GARNET CROW “Memories” Interview (Music Natalie)

December 6, 2011音楽ナタリーAdded on July 9, 2026

Natalie PowerPush - GARNET CROW

Expressing Irreplaceable Memories: Their First Full Album in a Year, *Memories*

GARNET CROW will release *Memories*, their first new album in a year, on December 7. The album contains eleven songs that, while grounded in the firm style backed by their career, pour in plenty of playfulness, a bold spirit of challenge, and a deep love of music without holding anything back. The result is something that lets you feel their vivid evolution.

This time, Natalie interviewed vocalist Yuri Nakamura and guitarist Hitoshi Okamoto. We asked them to talk about episodes from the making of the album.

Interview & text / Hideyuki Mori

We Greedily Wanted to Make All Kinds of Songs

—— My impression of the new work *Memories* was that, above all, every single song is incredibly dense.

Okamoto:Yes. We think it is dense ourselves. Especially compared with the previous album, each song stands out more, or you could say they are all heavy hitters. So it is very satisfying to listen to, and there may be parts that are hard to grasp if you only listen once. If you listen once and think, "Huh?", I really hope you will listen many times. I think the flavor will keep coming out as you listen.

—— The new sides of GARNET CROW that had been presented in the already released singles "Smiley Nation" and "Misty Mystery" are also packed in here through many different styles.

Nakamura:This year I had a feeling that I wanted to try doing all kinds of songs, and I think that kind of challenge appeared in those two singles. Then we were able to really feel a sense that people were accepting them, so we thought, in that case, let us keep putting in more and more of the sounds, phrases, and tastes that interest us. We did not think at all about things like, "This does not feel like GARNET CROW, so we should stop." We simply made what we wanted to make. The album is filled with the feeling that we wanted to greedily make all kinds of songs, and have people see GARNET CROW in many different colors from many different viewpoints.

—— After ten years of activity, your methods of expression as a band are probably becoming more and more free.

Nakamura:Recently, that feeling has started to come out a little (laughs). Until now, I think there were parts where we had locked ourselves into somewhat conservative methods of expression, like, because GARNET CROW should be this way, we have to make this kind of song. Precisely because of that, we gained a good public image, and because that image was fortunately appreciated, we are where we are now. But in terms of going to the next stage, I think maybe that alone has started to feel insufficient for us. I feel like, after gaining some room, we became able to feel that we wanted to broaden our range more.

—— So while valuing the firm image you have built so far, you also learned how fun it can be to break it.

Nakamura:Exactly. That is fun too. Because you do not know what it will turn into. Of course, if it does not work, that is fine too, so I think there is value in trying all kinds of things for the time being. When it comes to music, it can be borderless, and I think it is fine to keep taking in elements we think are cool. Our footwork is lighter than it used to be.

The Track Order Was Decided in One Shot

—— This time, there really are many different types of songs, but they are placed in an exquisite order, so it is wonderful that the album can be heard with good balance as a single work.

Nakamura:This time, when deciding the track order, I tried lining them up by only imagining the titles and sounds in my head. Then it was decided in one shot. Nobody objected either. I thought, "I'm sharp today!"

Okamoto:In reality, when you line up songs, you really get lost. There is no end to it, like maybe these two should be switched after all. So the fact that she could decide it this time only in her head is wonderful!

—— Because each song became so strongly colored, maybe its role and position within the album were clear.

Nakamura:I really think so. There were quite a few songs where it felt like there was nowhere else to put them. I think there simply were not that many other choices. That is how large the color and role of each song became in this work.

Okamoto:The feeling of ending with "Blue Regret" is good too. It is not a very sentimental way to end, so I hope people will go from there back to the first track and listen again.

"Lonely Night," Full of Playfulness

—— Among the album tracks, "Lonely Night" made an especially strong impact. It is a powerful dance tune.

Nakamura:With "Misty Mystery," people were fairly accepting of digital rock, so with this one it was like, what if we step even further in and make it more of a dance number? We got carried away and even put in "Woo!" voices like Juliana, but our leader rejected that, as expected (laughs). But that is how excited we were, and we were able to enjoy making it. I think we were able to take in elements of the current moment while properly digesting them in our own way.

—— You really pushed it all the way.

Nakamura:If we were going to do it, we decided to go all the way. It became the kind of song where, when you listen to it, your own room turns into a club floor. Like you can see a mirror ball... Is that image too old? (laughs)

—— No, no, it is fine (laughs). Also, using Auto-Tune felt fresh.

Nakamura:We had never put effects on the main vocal before, so I think it became quite an unusual song. For the mix of this song, I asked for it with a remix-like feeling. Treat the vocal as one material, one instrument, and play with it as much as you want. It is completely fine to chop up the voice. Because of that, I think the strengths that are unique to digital sound, or that kind of fun and power, came out.

Okamoto:For this song, I recorded the guitar on the premise that it would be chopped up too. Since it takes time in the studio, some tracks I played while working at home are in there too. Around that area, we handled things flexibly. This time, the other songs were generally difficult too. Usually there are a few songs I can play smoothly without thinking about anything, but looking back now, I feel there were no songs that easy on this album.

—— In that sense, it must have been rewarding, and your affection for the finished work must become even deeper.

Okamoto:Yes. I am really happy when I listen back to the playback. Though it will become hard again when we head toward live performances (laughs).

Nakamura:Immediately after their debut, they focused only on production and releases, but in October 2002 they held their first tour, and afterward began live activities in earnest. In 2010, they reached the tenth anniversary of their debut and released the complete best album *THE BEST History of GARNET CROW at the crest...* and the single "Over Drive." Then in December, they released their latest album *parallel universe*, which presented a new side of the band.

Nakamura:Their energetic releases continued after entering 2011: in June, the single "Smiley Nation" and the DVDs *GARNET CROW livescope 2009 ～夜明けのSoul～* and *GARNET CROW livescope 2010+ ～welcome to the parallel universe!～*; in August, the single "Misty Mystery." In December, they will release *Memories*, their first new album in about a year.

Natalie PowerPush - GARNET CROW

Expressing Irreplaceable Memories: Their First Full Album in a Year, *Memories*

"Genesis I," Finished with a Very Distinctive Personality

—— Mr. Okamoto, which songs on this album do you especially like?

Okamoto:All of them were interesting to make, but personally I like "JUDY," "Genesis I," and also "Smiley Nation."

—— Ah, "Genesis I" is good. I like it too.

Okamoto:If you only look at the title, you might think it is some kind of difficult song, but it is completely different.

Nakamura:At first, I thought the "I" in the title was a misprint. So I asked AZUKI in the studio, and she said, "No, it is the title up to there" (laughs).

Okamoto:Then when is "II" coming? Like that (laughs).

Nakamura:Ahaha (laughs). Actually, in the Old Testament's Genesis, there are divisions like "I," "II," and "III." "Genesis I" is about the creation of heaven and earth, the first week. The title of this song comes from there.

—— But the lyrics are very close to everyday life.

Nakamura:Exactly. So I was unsure how to sing it. I did not know what kind of tension I should sing with, and simply placing my voice on it normally did not quite click. So, for example, in the A melody, I tried singing in Japanese that does not sound like Japanese, where if you hear it quickly, you cannot tell what I am saying. Also, this song has no B melody. For me, I was also able to take on the challenge of jumping suddenly from the A melody to the main-dish chorus. As a result, it became a very distinctive song, so I think it stands out.

—— Incidentally, from "Genesis I" and the song before it, "Concerto of Silence," I felt a message based on the turbulent year that was 2011, and it moved me. Was that conscious?

Nakamura:Both of those songs were made after we entered the second half of this year, so they were creations based on the experience that many things had happened. As for "Concerto of Silence," the strings come rushing in and it has a very romantic feeling, and I also wanted to try making that kind of grand, beautiful song again. It is an honest feeling of wanting beautiful things to remain beautiful. It was not that we thought, let's make everyone moved, or if we make it this way, people will definitely be convinced. We expressed exactly what we ourselves felt was good. Then, if that can reach people whose hearts are tired from all the things that happened, that would be good. So if there are people who say these songs are very good, I also feel that may be something unique to this year.

"JUDY," Where a Collaboration with Hirara Natsume Came True

—— Also, "JUDY," which is one of your favorites, Mr. Okamoto, was made into a video clip as the album's lead song. It sounds like the content is interesting.

Nakamura:It is a story combining manga drawn by manga artist Hirara Natsume with live action. The manga has its own proper story, and the image of the song "JUDY" intertwines with that as the video develops. Actually, this story is a trilogy, and the video clip expresses the middle part. I think the first and last parts will also be released in some form, so if people watch those, the structure should make sense. Anyone interested should check it out.

—— The first limited edition also includes a newly drawn jacket by Natsume. That feels great too. The members are illustrations.

Nakamura:Natsume came to the video clip shoot as well and kept sketching the whole time. She drew the members incredibly cutely, so I am happy. About fifty percent cuter (laughs). The image is that we are going to school.

Okamoto:Though Furui is wearing a coat. Like he might be a teacher (laughs).

—— He certainly has an air that is clearly not that of a student. If he were a student, it would be an intense violation of school rules (laughs).

Nakamura:Ahaha. If you ask what violates the rules, everything about him does (laughs). But it really was a fun collaboration. By becoming manga, the visuals become solid, the imagination expands, and I think it also becomes easier to enter into the song.

—— The song "JUDY" itself is also a wistful ballad that could be called classic GARNET CROW.

Nakamura:It has an easy-to-understand GARNET CROW quality. The intro begins catchily with a guitar solo, then there is a quiet A melody, a slightly developed B melody, and it opens up in the chorus. It is a classic style. I think our strengths came out fully.

Okamoto:We made it with the feeling that it could become a single too.

Past Memories and Experiences Are Irreplaceably Precious Things

—— Finally, could you tell us why you chose *Memories* as the album title?

Nakamura:When we made the song "Memories," which became a heart-fluttering song with a slightly retro band sound, I felt somehow nostalgic. That made me think again that past memories and experiences are irreplaceably precious things, and that I want to cherish them. And because so many things really happened this year, I hoped everyone could feel that way too, so I made this word the album title. I would be happy if, while listening to this album, everyone could bring to mind the important things in their own lives. At the same time, I also put in the hope that GARNET CROW's songs can exist alongside everyone's lives.

—— Your annual countdown live at the end of the year has also been decided. It looks like it will be exciting again this year.

Nakamura:Actually, this countdown will be the first and last live performance this year that we do in a full-member band style. It makes me wonder what we were doing all year. Well, of course it is not that we did nothing (laughs).

Okamoto:It is exactly one year since the last one.

Nakamura:A live performance after 365 days sounds kind of nice. On the album, "live" was written by Furui with live performance in mind, and there are more than a few other songs like that too, so I am planning to let loose here. I want to do a live show with a strong festive element, the kind only a countdown can have. After 365 days! (laughs)