No sooner had GARNET CROW released their third album *Crystallize 〜君という光〜* than they quickly released their first single of 2004, "僕らだけの未来," on January 14. Furthermore, from January 27 they will begin their long-awaited live tour in a year, "GARNET CROW live scope 2004 〜君という光〜," and it looks as though they will continue moving energetically this year as well. Yuri Nakamura and AZUKI Nana spoke with us about GARNET CROW's new work and live performances, as well as their recent situation.
-- The album has only just come out, and already a new work is being released.
Yuri Nakamura:It is the new year, so happy New Year (laughs).
AZUKI Nana: A greeting to get things going. It feels like, please take care of us this year too.
-- "僕らだけの未来" turned out to be a number that suggests new territory.
Yuri Nakamura:It is fast, but the groove was different. At first it had a little more sideways sway, a slightly groovier form. But in the end, it became quite band-like, with a very strong sense of momentum.
-- Was the tempo this fast from the beginning?
Yuri Nakamura:This song was first being developed for inclusion on the album, but midway we decided to keep it for a single, so the arrangement and lyrics were changed to single specifications. At first it was more Latin and ethnic, finished so it would be a spicy song within the album, but when making it a single, we tried making the arrangement a little more rock-oriented. A Latin scent still remains a little, though.
-- This time, were there decisions about the vocal tempo or key?
Yuri Nakamura:If anything, those vocal decisions went smoothly. This time, unusually, the lyrics took the most time.
-- The lyrics fit the image of the sound and give a very hopeful feeling.
AZUKI Nana: They are very forward-looking. As a song to get the new year started (laughs).
-- The sound of "bokura" seems likely to encourage everyone, and it also feels directed outward quite a bit.
Yuri Nakamura:We have live performances right away too. It also serves to give ourselves momentum, and I want us to ride that momentum and run through.
-- The melody is also very easy to understand.
Yuri Nakamura:When I wrote this song, I was in a period when I was listening intensively to Italian songs, chanson, and things around there. So there may be a slightly ethnic vocal turn or melody line. And even when I say Latin, it is not Latin from a bright country where the sun shines brilliantly, but more European-leaning Latin with a little shadow or melancholy somewhere. It is a song that came out under that influence.
-- When composing, do you listen to various songs?
Yuri Nakamura:This time it happened by chance. There were songs I was into then, and I think at that time I was often listening to old chanson, songs from the '60s or '50s. So perhaps that kind of melody came out.
-- It feels as if the range of your composing has widened again.
Yuri Nakamura:If I have some kind of image inside me, it may be easier to write.
AZUKI Nana: You are skillful. You can enter that mode right away.
Yuri Nakamura:After all, if I am doing something Latin, I gradually become that way, and if I want to do an ordinary ballad, I can switch again and make it. It is less a concrete thing than a "feeling like this" or "something in this style," though.
-- What was the reaction of the other members to this song?
Yuri Nakamura:Nothing in particular, really. It was like, "It is easy to get into, so isn't it good?" (laughs).
AZUKI Nana: Maybe because we are used to listening to the demos all the time, the wide range of melodies and song styles does not feel strange.
Yuri Nakamura:They were not that surprised by the original song. Perhaps because as the lyrics are finished and the arrangement is finished, the atmosphere of the song changes through each stage of building it.
-- Now, this single contains three songs, and the tastes are all different. The range is wide and interesting.
Yuri Nakamura:Because we have a proper production period, everyone can take time to make each one. Conversely, because there is room there, we can play around, or the width can come out. Even if the schedule is tight, we are allowed to make things in a way that does not mentally drive us into a strange corner, so there is a sense that we can respond to any change. With "僕らだけの未来" too, even though the lyrics and arrangement were completely changed midway to make it more single-oriented, everyone could enter that smoothly. I think that is because we can approach production at a relaxed pace.
-- Does that mean the recording work itself proceeded smoothly this time, including Mr. Furui's arrangement and Mr. Okamoto's guitar?
Yuri Nakamura:There was nothing that particularly stopped. I think everyone was able to work constantly in a good feeling.
-- Were the other two songs also made as extensions of the album production?
Yuri Nakamura:"Float World" was made in parallel with the album. For the third song, "lose feeling," after those two songs were decided, I wrote it because I thought we might want a slightly lighter, lighter-toned song for the third track. Overall, the three songs came together with very good balance.
AZUKI Nana: Not too dense and not too thin, a good seasoning, with each song making the others stand out. That is the feeling.
-- The second song, "Float World," is very GARNET CROW-like.
Yuri Nakamura:If you call anything the most "like us," this song is like us. It is also an area we ourselves are very good at, so I think it is interesting because our preferences come out in the lyrics, melody, and arrangement.
AZUKI Nana: The guitar also has Okamoto's weeping melody. Everyone did what they liked quite a bit, and the parts that come out come out strongly, I suppose (laughs).
-- Mr. Okamoto's presence has become quite assertive too.
Yuri Nakamura:It really has the feeling of, "Leave this solo to me" (laughs).
-- The filtered vocal in the intro is also interesting.
Yuri Nakamura:We did this with Miguel from Cybersound, and he finally made it into this form. Personally, it was very fun. I thought the floating feeling, or the feeling of being suspended, stood out even more, which was good.
-- Did you make any requests there?
Yuri Nakamura:No, before that stage, the vocals had all been recorded, the lyrics were finished, and the piece was complete; then we had Miguel work on it further, so there was nothing in particular. Conversely, it felt full of playfulness, and we received a fresh feeling too. It is not quite a rearrangement, but it feels like he gave one more twist to something we had made.
-- Did Miguel understand the meaning of the lyrics and produce that floating feeling?
Yuri Nakamura:No, not that far (laughs). I feel he made everything not from the sound or meaning of the lyrics or the words, but from the resonance of the words and the feeling of the sound. When it is us, we inevitably think about the divisions of the words, don't we? This is one phrase up to here, or this is one word here. Since the lyrics are Japanese, even if we are not conscious of it, we understand the meaning. That makes it hard to change our way of thinking, but because Miguel does not understand Japanese, there must be sound-making he can do.
Yuri Nakamura:He treats melodies he does not understand as sound, and the vocal as one instrument, so something like that can be made. That is fresh and pleasant in return.
-- Miguel has been involved with GARNET CROW since the early period, hasn't he?
Yuri Nakamura:So it feels very good. He is like a "new wind" for us. Rather than changing something completely, he draws out what we already have from another point of view.
AZUKI Nana: He skillfully touches places we had not noticed ourselves, so it also becomes a new discovery, and it is very fun to do.
-- The third song, "lose feeling," is also a very interesting number.
Yuri Nakamura:I thought that if it were light, a little simple, and sad, it might have the best compatibility with the other songs.
-- The piano has an '80s AOR feeling. The string arrangement is also quite lovely.
Yuri Nakamura:It is put together very beautifully. Originally, in the demo, I used falsetto in the solo part, and the overall impression was a softer, more floating, gentle song. But when the lyrics and backing track came up and I tried singing it, in falsetto it became too soft and lacked a core, and it did not feel right. So I suddenly changed the chorus and sang it with a stretched natural voice. I thought singing with more voice would bring out the sadness better.
-- It seems there must be many versions before completion. Nakamura: There are. Not only with this song. There are enough that we could almost make a whole album just from them (laughs).
AZUKI Nana: Lyric take one, two, three, arrangement take one, two, three... There are different vocal feelings too, and a cappella versions (laughs).
Yuri Nakamura:That happens every time, with every song. It has become normal, or rather, we do not feel it is special. Everyone constantly redoes things until they reach the best form. That way of doing things probably fits us.
-- Then AZUKI's lyrics also sometimes change completely?
AZUKI Nana: Depending on the song, some change completely.
Yuri Nakamura:"僕らだけの未来" also had a completely different ending, and when the vocal phrasing changes, the lyrics change there too, so there are a great many versions.
AZUKI Nana: When you listen all the way through, the image is completely different if the lyrics are different.
Yuri Nakamura:Even with lyrics, the way the words are divided and the way the melody and words are combined make the feeling you hear completely different, and the parts you feel strongly are especially different.
AZUKI Nana: So, because various things change, we do it many times and work hard (laughs).
-- Are there times when you change something on the spot during recording?
AZUKI Nana: Of course, there are.
Yuri Nakamura:If I sing it and think this one fits better, we may change it on the spot. Or I may sing both again, compare them, and choose the one that is easier to listen to or easier to hear. We do many things.
AZUKI Nana: Once something is made, we try it, and then it is like, "Now, let's think."
-- Since this single is being released at this timing, did you make it with some thought of the live tour coming after it?
Yuri Nakamura:It turned out that way as a result. Considering the release timing, I suppose it is not that we did not think about it at all. I would be happy if people listen to this song and think they want to go to the live performances.
-- The live tour "GARNET CROW live scope 2004 〜君という光〜" finally starts on January 27. What kind of content does it look likely to have?
Yuri Nakamura:We are thinking of doing lots of songs like this and like that.
AZUKI Nana: Songs like that, and oh, songs like this too (laughs).
-- The tour members are the same as last time. Do you feel secure?
Yuri Nakamura:Of course, we are proceeding with peace of mind and trust.
-- Will there be any staging?
Yuri Nakamura:Secret (laughs).
AZUKI Nana: Lots of secrets! Please actually come see it (laughs).
-- Then finally, please tell us your ambitions for this live tour.
AZUKI Nana: Since the venues have become larger, I think many people will be coming for the first time, so we will work hard on a structure that includes songs that properly serve as our calling card, while also letting people coming for the second time enjoy it.
Yuri Nakamura:Please come in large numbers.
AZUKI Nana: We will be waiting at the live venue.