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A new step for SCANDAL, celebrating their tenth anniversary
The girls fervently talked about their thoughts on their new album 「YELLOW」 featuring all tracks written by them
SCANDAL will celebrate their tenth anniversary in August. Their solo world tour last year was a success, and the girls are undisputably the top runners in girl bands. Their seventh and new album 『YELLOW』 opened a new door for the members. Their album that features all tracks written by them is perfectly packed with how SCANDAL currently is.
―We'll start from the title. Your new album is named 『YELLOW』; for what reason did you give it that name?
HARUNA: 「We decided on the title after we were halfway through the album's production. We listened to the completed songs and talked about how it'd be better to give it a title that's related to the entire album's sound; we thought about all kinds of names. In the end, since there were many bright, funky tracks, we went with the title 『YELLOW』.」
RINA: 「The word 『YELLOW』 just really popped out during the many twists and turns (laughs). This album is one piece of Japanese girl bands facing the world, and given that it's become something that we're proud of as Japanese people, I think it's unexpectedly on target.」
―It's surprising to look at the credits and see that all of the songs are original ones by the members. Did you think you'd do this album like that from the start?
MAMI: 「We didn't decide on it. The members have come to be able to make songs ourselves these past 2-3 years, and it feels like it naturally turned into this timing. It has become a work in which our favorite music, favorite scenery and cities, and that atmosphere has been packed into it more than ever before.」
―Were you influenced by your world tour held last spring?
TOMOMI: 「Sound-wise, what we learned on the tour is considerably reflected [in our work]. We listened to music from all kinds of countries, and we experienced the coolness of low-humidity music produced overseas. We produced this album while thinking about to what extent we could incorporate things like that while in Japan. We had made many things with equipment we had on hand before, but [this time] we rented equipment to go with the songs or atmosphere and lowered the studio air conditioner's temperature as far as it could go to get rid of moisture. We do some very experimental recording.」
―What is your favorite song on this album made with such commitment?
MAMI: 「The song 『SUKI-SUKI』 is my favorite. It was a song with only one complete chorus around last summer; I didn't make it with the intention of putting it on the album. But, when we started production, everyone said, "This song is great. Let's put it on the album", I completed it. I really wanted to do this song as SCANDAL's standard sound, so I endeavored with how we've done things so far and our equipment. I think it's been completed with a slightly different vector than our other recorded songs.」
TOMOMI: 「『Sunday Drive』 for me. I got my driver's license two years ago and wanted to make a driving song, but I was then in a slump. It was right before our world tour started when I talked to the members, and they told me, "How about trying after taking in the new atmosphere on tour?" So, I went out on tour like that, and brought each country's interesting points of music and their charming parts back to Japan. I can't say if it got me out of my slump (laughs), but I somehow picked up a pen and finished the song. At first I wrote it while thinking of wanting to encourage someone, but before I knew it it turned into a song that encouraged me.」
HARUNA: 「Perhaps 『LOVE ME DO』 for me. When MAMI sent over this song, I felt that you could see a slightly different side of SCANDAL in it. There are many parts I challenged myself to as a vocalist throughout this album, and among them 『LOVE ME DO』 was the biggest challenge for me.」
RINA: 「『Chiisana Honoo』 for me. This was actually completed by the time of our previous work, but HARUNA said, "I can't sing this until I grow up a size as a singer." It's a work with the theme of life, so it was logical that it was put down. But, this song became the theme song for our documentary film 『SCANDAL “Documentary film 「HELLO WORLD」”』 about our world tour , and it seemed like it'd be a fit for the ending of 『YELLOW』 as well, so we recorded it. Because there are many teen fans of ours, we included a "We want you to face forward and live on" message in it to them.」
―SCANDAL has come to the juncture of ten years. Do you have thoughts about your future again?
RINA: 「Firstly, we want to reach our 17th year. ZELDA, certified in the Guinness Book of Records with the record of an all-girl band with the longest life, was around for 17 years. Compared to the many male bands that have continued on for a long time, many girl bands have short lives. We have pride in the musical genre of "girls rock" and we want to make a genre where we can cheerfully be able to reach out a hand, so we want to keep doing our best.」
http://www.rollingstonejapan.com/articles/detail/25643
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