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

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"her" is SCANDAL's own private record label founded after their 12th anniversary. To explain it simply, they have made their own atelier of sorts. SCANDAL and their true colors can be delivered with more freedom and flexibility to everyone. This means that there may be sights that have never been seen before. First, we'd like for you to experience our outlook even just a little with 【her Magazine】.

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


SCANDAL launched their private label in their 10th year of being a major label band. You could say that the girls, shouldering all-girl rock of the 2010s and opening up countless sceneries, have their own important, base-like entity that they've finally arrived at.

Its name is 「her」. This is message put into it: "Fight femininely, flexibly, freely, and lightly." It is a slogan that conveys the mindsets of a quartet who have taken a new step towards their next decade of glory.

Its commemorable first release is 『Masterpiece / Mabataki』. SCANDAL's first double A-side single. "Masterpiece," the first track, features the golden combo of lyrics by RINA and music by MAMI, and is a rock number sprinkled with a straight-forward speediness that lightly pushes forward. Their specialty tone is piercing, and a great excitement and a little tension towards their new story that will start from now is spelled out; in that sense, it is more of a personal song compared to SCANDAL's songs thus far. In this era, a sensible way of life is sung from the the point of view of a woman who wants to be independent. 「her」 is a declaration for these four existing together that could not be drawn by anyone besides them who have been continuing to run without stopping for 10 years.

The second track is a calm, midrange song written by RINA. It features TOMOMI on lead vocals for the first time in a while, and she lets us hear her glossy vocal relays with HARUNA. Both very fresh songs convey the impetus of the current SCANDAL.

What are the four of them thinking as they currently stand on a new starting line? What kind of future are they trying to draw after a decade of history? What thoughts were included in these two songs, and what lies in their hearts? We had them talk about everything.

Koyanagi: Your label 「her」 has finally been established, and your new lives will start. First, I'd like to ask you about this past year and what you felt, or what changed after releasing your latest album 『HONEY』 and touring in support of it.

HARUNA: Because I turned 30 last year, that was a huge topic for me. It was a year I wanted to level up as a human, and more than that I wanted to level up as a band member and as a band's vocalist.


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

HARUNA: Yeaーh. But age really was the trigger for it. I spent it frankly saying what I thought, and wanting to find something that's like the person I am during our live shows. I realized that it was necessary in order to become an even cooler band, and that I needed to break the image I had within me of the vocalist "HARUNA of SCANDAL" once. It was okay to be myself even more, and that I didn't need to overly pretend to be cool. I thought that that'd be easier to do from here on―rather, that I'd fall even more in love with the band. Also, it feels like it's easier to live with. I feel like those 10 years were ones where I was trying my best to hide my faults. But, it's okay that they've already been bared, and it's okay to be bad at things. Still, I'm trying to do my best (laughs).


Koyanagi: I see. What about for you, RINA?

RINA: The band feels like the most enjoyable thing I'm currently doing, and that I've truly been able to continue doing something that I love. Last year was one where our music and the four of us were closely linked together. We were delighted that we were able to make an album like 『HONEY』  that surpassed our own abilities. We once again discovered that we are people whose personal lives and creativity are more connected than they thought. So, we wanted to see and absorb things more greedily, and we wanted to have both good and bad things happen to us. We wanted feel all sorts of things every day. We finally felt that way at the end of the year. It was a profound year where about three years' worth of happenings occured. 2018 was a huge year for us. Although it might have been a year that we could call "exhausting" if we didn't have this sort of job, we ultimately had an intense year as musicians who stand on stages - and we were glad for that.


Koyanagi: In other words, you were able to output varied experiences.

RINA: Yes, which is why we're able to have fun making things now. Even though we always have fun doing it, we're able to write at a nice pace during this period of time in particular.


Koyanagi: What about you, TOMOMI?

TOMOMI: I moved places in 2018. The windows got bigger, and a lot of light comes in (laughs). Along with that, I was able to put plants all around, so I've started to wake up in the morning. Until now I would sleep until the afternoon and live my life as if I was waking up in the morning. By doing that, I inevitably would often think about the band from morning until night, and would often arbitrarily think about negative things. It was like I couldn't do anything interesting that had depth to it. But, after all, by living together with the sun, I came to think about things that have depth to them.


Koyanagi: What things did you think about?

TOMOMI: Like, we need to 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 together with the sun (laughs). It's like I'm storing nutrients now.


Koyanagi: It's inadvertenly essential (laughs). What about you, MAMI?

MAMI: I think it was a year I was even more absorbed in the band. We properly forged our solo live shows—rather, we raised them up ourselves. But, it was also a year where we were itching to perform at festivals and events. Personally, I went out a lot that year. I would discover things like food festivals, or handmade festival-like events where cloth and yarn were gathered, and I would go out to them. How should I say it—I think it was a year of good preparation. There may have been less opportunities to see everyone in public in a sense, but it felt like the band was constantly active. I feel that we were busy in a good way (laughs).


Koyanagi: It may have been a year you reconsidered how SCANDAL, who had many strategies to move outward during these 10 years, should go about things, and what kind of band you should be. The idea that came up was to launch a new label. What was the trigger for that?

HARUNA: The trigger was a distinct conversation we had with our current label staff, who said, "Why don't we do this together?" At that time we weren't sure what direction the band should go in next, and it was when we hit the 10-year mark of being a major label band. If this was the end of our first chapter, then after it would be the start of our second chapter. We only had a vague feeling that we wanted to do something, and at that time we wanted to do something in order to be able to continue on for a long time, but we didn't know what that thing was. It was at that time when we had that conversation about a private record label, and with that we started to move things along.


Koyanagi: Before that, did you ever feel that a private label would be a good fit for you? Was voicing it what solidified your mindset?

RINA: It wasn't something we knew from the start. However, when we were making 『HONEY』, it felt like our want to be renewed was at its peak, and it felt like the all-girl band called SCANDAL gave us the answer. We started thinking about how we should start something new from here on, and how we can stay cool after all of us are over 30 years old.


Koyanagi: Yeah.

RINA: It felt like we also had a haziness we had been holding, and we've now reached one thing. So, for better or worse we've smashed this sense of accomplishment. It might have been connected to making our own label, re-debuting from scratch, and making music from scratch. We want to make music together with people who think our music and way of life are interesting and cool.


Koyanagi: But it felt like, "Why didn't I think of this!?", didn't it?

MAMI: When we explain the band known as SCANDAL, I think it's an element that's very easy to explain. We really are a band that needs all kinds of explanations. Something easy to put out, like, "This is SCANDAL." We decided on our course of action, and we feel excited to start from here again.

TOMOMI: I actually was worried as soon as we talked about it. For me, I had a love for our previous label that we had spent 10 years with, and I had never thought about leaving them because they were comrades who built up the band called SCANDAL together with us. I hadn't thought I'd experience that. However, the feeling of excitement I get when we talk about the future with our current label staff―rather, I felt that I had a feeling of premonition, and that I was able to take a step towards wanting us to debut again.


Koyanagi: You certainly have courage.

MAMI: Because we really wanted to have a change. That want was strong.

TOMOMI: Yeah, that was before we talked about the label.

HARUNA: It's because something beyond the sense of accomplishment with making 『HONEY』 was absolutely necessary. However, it was not found by ourselves alone.


Koyanagi: Yes, I certainly see that there was a sense that you got things done, but conversely, if you didn't have the idea of making a new label, you wouldn't have known how you could express your new selves.

RINA: No matter what songs we'd write, it was like we were doing part two of the songs we already had. We were also irritated because we couldn't write songs we were completely satisfied with. There was a time when we forced them into shape. But, when we announced our label to everyone, it felt like everything was opening all at once. We then came to think that we'd be able to do more and more new things, and that this was the correct answer.

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【"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 what's on the outside now?

RINA: Yes, that too. Since we're doing this as four women, we feared that that many people would not understand unless we sharpened ourselves up more than necessary. After being liberated from that, we began thinking that classic melodies and straightforward lyrics are really cool. That makes us happy. We don't need to play songs like that—we want to play them. We're able to write lyrics that are completely different from before.

HARUNA: We still feel that way now.

MAMI: When songs that are like part 2 of our past songs are born, it's not about going beyond things like, "We need to include a phrase with more impact here," or, "We need to start it off like this," and not that we can only see part 1. It was around the end of the year that we decided to get rid of that and just make them sounding like a band. After that, the four of us agreed that we started to be able to create songs that we could say are good. It feels like we're brand new. We're able to make things that we like. That sense of security is such a big thing for us.


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

TOMOMI: Essentially (laughs).

MAMI: Although we didn't have anything clear-cut, we thought a lot about who we are. We didn't need to put it into words; everyone could tell from the ambience. It was overflowing.


Koyanagi: The four of you say "It's always so much fun," but I think you guys really were in a crisis. Your excitement goes down, and if you think you're in a crisis, that is how it'll seem.

HARUNA: Yeah, I think it 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 been going about things in an uncomprehensible way.


Koyanagi: The name of your label is "her." Could you explain the name?

RINA: It's our own theme. When we thought about we as a rock band—and with the four of us being women—continuing on for a long time, we realized that there are many aspects of how men continue their bands, that don't fit with us. We really do love the things that we can do because we're women, and things that are girly—it's better that we embrace things like that. We wanted to have cool lives as women, which comes before being musicians. Recently, we've started talking about things like, "As an all-girl band...", and we had conversations every day about stuff like, "Maybe that's a little too mannish," or, "This can't be done unless you're a woman; how interesting." We came to think that that's our theme. "her" is a word that has various meanings depending on the words that precede and follow it. We thought that that word should be our theme from here on as well, including its degree of freedom.



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

RINA: There weren't, but our staff told us, "Please submit at least five choices" (laughs). When we looked up various company names as references, we thought there were a lot of simple and cool ones. In the end, we only submitted "her" (laughs).



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

MAMI: Yes, we envisioned how things would turn out. I think the fans too were watching us and were wondering what would be waiting after HONEY, which we said was our greatest album. It was a big thing to be able to present our image beyond that.

HARUNA: We as women had to continue on. When you're in band, there are times when you must not forget that you're a woman. However, to reach 30 and continue after that, you enter into a time frame where you must get on with things no matter what while also being a woman. I was happy that I was able to affirm myself.



Koyanagi: I thought that was 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 a little embarrassing to hear that (laughs).



Koyanagi: You can start to fight more flexibly.

MAMI: It feels like we can head forward nimbly. Freedom is a word that has been important for us too. It feels exactly like we have the freedom to go anywhere.



Koyanagi: That's why the songs that have been born have also been different. You're doing what you're good at, but it feels like they were born in a completely different way. I dare say that they're "masterpieces" (laughs).

RINA: (laughs) I went crazy with the lyrics. After we decided to use this melody since it was insanely good, I was worried about what lyrics to start it off with. In the first place, we don't like to sing too much about ourselves. However, it seemed unnatural to ignore what we've been doing for 10 years, and that we were about to kick off to a new start. So, at the studio the next day, I said, "We've avoided writing songs where we're the protagonist, but maybe we could do it at this point in time." Everyone said that that'd be great. That's why we were conscious of writing it as a song to kick off a new start.

MAMI: We thought that we should let the words "beginning," "newness," and "rebirth" come next. From the start it felt like it came together nicely.

HARUNA: We thought, "Is it still possible for us to feel like newcomers?" (laughs). It just felt embarrassingly fresh. But if we didn't do it now then we wouldn't be able to sing it, and it's because of our efforts that we scraped by and finally hit on lyrics that anyone could understand.



Koyanagi: Your singing is also straightforward.

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

RINA: It really suits you.

HARUNA: Given how SCANDAL is currently, I didn't think that we would sing this melody with these lyrics. Although we've tried out lots of things and tried updating ourselves, this song brings us back to our roots. I didn't expect to be able to go back there.

MAMI: Yeah. We need to put a twist on it somewhere. I think it turned out to be a song that makes us go, "Oh!", even though we didn't make it like that. That's exactly what it means for SCANDAL, after 10 years, to make and sing our songs now.

HARUNA: By making this song, our subsequent production has become easier. It's better to write very easy-to-understand lyrics. People are listening even if we don't use metaphors or analogies, and we know what we want to convey. We were able to reach a point where we can keep continuing to create songs like this.



Koyanagi: It's nice to draw on a white canvas, is what you're saying. There are still so many things that are new to you even after 10 years.

RINA: The rules we have for songwriting are decreasing. There are times when we leave something rough on purpose. Like, we do a mixture of "kimi" (you; typically less polite) and "anata" (you; typically more polite). It's like when watching a movie and a line aimed towards the audience suddenly pops up. It's possible to do a mix of tricks and reality in a movie, but it's more difficult to do in music. We wondered if we could appeal to people one-on-one with just one phrase. We never thought we would ever do that. If you use "kimi" once then you should use "kimi" throughout the whole song, but we thought we'd try taking on a new challenge. That's such a minute detail, though.



Koyanagi: That's wonderful.

RINA: I think it's kind of fun.

MAMI: We've been experimenting with different ways of making songs, and since we're going through a number of stages, we have a lot of our own rules. But, we talk about whether to review things or not. This song was made when we talked about doing things freely. It's the first step.



Koyanagi: For example, even if there are mistakes, you're just like, "Let's just be fun and free." This side of SCANDAL is appealing.

MAMI: Originally, the arrangement was completely different and I also put in some strings. It was leading up to the chorus. But, I wanted to do this song with the input of a third party. I couldn't make it completely different by myself. I think I was in a situation where I could only do a part 2 of the song. So, I left the arrangement to the staff we've been working with for a long time, and it turning into a song that was completely changed also means that SCANDAL as we are right now are progressing. It turned out to be a very satisfying song.



Koyanagi: "Mabataki," the other A-side song, is also another wonderful song. It's a very RINA-like song with each of its pieces filling in one by one.

HARUNA: We were like, "Is okay to have everyone listen to an emotional song right after 'Masterpiece'?" (laughs)

RINA: We've written plenty of love songs that stays the course until the finish line, but we also wanted to write a song that starts and finishes vague. We finished it up with TOMOMI on main vocals for the first time in a while.



Koyanagi: In regards to vocals, why did you decide to go with that?

RINA: We also tried doing vocals with all four of us once, but it felt a little too upbeat. So, we focued on TOMOMI's voice. All of us sing during the choruses.



Koyanagi: That's also another easy decision.

TOMOMI: It was close to the beginning. We all sang it once. It felt puzzle-like as we were making it.



Koyanagi: With this private-like feeling and crown called "her," I think it makes it even more charming.

RINA: We talked about how it's good to be charming and have music that fits everyday life and that has lived-in feel to it. It feels like we can now do girly songs that shake free from our preferences.

MAMI: We probably wouldn't have paired those before. After establishing "her," it now truly feels like we'll be putting out what we love, and what we want to do. If "her" didn't exist, we probably would have just put this song on an album, but that's the usual pattern we take anyway. Being able to change that is also because we have "her."



Koyanagi: The songs you'll make will continue to change, and I think you'll also be able to make classic J-Pop songs. Lastly, could you tell us your hopes and desires for your future activities?

RINA: Let's see......

HARUNA: There are endless things to do...but I can't think of any at all right now (laughs).

RINA: We want to live cheerful lives while also living alongside music. We're not trying to make it seem like we're holding a festival called "her"; we want to live our lives as female musicians while releasing music from a place called "her."

MAMI: Releasing songs to the world and playing live shows won't change, but what will be changing completely are the delivery methods and our desire as SCANDAL to deliver them. At any rate, we're very happy that we're able to do this feeling very fresh. Everything is new again, so we want to have fun while feeling this freshness even more.

TOMOMI: It really does feel like we're newcomers redoing our major label debut. We'd love to appear at festivals again feeling like freshmen. It truly feels like everything's anew. We want to do this feeling as though we're starting from scratch.

MAMI: That's surprisingly stoic (laughs).



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

All: We'll do our best!

Thanks so much for waiting for the second part of this interview!

Individual interviews with each member will be posted soon. We will be translating and posting 「"her" Magazine Vol. 2」 as well when it comes out with new album Kiss from the darkness![/size]

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Also, thank you for checking out our translations! Please consider donating if you'd like to continue supporting us and our work:

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We've also set up a Patreon, if you'd like to support us there instead!



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【"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 people say"

―HARUNA, for you, 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 people 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】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.