VOL.132 19th single“晴れ時計”Yuri Nakamurainterview(first half)

●○○ From music freak magazine Vol.132

GARNET CROW

New Single “晴れ時計” On Sale November 23!!

GARNET CROW has just released its fifth-anniversary best album *Best* in October, and is already releasing a new single, “晴れ時計,” on November 23. Vocalist Yuri Nakamura spoke with us about this release, which has the same unforced, unmistakably GARNET world as ever. We were also able to revisit the subject of the best album, so we are bringing you that conversation together with the single interview. (INTERVIEWED BY SAI SAIDA)

●This best album is truly an impressive collection, isn't it?
Yuri Nakamura (hereafter Nakamura): Of course it includes all the singles, as well as popular album tracks. We had never included single coupling tracks on our albums before, but this best album also contains several of the popular coupling songs—songs that have received particularly strong responses when we performed them live.

●Choosing the songs must have been difficult, too.
Nakamura: Yes. Since it is a best album, the singles obviously had to be included. Then we had to decide what else to put in: a few album tracks, a few coupling tracks, and perhaps some unreleased material. It was quite a struggle. We even had to negotiate over “How many songs can we fit?” (laughs) and figure out how far we could go. In the end, we put in as much as would fit, right up to the limit.

●Does that mean there are songs that did not make the cut?
Nakamura: Yes (laughs).

●Including alternate versions shows a great deal of attention to detail, too.
Nakamura: There are a few songs with slightly different arrangements that we also perform in those versions live. We did not want to simply throw all the singles together, or build the whole collection only from recordings released a long time ago. We thought that listeners who already own and have listened to all our previous work might enjoy something extra as well. Then there was the unreleased song. We performed it on this year's live tour, and everyone responded so positively and asked us to release it, so we recorded it anew for the best album and included it (“「さよなら」とたった一言で…”).

●It is also wonderful to have the GARNET team’s self-cover of “空色の猫,” which you wrote and produced for Sayuri Iwata.
Nakamura: This was the first time we had tried something like that, too. For people hearing GARNET CROW for the first time, we wanted them to be able to start with the singles. We also thought existing fans would be happy to have not only the singles but a self-cover as well. That is why we included “空色の猫” and “「さよなら」とたった一言で….” We did not want it to feel like a mere pile of songs.

●It must have taken a lot of time and effort.
Nakamura: We examined and re-examined everything and carefully built this best album, so I really hope people will listen to it. It contains all the songs you need in order to understand GARNET CROW's world. When someone asks, “What kind of group is GARNET CROW?” we now have one album we can hand them and say, “Here, start with this.” It is like a calling card. We hope that after starting here and thinking, “I really like this song,” listeners will wonder, “What album is this on?” and explore the individual albums, entering a deeper world. Each album has a very different color and atmosphere, so I would be happy if people found their own favorite corner of GARNET CROW's deeper world.

●Still, putting all eighteen singles on it was quite a bold choice.
Nakamura: If you call it a best album, it would be strange to leave something out for no reason, wouldn't it? Including everything meant it would have to be a two-disc set, so we decided to make it a two-disc set and pack it in properly. But choosing the songs was a lot of fun. We discussed the packaging, what to do with the photo book, and so on. The first pressing also comes with a live-entry ticket and a calendar. We had never made a calendar before, so we thought, “Maybe people will be happy to have one?” and included it. The members' ideas went into the packaging quite a bit, too. I tend to just say things and leave them there (laughs), but the staff somehow turned everything into a real product. It even includes liner notes and explanations of every song. It is not exactly a dictionary, but it really became an album for every household.

●You could call it the culmination of everything GARNET CROW has worked on over five years.
Nakamura: This was the first time that the fifth anniversary gave me so many opportunities to look back. I often saw all the songs listed together, and when I did, I thought, “We have made this many songs?” Until then, I had never really thought about it; I only felt that five years had gone by quickly. But when I looked at the amount of work, I was a little surprised to realize, “We really have left behind quite a lot” (laughs). I did not feel it personally before, so I am glad we had the chance to look back.

●So you will keep making music.
Nakamura: Yes, we will not stop. One album for every household. Please enjoy it.

●And “晴れ時計” is the single released immediately after the best album commemorating your fifth anniversary. Did you feel any pressure because of that?
Nakamura: No, not at all. We have gone through this year without even realizing it was our fifth anniversary unless someone pointed it out (laughs). And as far as making music was concerned, the release of the best album did not bring the process to a halt;