GARNET CROW “メモリーズ” Interview (OKMusic)
November 20, 2011OKMusicAdded on July 9, 2026
The two singles “Smiley Nation” and “Misty Mystery” expressed the current state of the GARNET CROW sound, its royal road, and its challenges in an exquisite balance. Yuri Nakamura (Vo & Songwriting) and Hitoshi Okamoto (Gu) talked to us about the new album they reached at the end of that path, “メモリーズ.” Interview: Hirotsugu Ishida
—This album has a wide range, containing the worlds of the two singles: “Smiley Nation,” which inherited the flow of the previous album, and “Misty Mystery,” which was royal-road GARNET CROW while also taking a new approach.
Nakamura:This year I had the feeling that I didn’t want to set up any taboos for myself. We were making songs in a mode where, if there was a sound or taste that caught my attention, we would take it in. As a result, the album became very varied. But I feel that the songs are connected to one another. “Smiley Nation” came from wanting to try making a bright, forward-looking song, and from that flow came “live ～When You Are Near！～,” which then expanded into the band sound of “メモリーズ.” Digital sounds are heard quite a lot around town too, and because we wanted to try them ourselves, we made “Misty Mystery,” and from there stepped even deeper and sublimated it into a dance tune like “ロンリーナイト.” Then the melancholy elements we originally had, that sense of sadness and transience, can be felt in “JUDY,” “英雄,” and “Blue Regret.” So it feels like because one song came into being, it developed into another song, and then moved in this other direction; they’re connected one after another, like pulling up vines (laughs). They branched out in many directions, but the root is the same.
—My personal impression was that I strongly felt the atmosphere of early GARNET CROW. At the same time, there is a band feeling, and a nostalgic rock taste.
Okamoto:“一緒に暮らそう” is like that. It has a band sound and also feels retro. The chord work in the intro of “メモリーズ” is AOR-like too. Furui-san is always extremely particular about tones, so for each song he reliably brings the sound down into the target area.
—There are also songs where the guitar jumps out at you, like rock from the good old days.
Okamoto:Depending on the song, there are phrases that sound like they’re being played by someone older than my actual age (laughs). Overall, the guitar on this album was difficult. Every song was hard in some way, or rather, it’s quite rewarding for a guitarist to listen to. I went into the studio with Furui-san and recorded, trying to reproduce the sound in Furui-san’s head... There were things that were difficult because of the structure of the guitar, but when we changed the tuning and tried to do them, they became more and more advanced. In the end, though, it all comes down to the fact that the song demanded it.
—Besides guitar, we can also hear Okamoto-kun’s singing voice on “英雄.”
Okamoto:I received that kind of order (laughs).
Nakamura:The protagonist of the lyrics is male, and the arrangement also gave me a masculine impression, so I thought that adding a male vocal might create depth and breadth. If these lyrics had had a different arrangement, I probably wouldn’t have felt that masculinity so strongly, and I would have completed it myself. The same would be true if this arrangement had different lyrics. It’s not that the song couldn’t be completed with only my voice, but it didn’t feel fully concluded. Having a male vocal support the lower range brought out more breadth, warmth, and the simple feeling this song has. I wanted something masculine, and we expressed that through the voice.
—And it isn’t just chorus; it’s almost twin vocals.
Nakamura:That was pretty much what we were aiming for. I’m glad the key fit. He said if it were any higher, he couldn’t do it...
Okamoto:No, it would become a special fee (laughs). This range is what I can do by default. It was actually quite difficult. I wasn’t just singing along with the main melody; I had to sing the chorus parts... and dodge around in places.
Nakamura:That gave it nuance, a kind of ennui, and it turned out nicely.
—Including “英雄,” each song on this work feels especially dense.
Nakamura:Yes (laughs). There are quirks in the sound, quirks in the guitar, quirks in the singing, and every song has something that catches on your ear. There are songs where the vocal jumps from the A-melody to the chorus, guitars with a dry, GS sound-like feel, lyrics ranging from beautiful to conversational, sounds with digital elements and four-on-the-floor beats... Every song challenges something a little different from what we’ve done before. You might not notice unless someone points it out (laughs). That may be what creates the density, but it doesn’t feel heavy because it’s at a level you don’t notice unless it’s pointed out. I think the way we balance that well is very much like us (laughs). It’s not showy; all four members are quietly asserting their own quirks.
—What kind of work did this album become?
Nakamura:This year, because many things happened, I strongly felt that I wanted to look back on the past, or rather, to cherish memories, the experiences we’ve walked through, and the things we’ve accumulated. Everyone has their own life, so I think everyone has precious memories. By looking back and feeling nostalgia, a feeling of wanting to cherish those things is born, and using that as nourishment, you can move toward tomorrow... I chose the title “メモリーズ” with the hope that people would value that kind of feeling. In that sense, I was able to write songs from a stance that could only exist this year, and I think it is an album particular to this year. Precisely because it was this year, I could be borderless and not set taboos within myself, taking in sounds and tastes I found interesting without resistance. I began to feel the fun of figuring out how to fuse those things with the GARNET CROW sound, and I think the songs lined up here reflect that strongly. If I put it another way, I think that connects to the strength of the album’s individuality and its quirks.
—And the countdown live has been decided again this year.
Nakamura:We had events and acoustic lives, but when it comes to a full-band live, this countdown will be our first of the year. Our first live of the year will also be our last live of the year (laughs). So I want to make it even more fun than usual. Rather than being an album live, this is a festival. It feels like, let’s make noise together and welcome the new year. I’ll be happy if everyone comes to join the celebration.