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RINA (SCANDAL) × Yuuho Kitazawa (the peggies) talk about conflicts and dreams due to being in an all-girl band
Yuuho Kitazawa of the peggies, who will make their major label debut with their single 「Dreamy Journey」 on 5/10, and RINA of SCANDAL, who are currently holding their 47 prefecture tour in support of their best album 『SCANDAL』 released in commemoration of their tenth anniversary, held a talk together. The two of them, being an all-girl band senior and junior and also good friends in their private lives, talk about the troubles and conflicts due to being in all-girls bands, the resolve to overcome them, and their future dreams.
We don't know what songs to make, what outfits to wear, or what to do to be able to succeed, so we'll continue to challenge ourselves. Although there are some risks, that's exactly what the fun of being an all-girl band is. (RINA)
――Firstly, it's kind of emotional that RINA, in the position as a senior, will talk with a junior all-girl band.
RINA: That's definitely true. It kind of feels like, "I can't believe the day has come where I'm doing this with a person who has known about us since our major label debut!" (laughs).
――There's only a four year difference in age between you two. SCANDAL's had a long career history.
RINA: Don't say that we've had a long career! I was born and raised in the [current] Heisei Era! (laughs)
Yuuho: But, even though we're just four years apart, I respect her so much as person who has had such an influence on me! I couldn't have imagined that we could produce results and become a cool band like SCANDAL four years later. That's why I couldn't have imagined that I'd be able to have a talk with RINA of SCANDAL, who I originally looked up to and still look up to. I've known about SCANDAL since the time 「DOLL」 came out!
RINA: Oh～! You've known about us since our major label debut!
Yuuho: Yes! I was a second year middle schooler at the time, and seniors in the light music club had covered 「DOLL」. They talked about it with me, asking if I knew about SCANDAL. I was like, "Yes, I do know them!"
RINA: That makes me happy. I'm truly happy that there copy bands of us that have come out. Like, I couldn't have predicted that songs like 「DOLL」, 「Shoujo S」, and 「Shunkan Sentimental」 would be standard cover songs. We tried as hard as we could to be a band. The presence of these kids who cover our songs gives us plenty of energy. Even now when we're making songs, they expand from talks about "This is making me want this song to be covered!" It's the first time I'm hearing it directly from someone who has actually covered our songs. With those kids who started a band in that way and appearing in the major scene makes me feel that the era has made a full lap around; we can liven up the scene together even more. It makes me very excited. Personally, I love the peggies. Both the songs and the members. I wanted us to be friends, and I think of them as adorable juniors. We've also gone out to eat on our downtime. We often LINE each other. I've also gone to see them live.
――Today is the first time you're speaking about this. How did RINA and Yuuho meet?
Yuuho: The very first time was when the members and I went to see SCANDAL's live. They greeted us after the live, and RINA told us, "I listen to your music a lot!" I was nervous just to introduce myself, and since she said that kind of thing to me first, I had no idea what to say anymore. I got all feverish and my head went blank (laughs). Almost right after that live, RINA-chan and MAMI-chan came to see our live. They even gave us presents! It was a bracelet. I've been wearing it ever since I got it! (I wore it on this day too, of course!)
RINA: You are wearing it! That makes me so happy!
Yuuho: I'm wearing it! It's a treasure of mine!
――RINA-chan, you knew about the peggies?
RINA: Yes. I really like and listen to the peggies. I also have their CD.
Yuuho: She told us so many of her impressions after the live as well. That day was the first time we went out to eat together.
RINA: We talked so much (laughs).
Yuuho: Yeah! We were at that place for a very long time (laughs).
RINA: Seriously (laughs).
――How did RINA-chan come to learn about the peggies?
RINA: An artist that was with the same company had played a joint live with the peggies at a live house in Shimokita, and I heard from our manager, "There's a cool all-girl band called the peggies." So, after a while, I heard that they would be making their major label debut with the same company. At that time I had watched the peggies's music video for 「Glider」 and thought they were really cool and adorable. They were a band that I was envious of, being a band that started differently from SCANDAL. Since we were finally on the same level, I wanted to be friends and invited them to a live. We began to be in contact after that.
――I'm sure that makes Yuuho-chan very happy to hear that someone she looked up to thinks about her like that.
Yuuho: It makes me so happy! I was so happy when this talk session was scheduled, since I had been wanting to talk with her some time. SCANDAL is an all-girl band who does adorable things magnificently with a style that, without resistance, accepts things that seem cute, and I think they have the same ideas that we have in regards to all-girl bands. I really respect that they don't want to be taken oddly and don't assume too much of an attitude. There are many times when we talk and I think, "I really understand that!"
――There are too many things you can relate with, so you unintentionally talk too much (laughs).
Yuuho: That's right! We can't stop (laughs).
RINA: Ahahaha. We do always talk a lot (laughs).
――Although you're supposed to have gone to eat together, even your personal time became a "discussion" before you knew it (laughs).
RINA: Ahahaha. That's totally true (laughs).
Yuuho: When we talk about, "Have there been any cool bands recently?", I share all-girl bands I'm interested in with RINA-san.
RINA: She told me about yonige and POLKADOT STINGRAY. There had been songs I had already heard from them, and I thought, "This is great～; we have a connection here too～," and felt envious.
――Oh yeah, SCANDAL started off with a slightly different origin from other bands, right?
RINA: Yes. We formed at a dance school and leapt from the middle of dance culture to the middle of band culture. We were a band that became a band a little at a time, so it felt like how we got started was a bit reversed, but we have always been doing music with the hearts of musicians. That's why our beginning was a weapon and also complex. We couldn't really make many musician friends. We didn't have that "We grew up in this live house" situation unique to bands. I'm really envious of that aspect of the peggies. SCANDAL has always been alone.
Yuuho: Hearing that kind of story from RINA-chan is also very exciting for me, since I don't know of any other bands like that. It's a very lovely thing, and I feel that that's part of their appeal. She says it was complex, but it's interesting to hear that she thinks of it like that. It's because we never thought such a thing; we thought that they had been band from the beginning. We listened to them and went to see them. I was surprised about the difference in feelings. But, after hearing about that, I was also very surprised in a true sense.
――There are things that are only understood and can be seen by the said person.
Yuuho: That's definitely true. It moved me deeply. That's truly another part of SCANDAL I respect.
RINA: Not at all; it's the same for me. I really respect that the peggies have been invited to festivals since their indie days before their major debut! It's so cool. It also took many years for us to appear in music magazines, but there was proper demand for the peggies, and you've been featured in them from the start. I think that's truly awesome. It's so great that you're a band that was able to have a great start like that. I'm envious. I'm also very pleased that we in SCANDAL has made it ten years and have been able to cross paths [with the peggies]. I have confidence and pride for that. That's why, you know, I'm glad and am proud that such a cool junior band was able to be formed.
Yuuho: That makes me so happy that you think of it like that. We truly looked up to SCANDAL. When we went to eat for the first time and I uploaded on Twitter the picture that we took together, a girl friend drummer called me, saying, "Wait a minute! Why? Why are you in a picture together!? Why did you go out to eat together!?"! That girl also looks up to RINA-chan and started drums because of her, so she was very excited (laughs). We've been friends for a long time, but since she hadn't talked about that before, I didn't know that she looked up to RINA. So, it was a convo that was like, "Really!?"
RINA: Seriously!? That makes me so happy～!
Yuuho: It was Zekkei Kujira's Thank You Majima.
RINA: Eh!? Seriously!? That makes me happy! I listen to Zekkei Kujira's songs! That makes me so happy!
Yuuho: That's why we thought that SCANDAL was a band from the start. Rather, it's a natural thing to assume. We purely looked up to you. Of course, as well as the band, the appeal of each of the members' is amazing. It's so much fun no matter who you look at during a live.
RINA: I'll definitely tell that to the members! Thank you.
Yuuho: Your playing is also awesome. Since you all danced, your movements are completely different.
RINA: Different?
Yuuho: Yes, completely different! Even just raising your legs normally seems so fast. That alone's truly cool.
That's exactly why it feels like it's become standard for all-girl bands to not show their femininity. It's like, we're girls; isn't it okay to be feminine? (Yuuho)
――It is also a pleasant thing that they felt an appeal about what you felt was complex. It's like you want to tell yourself at that time that it felt complex.
RINA: That's true. Being a band right now is a lot of fun. I can understand our feelings of feeling down back then as well as our current selves. Like, "Ah, we were unusally on edge at that time." We built barriers around ourselves and we have many things to reflect on. Precisely because we were able to get through that is why we can now mingle with all kinds of bands. SCANDAL is a band that you can understand as our career grows.
――SCANDAL was also a band that has been misunderstood and had a doubtful appearance. But, that's exactly what made you a stronger band.
RINA: Yes. It truly seems like it. Precisely because we weren't able to appear in that kind of scene is why our audiences aren't only audiences that like bands. There are people who like dance, people who like idols, and people who like bands. It feels like our audience is a mixture of people. SCANDAL's band genre isn't only rock. SCANDAL is a band that was trailblazing while searching for a style of rock. That's exactly why it makes me happy when I think of how we're used to many interactions and entrances. On the contrary, it makes me really happy to say to this to those like Yuuho-chan who have been doing their best in the band scene.
Yuuho: There may be many cute girls in bands, but SCANDAL definitely has to be the top one among them. SCANDAL is a band that's been doing what it can do precisely because they're an all-girl band. It feels that there are many bands of girls trying not to be girls. Bands really are a society of guys, and girls in the audience that come to see bands are a fan of a band's songs, of course, but because there are also many people who are fans of the band members, there is a lot of difficulty in having all-girl bands appear together. That's why I feel like I don't know what to do if I have more of a sense of dislike than necessary. They see us and purely think we're good, but I also start to feel uneasy. That's exactly why it feels like it's become standard for all-girl bands to not show their femininity. It's like, we're girls; isn't it okay to be feminine? It's a precious weapon. Ideally, it'd be best for female fans to follow girls after showing their femininity. Rather than lying and not having any female fans in the end, it'd be great to have females be our fans and have 21-year-old female fans. Guys too, of course. It honestly is surprisingly difficult. It's very difficult to convey that "We are a band." We too worry about things like our visual aspect, how we show our music videos, and different balances. So, in that sense, we very much understand the troubles SCANDAL had in the past.
RINA: That's right.
Yuuho: But, while SCANDAL has been a band, they've been able to become a band that can properly use their femininity as a weapon. That's why I think that's truly awesome. It's like, "How in the world can you do that!?"
RINA: That makes me happy. I'm honestly so happy that we have people thinking of us in that way. But, you know, it's not that I actively think of bringing forth my femininity; after all, I'm a woman, I'm also a drummer, I like hair/makeup and fashion as a girl, so that's why I do that naturally. I recently started an Instagram, so the amount of people who sink their teeth into the things I send out aside from music is steadily decreasing. I started posting right after we started Twitter. I would upload pictures, and people at first would say stuff like, "Why are you doing your nails while talking about rock/bands!?" There were many times we'd be told such sharp words about such small things. But, on the contrary, I thought that such minute details were properly being seen. That resulted in me continuing to think, "Is there no such bandman around?", and I think it connects to what Yuuho-chan said just now. While an all-girl band is in the same neighborhood as a live house, when you put yourself forth as a girl while avoiding playing rock, you don't want to be seen as being an idol, nor do you want to be seen as not playing music honestly, but I think that, as a musician, your appeal and idol-ness is just as important as music. You make sure to improve upon it, and you want to become a band that's fun to watch and listen to. That's what we think about the music of the four of us in SCANDAL. We've continued to always do that, and the amount of people who think, "This is fun!" has grown. For over ten years now, the phenomenon happening where the number of bands with the same idea has increased. Although so many things were said to us in the beginning, doing what you love is the major premise for a musician. Do what you love to do. Be free. That's something cool. I think SCANDAL is a band that cherishes that.
――You can talk about this precisely because this is a path you've actually walked down. But, you were really told that about your nails?
RINA: Yes.
Yuuho: All kinds of things are said to you, even if you post pictures of yourself.
――Really!?
Yuuho: That's right. I've been told things like, "Are you doing this band to make yourself be considered cute?" Well, I can understand why you'd want to say something like that.
RINA: Yeah. I understand that part (laughs). I really understand feelings and opinions of wanting to say something like that. It certainly looks like we're messing around. But, I think that unreservedly doing what you think is good is the best. It's how an all-female band succeeds even now, certainly. There are senior all-girl bands like SHOW-YA, PRINCESS PRINCESS, and Chatmonchy, but we have to open up an uncharted path from this point onwards. With our lives, songs, and how we show ourselves, we must challenge ourselves to many things, gain something, think again of something, and show our challenges. There is no correct answer yet. We're always thinking about what kind of surprises we could give to the people who watch us, since there's no copybook for that. We don't know what songs to make, what outfits to wear, or what to do to be able to succeed, so we make interesting things with everyone and continue to challenge ourselves on stage. That's all we're doing. Although there are some risks, that's exactly what the fun of being an all-girl band is.
Yuuho: Definitely. It feels pleasant when you demolish everyone's expectations or predictions. It's like, "How's that for you!" (laughs).
RINA: Being able to do things like, "Here's a song you've never heard before!", or "Here's an outfit you've never seen before!" is how you can enjoy an all-girl band.
――It's out of the question to neglect things you must do, but it's perfectly unique and a little extra to do whatever you want, since a world where "You must do this" doesn't exist.
RINA: Yes. That's true. At any rate, we must proceed where there are no roads.
――SCANDAL is a frontrunner of the current all-girl band scene. But, for the peggies as a junior band, there are also difficulties where you can't do the same things.
Yuuho: That's definitely true.
――Also during the SHOW-YA and PRINCESS PRINCESS era were a variety of prejudices; I had them talk about that in my previous discussion with them. They really did have many conflicts.
RINA: Keiko Terada-san and Kaori Kishitani-san are really loving. When I talked to them, I heard they were talkative, really good friends, and have respect for each other; they have a relationship I'm very envious of. That too is a bond as an all-girl band.
――There are many handy elements to being an all-girl band, but there are also many parts that you really enjoy.
Yuuho: That's true. Not using girls as weapons, but being yourself is good. There's something I realized when I began talking to RINA-chan about all kinds of people and all-girl bands. I didn't understand what I wanted to see, what I wanted to show, what to do, or what I should do, so I didn't know what I wanted to do. Besides, since Twitter and social media has spread from the start during our time as a band, I don't know how to distance myself from the people who listen to us. Rather, I don't even know how to use social media.
――I see. There may have been big changes with the flow of time. It greatly differs from the way you would used to send out things.
Yuuho: That's true. Strangely, the first thing I posted was a selfie shot at twilight (laughs).
RINA: But wouldn't your audience be happy with that?
Yuuho: No, no, no. When I looked back on the selfie I took, I messed up and posted it on Twitter (laughs). That had me start posting all kinds of stuff, and the reactions I got made me happy. It was like, since I'm a girl, it makes me happy to be told you're "cute" (laughs).
RINA: That honesty's great! (laughs)
Yuuho: It might be due to this era, but there are still many times we're seen in the image of that time, and it seemed like I was in "a band wanting to be considered cute." I want to erase that part of my past (laughs).
RINA: Ahahaha. You have to give it up, work hard from this point on, and repaint it (laughs). It'll accumulate (laughs).
――Ahahaha. How persuasive (laughs).
RINA: Right (laughs). Yuuho-chan, you've been uploading pictures of sushi and omurice recently (laughs).
Yuuho: That's right (laughs). For a while, I really wanted to erase my complete past (laughs). But, just like what RINA-chan said earlier, since I too like makeup and clothing, I've come to think that it's okay to be my natural self.
RINA: I think you'll now be entering a very free and fun era. Personally, I like Yuuho-chan's "selfie at twilight" (laughs). I'm looking forward to them!
Yuuho: No, no, no. I've moved on from the "selfies at twilight"; I've grown up (laughs).
RINA: Ahahaha.
Yuuho: It was hard when SCANDAL debuted with not many all-girl bands around, but there have been so many all-girl bands popping up recently. I'm happy that we have more comrades, but it feels like the people who listen to us have only one seat for an all-girl band.
RINA: What do you mean?
Yuuho: Like, although you'd like all kinds of bands, you'd only like this one all-girl band.
RINA: I see.
Yuuho: I love playing joint shows with all-girl bands--it makes me very excited, but I think it's very difficult to coexist with each other.
RINA: I see. So that's how you feel. You have many thoughts about this.
――Is there something that Yuuho-chan would like to ask RINA-chan?
Yuuho: The four of you in SCANDAL are very close, but is there a secret to continue getting along?
RINA: We weren't classmates and our ages, personalities, and likes all completely differ, but there isn't anything we don't like--rather, because we're very curious, this miraculous combination where we don't bump heads too much has been playing together for ten years. We have a relationship where we respect each other. I think that's truly a miracle. I admire the members. I think that could be it.
Yuuho: Do you guys argue?
RINA: We do argue. It's also been made into film, but we bumped heads before a live on our world tour, the atmosphere soured, and we argued with each other. We have fights because we've worked together for ten years. But, we don't hate one another, and we think that fights are the worst. You think, "I need to change." That's why the songs that have a "Let's head for an even newer, greater tomorrow!" theme is the base of SCANDAL's songs. I'm glad it's the four of us; we're thinking the same things together.
Yuuho: That's awesome. We've been together ever since middle school, so we've fought on the phone while sobbing. We've sent e-mails like, "Miku was hungry and broke my cell phone, so I'm e-mailing from my computer!"
RINA: Is that so! We've never fought like that.
Yuuho: This is when we were kids. You can't control your emotions well when you're a kid and you awkwardly collide with each other head on. That kind of thing happened many times, so we know each other very well. That's why it feels like, now, we can be like, "That happened, but that's okay" without saying anything.
RINA: Yeah. During SCANDAL's indie days, we'd think, "How come I'm not getting better no matter how many times I do it?" and go to a studio in Osaka. After that, the four of us would go to a public bath and sleep in a shared house. Since we did that, there weren't any big fights. I know all of our good and bad points, so I truly do love them as humans. We're now family. I'll talk to them about anything. Do you not fight when you're at the stage of making songs?
Yuuho: We don't. In regards to what I make, they deal with me very well so that I don't lose my way. Both of them say, "It's because Yuuho is creating the peggies."
RINA: That trusting relationship is amazing. In that sense, there are two types of all-girl bands. Rather, it's like the peggies have a standard male band feeling to them. There's Yuuho-chan as the charismatic songwriter, and the two are firmly supporting that core. SCANDAL is an equal band with four people in the same one row. HARUNA's our leader, but we have a style where the four of us create one strong thing.
Yuuho: That's right. In that sense, I too really respect my members. We talk about how we really want to keep doing this with the three of us, and we hope to be able to become a strong all-girl band that lasts for a long time like SCANDAL.
RINA: the peggies is a wonderful band, truly. Your major label debut song 「Dreamy Journey」 (out on 5/10) is awesome!
Yuuho: That makes me happy! It makes me tear up to be told that. Thank you so much!
RINA: The lyrics that Yuuho-chan writes are fantasy-like and shows a cool/cute outlook, which I really like. You're a band that can do things that SCANDAL can't do, so I want you to create "the peggies rock" that doesn't give in to anyone. Becoming a band that doesn't resemble anyone else is the most important thing.
Yuuho: It makes me so happy to always receive such great advice. I'll do my best to be able to repay it someday!
――RINA-chan and Yuuho-chan, you two have such a wonderful relationship.
RINA: I hope I can become a wonderful senior. Not a senior, but rather a comrade.
Yuuho: I can respect all of that. You're truly someone who you can consult with about anything, and can talk about anything with.
RINA: Ahahaha. Oh yeah, you recently consulted with me about "When I'm on TV, what should I do?" (laughs). I think that that momentum that only comes forth from initial impulses is truly awesome, so I said that it's okay to just go with it. We only have staff accounts of when SCANDAL made our first TV appearance. It was so terrible (laughs). We did it and ran away (laughs). Those watching were left with a "We saw something terrible!" impact. I'm okay with that. But, the peggies are talented, so I don't think it'll be terrible; you have nothing to worry about.
Yuuho: You did tell that to me, but I really am nervous. Aah～, the talk's over already, isn't it (laughs). There's still so much I want to talk about and hear about～!
――Ahahaha. It feels like this talk could continue on forever (laughs).
RINA: Yeah (laughs). If you left us, I'm sure we'd be talking until morning (laughs).
――All right, let's end it here (laughs).
Yuuho: Okay (laughs).
RINA: Okay, we'll continue this again over a meal (laughs).
Yuuho: Yes! Please, let's go out to eat together again. Thank you so much for today!
