song that's like 「If we're debuting again, we have to make it this single!」, and since the other three members told me, 「Sounds great!」 when I told them my thoughts in the studio, I began writing the lyrics.

―You included what the four of you have been through up until now, as well as what's to come.

RINA: Yes.

HARUNA: We had sang and performed it live several times before we recorded it, but there was a unique sense of tension when it came to recording vocals for it. Even though I should have been used to singing it, I felt like I couldn't shake off that sense of tension. I sang it over and over again, like, "I'll sing it until we've gotten a good take!" It's become the starting song for SCANDAL's second chapter, and since the lyrics are straight-forward, I tried to sing it frankly and not change it too much so that its message could be delivered properly.

TOMOMI: Our recording was influenced by our live performances of the song. There haven't been many times when we've recorded a song after playing it live. That's why we wanted to lock up the atmosphere we had when playing this song live, and tried getting it close to our live sound, including our instruments; equipment; and settings. It was really fresh and a lot of fun.

RINA: It wasn't like we recorded from zero a song that we just made; the song and how we performed it live was ingrained in our bodies, so I think that was really good.

―What did you ask of the arranger Kawaguchi-san?

MAMI: Kawaguchi-san has been watching SCANDAL since our major label debut and knows about the current us, so we thought that asking him would be the right thing to do. Basically, we told him that we wanted the band to be the main source of sound, and we started from telling him, 『At any rate, make it heavy』. I put strings into the demo I made, which gave it a pretty sound, but I said, 『Get rid of it!』 (laughs). Then, we made it by exchanging it over and over again.

―It feels like, including the music; lyrics; and arrangement, it turned out to be a song that could be delivered to the fans with confidence. It also has the title 「Masterpiece」.

MAMI: The title gives you a feeling of, 「How's this for you!」 (laughs).

―Also, the second song on the single, 「Mabataki」, features lyrics and music by RINA, with arrangement by MAMI.

RINA: I was able to write this song relatively around the same time we decided on the name "her" for our label. It's very personal and feminine, and it makes me feel like, "It's completely fine to have a song with a sweet worldview to it." It's precisely because we started a label called "her" that I wanted the four of us to perform this kind of song. I think "SCANDAL" has a strong woman image attached to it. Because that's also SCANDAL-like, I want to keep launching out those aspects while desiring them. I think we have a 「Mabataki」-like femininity within us, so I'm happy that it was able to take shape at this timing. Since 「Masterpiece」 is a completely different type of song, I'm really looking forward to the fans' reactions.

MAMI: As for the arrangement, RINA already knew what kind of song she wanted it to be, so I made it in line with that thought.

HARUNA: Since it's pretty personal song, I tried to sing it very gently and softly. It's the complete opposite of 「Masterpiece」, and such extremely different songs were born. Being able to sing those is a moment that makes me think of how much fun it is to be in SCANDAL.

RINA: This features dual vocals, with TOMOMI singing as well. I wanted it to be sung in a way that would make people feel relaxed, so I told them, 「Sing it with around 10% power」 (laughs).

TOMOMI: It was fun singing it (laughs). Like what everyone else is saying, we broke the rules by daring to make two different types of songs into a double A-side single―rather, it made us think that we can make  songs from any angle from here on.

―Well then, after releasing this single, you'll be going on 「SCANDAL TOUR 2019 "Fuzzy Summer Mood"」, a nationwide tour that starts in June. What kind of tour will it be?

RINA: The title "Fuzzy Summer Mood" perfectly represents our current mode. We hope it'll be a live house tour that incorporates fuzzy feelings and a nice looseness.

HARUNA: It'll be held from June to the beginning of July, the exact period of time when it becomes summer, and it might change rapidly with each performance. Also, since the season of summer festivals will start after our tour ends, we want to build up a lot of strength while on tour.

SCANDAL just tweeted what the physical singles will look like:




#front-page #masterpiece_mabataki

park23 wrote:Did anyone else noticed that the link from video description to iTunes is for another band ?

Using the SH YouTube account, I was able to add English subs to the official "Masterpiece" MV's CC options on YouTube! I also added an English translation of the video description.

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Also, according to ROOFTOP's IG (SCANDAL's managing office), DaishinSZK, the director of the "Masterpiece" MV, had also directed the "Awanai Tsumori no, Genki de ne" MV.


#front-page #masterpiece_mabataki

wildthing wrote:YouTube subtitles now in Japanese / English for the latest MV on the official video.