Music Natalie - HARUNA & Sayaka Yamamoto's Interview


The pair that met as members of SCANDAL and MAD CATZ reunite for the first time in 16 years

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Sayaka Yamamoto's tour, "Sayaka Yamamoto × Live Natalie Zepp TOUR『SYnergy』," will be held on 11/19 at Zepp Haneda; 11/27 at Zepp Nagoya; and 11/29 at Zepp Namba. "SYnergy" is a joint project between Yamamoto and Live Natalie, and will be held at Zepp venues in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. Mao Abe will perform at the Tokyo show, ACIDMAN at the Aichi show, and SCANDAL at the Osaka show.

Ahead of the tour, Music Natalie has conducted a conversation with Yamamoto and HARUNA from SCANDAL, who will be performing at the Osaka date. It has been 16 years since Yamamoto sat down and talked with HARUNA, who knew her as "SAYAKA of MAD CATZ" prior to her joining NMB48. The pair looked back on the memories of when they first met as all-girl bands in similar circumstances, and talked about a wide range of topics, including their thoughts on music; their enthusiasm for "SYnergy"; and even what they want to do on that day.

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Reunited for the first time in 16 years since MAD CATZ

HARUNA: How many years has it been since we last met in person?

Sayaka Yamamoto: Probably not since we saw each other at a joint-band concert when I was in middle school... so that means it's been 16 years.

HARUNA: That's right. I think we passed by each other at music programs after that, but it really may have been 16 years since we've met face to face like this. Again, thank you very much for inviting us to play a joint-band concert.

Yamamoto: Not at all; thank you very much.

──Before joining NMB48, Yamamoto was in the band MAD CATZ, which was consisted of 3 middle school girls. You played joint concerts with SCANDAL around that time.

Yamamoto: Yes, that's right.

HARUNA: That was before we had debuted as well, so I think that was around 2007-2008. You know, I've always wondered if it was okay to talk about that era (laughs). That was 16 years ago, before you joined NMB48.

Yamamoto: It's not that I was told I shouldn't talk about those days, but there just hadn't been an opportunity to mention them. Today's discussion may make people think, "Oh, it's okay to talk about MAD CATZ" (laughs).

HARUNA: Ahahaha. I'm really happy we get to talk like this again. Back then, how many times did we play joint concerts together? I don't think it was that many, though.



──We looked it up online and were able to confirm that you played a joint concert at KYOTO MUSE around April 2007. (*Note: It was actually in April 2008!)

HARUNA: Ahー! I definitely remember playing a joint concert at KYOTO MUSE.

Yamamoto: We chatted a bit in the dressing room back then. But my memories of what we talked about are quite vague overall (laughs).

HARUNA: Same here (laughs). My band and I didn't think this at all, but at that time our two bands were seen as rivals. Both bands formed at entertainment schools in Osaka, and we were relatively close in age. So even when we performed together, we didn't communicate much. It'd just be us chitchatting, like, "Oh, we're playing together again," and that was it. Since we were in middle and high school, we never went out to eat after the shows.

Yamamoto: That's right. We didn't really connect deeply.

HARUNA: Back then, we had opportunities to play all sorts of joint concerts, but we felt a strong sense of sympathy for MAD CATZ compared to other bands. We felt that we should both work hard as bands with similar circumstances.

Yamamoto: For us as well, we were very aware of SCANDAL in a good way. Watching your live performances was so inspiring. Since SCANDAL was already playing original songs while we were still only playing covers, we were always thinking, "We need to get there too." We felt like you guys were our "all-girl band seniors."

HARUNA: But I think you guys probably had your indie debut before us. That made us really envious. We also felt that we needed to catch up.

"SCANDAL has continued to do this for 18 years"

Yamamoto: It's been 16 years since then, huh. Actually, when my band broke up and I joined NMB48, RINA had sent me a DM on social media. She said, "I remember that we played joint concerts."

HARUNA: Ehー! I didn't know that. This is the first I'm hearing of it (laughs).

Yamamoto: Ah, really? I was so happy she remembered that. But time passed while I was thinking about how to respond, and in the end I ended up not replying back. So I'd like to take this chance to apologize. I'm sorry about that.

HARUNA: Ahaha. Things like that happen (laughs). I've also always remembered you, Sayaka. You were the member of MAD CATZ who had the hardest and most rocker-like image, so I was really shocked when I found out you were debuting as part of NMB48. I thought you had so many different sides to you, which was great, and I've been watching your activities since then.

Yamamoto: I've also always watched SCANDAL. Our band ended partway through, but I really thought it was amazing that SCANDAL has continued to be a band without changing their form. Having been in a band myself, I feel that greatness even more strongly.

HARUNA: We started out in the same way as your band, but we were really lucky. I think we've been able to come this far because we have a good balance among our members, and we've had the support of those close to us whom we've met along the way. But you know, although we've been a band for 18 years and have continued to play music with the same members, I think that continuing to change one's career like you have, Sayaka, is really amazing. You've probably experienced many pivotal moments in life, and I imagine you've learned more from them than we have. I have immense respect for that.

Yamamoto: I definitely have moments where I think, "How have I made it this far?" (laughs), but I'm still just 8 years into my solo career. I've faced all sorts of problems during those 8 years, but SCANDAL has already been doing this for 18 years. I think you've long passed through my problems in the past 18 years, so I have nothing but respect. I feel like I'm still a work in progress.

HARUNA: Ehー! That's not true at all.

Yamamoto: No, no, I don't think I've yet reached what SCANDAL has built up to this point. Every time I stumble over something, I feel like, "This rookie shouldn't be stumbling here!"

HARUNA: But I really think you're cool, Sayaka. I've watched footage of your solo performances, and you're just so cool. You play music with your whole being. It's clear that all your past experiences connect to your music, and you express that with all your heart and soul.

──Since both of you are vocalists who sing while playing guitar, I imagine you feel a sense of sympathy in that regard.

Yamamoto: That's right. For me, I feel more like I'm a guitarist-vocalist, while HARUNA has a strong aura of being a vocalist of a four-piece band. You also play the guitar, of course, but you have a presence as a vocalist first and foremost. I find that really captivating. Actually, I still have a strong yearning to be in a band.

HARUNA: Reallyー?!

Yamamoto: I've been performing with the same band members since going solo, so it does feel like we're 1 band and 1 team, but I think there's something special about being in a band with friends who have shared the same circumstances from the beginning, like SCANDAL. The bonds formed in that kind of environment aren't easily built, and I definitely admire that. The first tough thing I felt after going solo was the loneliness.

HARUNA: I see.

Yamamoto: When you have friends with whom you can think about things as equals, you can share not only the fun but also the hardships. Of course, even in a band, everyone feels their own loneliness, but it's so reassuring to have friends.

HARUNA: I think it's difficult for a band to make music while each member has differing opinions, but your members give you a ton of ideas that you wouldn't have on your own, and there's a lot of stimulation in that. That helps me feel like I'm growing every day, so I too definitely think that being in a band is great.

Knocking on music's door with the help of seniors

──Yamamoto, what were your thoughts behind doing a tour with the title "SYnergy"?

Yamamoto: The main reason was that I wanted to enjoy the stimulation I would get from performing with people that I respect, and I was curious about what kind of live performances would emerge from the synergy with them. I also feel like there are many different perspectives on who "Sayaka Yamamoto" is. Some may see me as an "artist playing music," while others might view me as a "multifaceted tarento." But for me, the core of who I am is rooted in music, and that will never change. Through this tour, I hoped to immerse myself even more in music and to have people beyond just my fans recognize that part of me. In that sense, it feels a bit like knocking on music's door again with the help of these great seniors.

HARUNA: I'm really glad to hear why you, with all your experiences, decided to perform with this lineup.



──What criteria did you use to choose your tour partners Mao Abe, ACIDMAN, and SCANDAL?

Yamamoto: I chose people who have left a mark on me and have a meaningful connection to my journey. First, Mao Abe is someone I've loved and listened to since I was a student, and she's an essential part of my youth. She's even provided songs for me after going solo, so she has been a significant presence in my life for a long time. As for ACIDMAN, they're from an older generation, but I've always admired them as a band. I've loved their music for a long time. Like with Abe, I had the opportunity to have guitarist and vocalist Nobuo Oki arrange my song "TRUE BLUE," so I wanted to express my gratitude by inviting them this time.

──And as we've discussed, you have a deep connection with SCANDAL.

Yamamoto: A connection that only few know about (laughs). I never thought that 16 years later we'd be able to perform together again. It's because I and SCANDAL, of course, have continued to play music. Actually, since this is my first time holding a joint-band tour, I reached out because I wanted you guys to be a part of my joint-band tour debut.

HARUNA: We're really happy. The experiences we had performing together before our debut are one-of-a-kind for us now. It was a time when we didn't know left from right, and were just trying to work hard playing music. Being able to connect with you, Sayaka, again after all these years of both of us continuing in music, is really meaningful. I believe there is a landscape that only the two of us can create, so we're really looking forward to it.



──I'm sure you're looking forward to seeing what kind of setlists you'll each prepare.

HARUNA: That's right. In our case, we have a lot of songs from a ton of different genres, so sometimes we adjust our setlist to match who we're performing with.

Yamamoto: I see. Since these 3 performances have very different lineups, it'll be a challenge for me to choose which songs to play. But I feel that there's a high degree of affinity between my music and SCANDAL's. That's why I'd like to put on a performance that SCANDAL fans can enjoy too. As for the content... How far can we go?

HARUNA: Hmm? For example?

Yamamoto: Like if we could sing together.

HARUNA: Is that a possibility? That sounds fun! I see a lot of people on social media who like both Sayaka and SCANDAL, so it'd be great if we could do that kind of collab. I think since both have such a strong affinity for each other, if we each express our music genuinely, it will help everyone like us even more.

An after-party after 16 years

──I've heard that hosting joint concerts involves taking good care of your guests. Have you thought about that aspect, Yamamoto?

Yamamoto: Eh! ....I haven't really considered that yet (laughs).

HARUNA: Ahahaha. But it's true that that aspect is one of the fun things about joint concerts. When we played with Kishidan, their hospitality backstage was amazing. That alone made me happy.

Yamamoto: I'll have a meeting about this right after!

HARUNA: No, no (laughs). Don't worry about itー!

Yamamoto: But it's true that having other artists backstage is a very precious thing. It would be nice to do something to make everyone happy. Maybe we could do a group huddle before the concerts or something (laughs).

HARUNA: That sounds nice. We usually do a huddle before going on, too. Also, what about an after-party? Will there be one?

Yamamoto: Eh? Let's do it! I'll make sure to book a place (laughs).

HARUNA: By all means (laughs). Let’s have the after-party we couldn't have when we were teenagers, 16 years later!

Yamamoto: By having fun concerts with the three artists I invited, I think the audience will also feel that joyful atmosphere. I want to make it a celebration, so I hope everyone will come and join us!

https://natalie.mu/music/pp/yamamotosayaka_synergy

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