【Interview】SCANDAL's documentary film now in theaters 「We no longer need adornments」



SCANDAL's first documentary film, 『SCANDAL “Documentary film「HELLO WORLD」”』, released on 10/17, is currently in theaters nationwide for a limited time. This film contains closely shot video from their 10 performances overseas in 8 countries, live scenes that contain the enthusiasm of the world, and even the members as they are every day were starkly recorded. The trailer that contains a scene of drummer RINA crying also attracted a large topic before the movie was released.

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In this interview, HARUNA talks about the impact of their overseas performances: 「We thought of how we want to write to lyrics and songs while considering the possibility that our songs are being understood and listened to.」 MAMI gives a peek into her ambitions as a music player: 「We've gotten to the point where we can think, "It'd be great if we can use this technique too."」 Their world tour ignited each member's individual musicianship and seemed to have further strengthened the relationships of mutual trust between the members while accompanied by the twists and turns of a much too dark month. BARKS talked plenty with the members about their film that highlights the members' characters, and also about the resolution of the band who continues to rise higher and higher in the wake of their tenth anniversary. Now, we'd like to deliver a long interview about the four members who make up the Japanese representative of girl bands.


■We will still work hard, and we still have a lot of room for growth
■We want to convey the cool parts of SCANDAL even more──HARUNA

──Although you have played lives overseas many times, this world tour was a different experience than anything before. Looking back on your world tour, what do you feel this tour was like?

HARUNA: 「Firstly, the idea of playing lives abroad drastically changed for us. SCANDAL formed, and we got to go overseas before we debuted. Since then we've been going overseas every year to play lives, but this year we had our first "world tour" and went to 9 countries, including Japan. Moreover, with this being a tour on which we brought along our new album 『HELLO WORLD』, we didn't put together a special set list to use overseas like how we usually did before; making it an extension of our domestic tour and being able to tour overseas with the same sense as in Japan was a very big thing for us.」

RINA: 「Precisely because we were able to make an album called 『HELLO WORLD』, we thought we could do a world tour this time. When the album was almost complete, we got to perform at a festival in South Korea. During our stay in Korea, the four of us discussed together, 「What will our next tour be like?」 At that moment, I thought about how I'd like to primarily deliver the music that we had made to the world. The members talked about wanting to tour as one sole tour instead of separating Japan and overseas performances. Everyone agreed, and that's how this world tour came to be. At the beginning of our performances in Japan, and after we completed 41 performances on this one tour, I was truly happy that we challenged ourselves in this way. Moreover, I feel that the members we able to be more natural with this tour being a success. Right now we're really relaxing and can enjoy the music.」

──You were able to be more natural?

RINA: 「Yes. By carrying out a large tour, there were many parts that were still unknown to us, such as, "Should we be decorated?", and "What will it turn out to be like?" But, by getting to play lives in different countries and regions, feelings of wanting to show something simple and strong got increasingly stronger. It felt like the superfluous parts were pruned off.」

──TOMOMI, what was the world tour like for you?

TOMOMI: 「Although we had been playing lives overseas since our indie days, when we debuting we wore seifuku [school uniforms] and sang anime theme songs. We were aware that we were being accepted overseas as a part of Japanese culture. But, because this time we had a world tour on which we brought along 『HELLO WORLD』, an album that we were able to naturally make, we had our overseas audiences see us as a band in a different way than before. It turned into confidence that we would be able to send that out.」

MAMI: 「For me as well, I'm happy that, instead of playing at events related to Japanese culture, we were able to tour overseas as a band. We had toured before in regions in Asia before, but, beginning with France, this was our first time holding one-man lives in Europe and the USA. Everyone looking forward to our latest work and coming out to our lives made us even more happy. Also, it gave me confidence as a songwriter. For example, our song called 「Departure」 is a song that especially has had good reactions abroad. It has the scenery of Japan in it, and we sing about emotions that you never would embrace if you don't see that scenery. That's why it should be essentially unknown to audiences overseas. They've said that it's 「catchy」, and they examine the lyrics properly, listening to them with an understanding. I really felt the love.」

──Even if you knew reactions abroad via the net and the like, if you didn't actually go overseas and connect with the fans realistically, there are things that you wouldn't know, aren't there?

MAMI: 「It feels completely different. Reactions completely differed depending on the area, and how they have fun and how they listen also differ. Being able to experience and see that with our own eyes will definitely influence our songwriting and craftsmanship in the future.」

──Out of the 8 countries, 10 performances abroad, which countries were impressive?

MAMI: 「Mexico was crazy. The audience's heat was crazy. It was simply surprising that over 2,000 people came out. Moreover, although those scenes are also in the film, I celebrated my birthday while we were in Mexico and I was congratulated on-stage. In the first place, I didn't think I'd celebrate my birthday in Mexico. Also, everyone at the venue sang a birthday song in Spanish to me, and the staff also prepared a cake. That birthday song is about 4 minutes long and has 3 parts. That's why I didn't know when I should blow out the candles (laughs). That happening made me very happy.」

──Like hot Mexico, how is SCANDAL's music received?

MAMI: 「J-POP is music that is loved in South America as well, but how other countries listen also slightly differs from Japan's. For example, rather than starting to listen to J-POP via anime or Japanese culture, they find Japanese bands on video sites and such and are like "So there's a band like this!" In a steadily broadening-like feeling, the reactions differed from the places that we've gone to for anime conventions. I felt that how J-POP is listened to also differs.」

RINA: 「Japan is thought of as being really "cool" and "stylish." Japan as a country is perceived as being a stylish, serious, cool country. Of course, Japanese anime and idol culture also add to that. Being able to send that kind of Japanese culture to the world is wonderful. To have SCANDAL be properly received as a "girl band" made us very happy and makes us want to be even more popular.」

──SCANDAL is one of the forerunners of girl bands right now. You no longer have an influence only on Japan, but you also play an important role of delivering Japanese band culture to the world.

RINA: 「When we were actually in the countries and felt, "This kind of excitement is undeniable," it changed our perceptions of a world tour. There was also a moment when something like a sense of duty that we didn't have until now was born. An excitement like Mexico's was overwhelming, but the severeness we encountered in the United Kingdom was also impressive. When we played a live in a sacred place of rock, we strongly felt that we really did relish the atmosphere there.」

──Specifically, what was that "atmosphere"?

RINA: 「For example, it's not that atmosphere of the crowd getting excited no matter what we did or said; it's when an appropriate reaction is returned to what we did or said. We often hear 「You're upbeat, passionate, and awesome!」 from overseas audiences. We too have felt that kind of atmosphere at our overseas lives, but a different air hung about this time in the UK. In particular, the venue we played at was a long-established live house (※London's The Islington Academy), and older guys who were regular patrons were sipping whiskey while watching the stage at their leisure. There was seating on the second floor, and especially on the second floor there were people who wondered, "What's a Japanese girl band?" and came out to see us. That's why, at first, they weren't standing up at all. Those who gradually started to think, "This is good," began standing up. When experienced that kind of atmosphere before our debut, our hearts had definitely been broken (laughs). But, it was a place that got fired up with a "Let's do it!" feeling. I felt happy that, nine years in to being a band, we can still experience this kind of atmosphere.」

HARUNA: 「Naturally, the feeling of battling with the audience was different, but like RINA said, we will still work hard, and we still have a lot of room for growth. In Europe the cityscapes were lovely, and, as what was just said, the audience watched us rather severely. In Asia, although Japanese culture has really soaked in, we're still slightly seen as being idol-like. Of course, it's not that we dislike that; we want to work even harder, and we want to convey the cool parts of girl bands as well as SCANDAL even more.」

──TOMOMI, which live was memorable for you?

TOMOMI: 「Every country truly had passion and was hot, but, in the truest sense, Taiwan was super hot……temperature-wise (laughs). We had played at this venue, THE WALL, a few years before, and we were happy that we were able to come back here after quite a while. The amount of heat from many fans who had been waiting for us since our previous live here was truly awesome. The number of people exceeded the venue's capacity. In that hot air, the floor got flooded after the live and the staff mopped up the water. It was crazy. Like what HARUNA said, we always want the newest us to be seen. Since the distance between us and the audience is close in both Taiwan and Hong Kong, when we go on a domestic tour, we hope to be able to go to more frequently to Taiwan and Hong Kong on an Asia tour.」