Fender Special Interview | SCANDAL -Part 1-

---

"The Haruna Telecaster Boost gives me so much confidence"

Since their formation in 2006, SCANDAL has continued to lead the Japanese rock scene with their outstanding pop sensibilities and spectacular live performances along with four iconic personalities. These ladies that became the first Japanese female artists to sign an endorsement with Fender in 2017 have released new signature models that were "instruments they really wanted right now." In part one of this interview, we asked HARUNA, MAMI, and TOMOMI about the thoughts put into their signature models.

---

"It's amazing that it's even more intense than expected during concerts"

―First, please tell us about the concepts of your new signature models. HARUNA, yours is called the "Haruna Telecaster Boost," right?

HARUNA: I really like my previous signature "Haruna Telecaster" model; it's perfect for the songs on albums we've released in the last 2-3 years, enough to make me go, "This is all I need." But on the other hand, I wanted a new one that could be used for previously released songs that are staples at our concerts, such as "Shunkan Sentimental" and "Flashback No.5." That's how this Haruna Telecaster Boost came to be.



―What things did you focus on in order to materialize this concept?

HARUNA: It has to be the humbucker pickups that are equipped for a more powerful sound. It's completely different because the sound pressure and the range of sound are really filled out! Also, the body's made of mahogany, which is rare for Fender. The combination of mahogany and humbuckers adds to the weight of the sound. I'm really satisfied with it.



―You've been using its prototype since your performance at Osaka-Jo Hall in 2021. Did you also use it during your North American tour this past July?

HARUNA: I used it depending on the song, and it's amazing that it's even more intense than expected during concerts.



―When your guitar is leveled up, your vocals also sound pumped up, don't they?

HARUNA: That's right. On our NA tour, not only did we play songs from our latest album MIRROR but also staple live songs and songs that likely helped people learn about SCANDAL. The Haruna Telecaster Boost played a huge role in the performances, so I think the sound of this guitar left a strong impression on the audiences.



―What was important appearance-wise?

HARUNA: Since the previous Haruna Telecaster is the basis of this signature model, I didn't want to change that image too much. Even if I were to make a powerful model, I wanted it to look stylish when being held. That's why I went with a simple-yet-classy design. I think it now has a more mature look to it also due to the hardware being changed from gold to silver.



―MAMI and TOMOMI, what do you think about the Haruna Telecaster Boost?

MAMI: It's extremely powerful and very reliable. It also gives stability when HARUNA sings and plays by herself. As I listened to it, I thought it would be easy to pick up the melody because it has such a strong sound.

TOMOMI: I think it has a lot of presence. It also has a great aura to it and feels like a guitar for meant for guitarists.



―Who do you recommend this model to?

HARUNA: I think it's a very playable guitar, so I'd like to recommend it to beginners. Even if you haven't had that much experience on the guitar yet, I think this is an instrument that'll give you plenty of confidence.

"I felt all emotional when I found out it fits any of SCANDAL's 16 years' worth of songs"

―MAMI, your model is called "Mami Stratocaster Omochi." What did you try to create this time compared to your previous signature model?

MAMI: I made my previous one (Mami Stratocaster) since I really wanted a standard Strat, but when I thought, "What's the most necessary thing right now?", I realized that I needed a guitar I could use as my main one from here on out. It has humbucker pickups like HARUNA's, and there's only one tone control knob to make it easier to use. I thought the top knob would get in the way when playing while moving, so I removed it. It's easy to use for live performances, and it has a very simple design so that I'll want to use it for a long time.



―Why did you choose the name "Omochi"?

MAMI: I named it "Omochi" from its color and design. It looks like mochi flour and the pickups have a geometric pattern that I designed myself—or rather, a motif that looks like a Japanese pattern.



―You said that ease of use is important. What are the specs for the neck?

MAMI: The neck shape combines a compound back shape that changes from Modern C to D from the low frets to the high ones, and a compound radius fingerboard. It's rounded near the headstock, but it is designed to flatten as you go to higher frets. As a result, the sound does not become shortened even if the string height is lowered, and a highlight is that you can play the lead guitar without stress. It fits very well with the songs we've done so far, so I feel like the more I try things out, the more I'll improve.



―Who do you recommend the Mami Stratocaster Omochi to?

MAMI: Since this guitar can do it all, I'd be happy to have beginners play it as well as people who already have several guitars; I think you'll get a sound that'll fit perfectly into any gaps.



―HARUNA, what do you think of the Mami Stratocaster Omochi?

HARUNA: I've seen a lot of guitars in my life, but I thought that with this guitar you could easily produce sounds.



―Despite having the same humbuckers, MAMI's is more powerful than HARUNA's.

MAMI: I think it has a really cool distortion that has the spirit of us when we first started out.

HARUNA: Did you play "DOLL" with this?

MAMI: Yeah. That's why this guitar really suits the effects pedals I used in our early days, and the fuzz-like rough sound we had. That's why I felt all emotional when I found out it fits any of SCANDAL's 16 years' worth of songs. It's like, "This is what I wanted!"



―TOMOM, your model is the "Tomomi Jazz Bass."

TOMOMI: My previous one (Tomomi Precision Bass) was a Precision Bass, so I thought I'd try a Jazz Bass this time. Since I had used a Jazz Bass all the time when we first started out, I was happy to be able to make a new one. I had a longing for stack knobs (knobs found on very early Jazz Basses from 1960-61) and decided on those first.



―That's pretty hardcore (laughs). Were you particular about the color as well?

TOMOMI: Yes. It's called Clear Fiesta, and although the color is Fiesta Red, you can see the wood grain through it. We finally arrived at that point after several meetings. During the North American tour I used the Tomomi Jazz Bass almost exclusively. It felt like it could handle anything. I also got hooked on playing our early songs, and got used to the songs I had played on my Precision Bass. Because the heel is cut, the higher frets are very easy to play.



―Please give a message to those who are considering purchasing these instruments.

TOMOMI: This is a stylish color only available with the Tomomi Jazz Bass. Also, I would definitely recommend it to those who haven't found a sound they like yet.

MAMI: I think these are really great guitars and basses. If you're wondering which one to play, I'd like for you to try them out once. If you get this guitar first, you may not think "I want another guitar!"



―There will also be signature models of guitar straps.

MAMI: I also used this strap throughout the North American tour. It was really great.

TOMOMI: We decided on the colors and placement of the logo ourselves.

HARUNA: We chose three colors—Black, White, and Brown—to match each signature model.

MAMI: When making the straps, I personally wanted to make them non-slip. I'm very grateful that they're non-slip leather.

TOMOMI: It doesn't make you feel the weight of the instrument too much; it disperses it nicely and doesn't make you feel tired. I recommend these.

https://fendernews.jp/special-interview-scandal/

#front-page

---

If you enjoy my translations, please consider leaving a tip!

Fender Special Interview | SCANDAL -Part 2-

---

"For the first time I thought, 'Maybe I'm in a band in order to hear people cheering for me'"

Since their formation in 2006, SCANDAL has continued to lead the Japanese rock scene with their outstanding pop sensibilities and spectacular live performances along with four iconic personalities. These ladies that became the first Japanese female artists to sign an endorsement with Fender in 2017 have released new signature models that were "instruments they really wanted right now." In part two of this interview, we focused on looking back on their latest album MIRROR, which came to fruitition after some hard times, and their North American tour as well as their European tour scheduled to be held in September.

---

"MIRROR is proof that the four of us can do anything"

―You celebrated your 15th anniversary in 2021, and this past January you released your album MIRROR. Please tell us your thoughts once more on what kind of album it is.

HARUNA: With our 15th anniversary and the pandemic overlapping, this album was made at a time when we often looked back on who've been. Since we couldn't put on that many live performances due to the pandemic and made many songs without having concerts in mind, I think it turned out to be a new piece that is completely different from the image we've had in the past.



―Who wrote "Kanojo wa Wave"?

HARUNA: RINA made that song with a digital audio workstation, but it surprisingly is a great song to play live. When we were rehearsing in the US, the ladies on staff at the venues were really getting into it.

MAMI: When we played it live as a band, it really made it into a "band song."

HARUNA: We're able to express ourselves because of all the varied songs we've done. Considering that the four of us formed at a vocal and dance training school 16 years ago, this album is proof that there's more than one way to be a band—or rather, it's proof that the four of us can do anything.



―MAMI, what is MIRROR to you?

MAMI: Personally, I don't think I've ever had such a tough production period before.



―What was tough about it?

MAMI: I honestly couldn't write any songs. Up until now I had been making songs centered on concerts while we all discussed the details, saying things like, "I want this kind of song," so I ended up not knowing what songs we needed for those concerts. I didn't know what kind of songs I should make. But since I have to come up with songs, I try my best to figure it out—however, there are times when I can't come up with anything. It got a little easier once I switched my mindset to writing songs based on our real lives. But even though we're gradually getting to play more concerts, I still can't completely escape from that side of me. Because this album was made things were the toughest, that was the first time I struggled so much. This is what you would call "labor pangs" (laughs).



―I see.

MAMI: I think it was great that I was able to have that sort of experience. I don't know if it'll happen again, so that served as mental preparation and a lesson for times like that. I put absolutely all of my strength into this album, enough to make me go, "I can't do this anymore!"

TOMOMI: We were so sad that we couldn't do the activities we wanted to, and we couldn't come up answers on our own. In the past, we could have completed songs by reasoning "It's like this, so we'll do this." But we ended up making songs without having answers, and then got to the point of releasing them. Making this album felt very fresh for us. Previously, I think we would have thought stuff like, "It'd be better to put in a song with a slightly faster tempo to balance things out," but I think we were very honest with ourselves with how there were inevitably a lot of mid-tempo songs. Without concerts, we basically thought, "We're middle-aged now" (laughs). Although the pandemic's not over yet, I'm looking forward to seeing what'll happen with us when it is.

"Concerts that are indescribable no matter who is missing"

―You held four performances on your North American tour in July, but the five remaining performances were canceled due to the members testing positive for COVID. How were those four performances?

HARUNA: Above all else, it made us happy getting to see our fans for the first time in forever, and since audiences are able to vocalize in the US, hearing all those cheers in such a long time kind of made our hearts skip a beat. From the stage we could see the faces of people who have been fans for a long time, and it made us happy that they had come to see us after four years. There were also people who didn't know the songs but just came to see the show and enjoy the vibes in the venue. We don't really get to experience that in Japan, so I thought that it was extremely valuable being able to see the music of Japanese bands spreading to the US.

MAMI: It had been a long time since we heard everyone's excited voices, and for the first time I thought, "Maybe I'm in a band in order to hear people cheering for me." I was so moved and felt emotions I never felt before. This also applies to song production, and I'm the type of person who doesn't smile much even during concerts, but I'm very grateful when the audience is having fun, and it makes me really happy when I see their expressions and movements. That's why my feelings of wanting the audience to get even louder, have more fun, and make them have more fun grew bigger.

TOMOMI: I'm so happy we got to do this for the first time in forever. There were cities that we hadn't been to in over 10 years, and there were people who wore some very nostalgic shirts. We had thought we were going to see them soon [when we first booked the tour for 2020] but ended up not being able to. I was really happy to see a lot of people we hadn't seen in a long time.



―Your European tour is starting in September. How excited are you for it?

HARUNA: The North American tour yielded unfortunate results, so for this next one we want to make sure to do all three performances. As it's also been a long time since we toured in Europe, I'm sure there are people waiting for us. I'd be happy if we saw some new people as well.

TOMOMI: Health really does come first. We want to see you when we can, definitely.

MAMI: We will play concerts that are indescribable no matter who is missing, so it's best for everyone to stay healthy. Since I'll of course be taking my Mami Stratocaster Omochi on our European tour too, I'd love to make some cool sounds through trial and error.



―The environment changes when the country changes, including the humidity.

MAMI: That's right. The voltage is also different, which is why I'm looking forward to what kind of sounds it'll make.



―Are you going to bring your two signature models—the previous model and the current model—on your European tour?

MAMI: Yes.

HARUNA: All of us will. They're wonderful instruments that'll be more than enough.



―How do you want SCANDAL to proceed after the tour ends? You can list personal goals as well.

MAMI: I need to make songs again. I'll keep thinking of how it'd be nice if I could make some songs, while also hoping to experience things on our European tour. I also feel rushed because I need to make something (laughs), but I want to continue playing concerts next year, too.

HARUNA: We're also aiming to break the Guinness World Record for longest-running all-girl [Japanese] band, so we have to keep our minds and bodies healthy for that.



―Are you thinking of celebrating if you break the record?

HARUNA: I don't know (laughs).

MAMI: We'll have everyone celebrate (laughs).

TOMOMI: Yeah (laughs).

HARUNA: We didn't think that we should say this ourselves, but when we were asked about our goals again, I think it was a huge source of motivation for us. As people who will soon be achieving something that not everyone can achieve, it would be nice if the proof of what we've done so far becomes reality.



―Your mind and body really do need to be healthy for that.

HARUNA: I think it's capital. That's why I think it would be great if we could keep going without being too hard on ourselves.

TOMOMI: We'll keep going and keep playing concerts. I've only wished for driving safety and matchmaking so far, but now I'll wish for good health (laughs).

MAMI: Fingers crossed (laughs).

https://fendernews.jp/special-interview-scandal-2/

#front-page

---

If you enjoy my translations, please consider leaving a tip!