【"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.

【"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】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】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.