Interview with Lyrica

This time, we had the pleasure of speaking with the Kote-Kei band Lyrica, which is formed two years ago.
The members Usagi, Mime, Kakeru, and Mona shared their thoughts on their upcoming ONEMAN tour, their musical inspirations, their connection with overseas fans, and their hopes for the future.
Please enjoy the full Interview.

■■■INTRODUCTION■■■

■ Could you please introduce yourselves?

うさぎ-Usagi-: I’m Usagi. Born on February 1st, I’m two years old. I’m devoted to Marlboro Ice Blast. I despise alcohol and gambling. I’m on vocals.
マイム-Mime-: Mime on guitar. Born on March 13th. 172cm tall. I like Asahi Super Dry and Marlboro Menthol 4mm.
欠-Kakeru-: I’m Kakeru on bass. Born on February 3rd. I generally don’t drink alcohol. I smoke Lucky Strike Berry Menthol (glo).
喪那-Mona-: Mona ☺︎ Drums ☺︎ Birthday: January 31st ☺︎ My height changes depending on the day ☺︎I like mixed green tea drinks ☺︎ Peace Lights☺︎

■ Do you have a favourite Japanese mascot character?

Usagi: Azarashi
Mime: Pinoko (from Black Jack)
Kakeru: Sergeant Keroro 
Mona: Kirimi-chan 

■ What made you want to become a musician?

Usagi: It’s a dream I found after losing everything.
Mime: Back in secondary school, I got into a rock band called THE BLUE HEARTS.
Kakeru: When I was a student, a classmate showed me behind-the-scenes footage from a MV of Janne Da Arc. It just looked like so much fun.
Mona: I sort of just… ended up becoming one ☺︎

■ Tell us about any person or experiences that have influenced you.

Usagi: When I was listing to Kagerou (vkei band: 蜉蝣) for the first time it gave me a huge shock.
Mime: At the moment when I discovered hide (X-JAPAN) back in high school. There was a time when I was completely influenced by everything by him. His music, the way he spoke, even how he took care of himself. Starting this band was what made me move out of the countryside and the very first place I went after moving was to visit hide’s grave.
Kakeru: Ka-yu from Janne Da Arc. Back in the day, I covered every single song.
Mona: Hiromu Akita from amazarashi. The first time I heard his music, I suddenly found myself in tears.

■ What made you choose your current instrument/part in the band?

Usagi: Because singing is the best way to truly express myself.
Mime: When I was younger, most of the musicians I admired were guitarists.
Kakeru: I used to play guitar, but a friend’s band didn’t have a bassist, so they asked to be their bassist and that’s how I switched to bass.
Mona: Because it makes loud noises☺︎

■ What do you find appealing about Visual Kei, and what challenges or difficulties do you feel it has?

Usagi: The appeal and challenge is the wide range of how you can express yourself.
Mime: I suppose it’s that you can be someone other than yourself. But honestly, everything about Visual Kei feels like a challenge to me.
Kakeru: The charm is that you can become your ideal self, but the hardest part is that there’s no right answer.
Mona: The appeal and challenge is that there is no right answer☺︎ 

■ Do you have any hobbies besides music?

Usagi: Talking to walls.
Mime: I watch comedy sketches on YouTube. My favourites are New York, Sissonne and Bananaman.
Kakeru: Working out.
Mona: Drawing☺︎

■ Is there anything you’d like to say to your future self?

Usagi: I sing about “to stay alive,” so to my future self I would say “keep on living”.
Mime: No matter how old you get, there’s no shortcut to anything. I hope you live steadily,  that’s something I remind “my current self” as well.
Kakeru: Not really, no.
Mona: Did you choose your path without any regrets?

■ ■ ■ 2^nd Anniversary■ ■ ■ 

■ How are you feeling about the upcoming 2nd anniversary oneman tour “Koufukuron”(幸福論)”, taking place on July 14th, 15th, and 25th? What hopes or expectations do you have?

Usagi: It’ll be our very first oneman tour, so I’m really looking forward to meeting all sorts of people.
Mime: We started this band in a floppy state, so I want to show and feel the growth over the past two years.
Kakeru: It’s Lyrica’s first-ever oneman tour, so I just hope we’re able to show everything that makes the band special, at every stop.
Mona: This is the first oneman tour in my life, as well as the first oneman tour for Lyrica. I want everyone to see how much stronger the band’s become since I joined.  And I definitely want you to follow us. ☺︎

■What do you want to share with your fans through the 2nd anniversary live tour “Koufukuron”(幸福論)?

Usagi: The excitement of… What is going to happen?
Mime: Maybe the path we’ve taken so far, and the momentum we’re carrying into the future.
Kakeru: We want to show our gratitude for the support we have received over the past two years and we also want to give people a sense of the possibilities for Lyrica’s future.
Mona: The madness everyone’s forgotten ☺︎

■ Looking back on the two years since Lyrica formed, was there a moment when you thought “This is bad!”, any major mishaps or surprises?

Usagi: When I lost my voice on the first trip to Nagoya…
Mime: During one show, my guitar stopped working right at the start of the first song.
Kakeru: My Bass-strap broke on the very first song. I powered through it physically somehow.
Mona: It’s only been six months for me! But I’d say, probably when my laptop just wouldn’t listen to me 🤔

■ Have there been any unexpected moments where you thought, “I can’t believe this is happening…”? And how did you deal with it?

Usagi: I tend to panic, so I don’t really remember what happened in those moments…
Mime: So many unexpected things happened.
Kakeru: Once during a live, Usagi kissed me on the lips during a live. I handled it by calmly wiping it away and got over it.
Mona: I just go with the flow so there are always things which happen unexpected☺︎

■ What meaning is behind the title 『幸福論』(“Theory of Happiness”)?

Usagi: I believe that humans are always asking the unanswerable question “What is happiness?”. I want to create a signpost for everyone. I want to create a form of happiness for everyone in our own way. That’s the wish behind the title.

■ If the theme is “happiness,” what does happiness mean to each of you?

Usagi: Something that, once you have it, it never quite feels like enough.
Mime: Ramen.
Kakeru: When my body is fully pumped. Right after a workout.
Mona: When the gentle morning sun is shining through my window, I’m listening to peaceful music and immersing myself in creative work.☺︎

■ Is there anything you always do before going on stage?

Usagi: I let my mind sink to its lowest point,  it’s part of my preparation.
Mime: To eat a candy called „Kin no MILK“ (金のミルク a popular Japanese hard candy). I cannot stand on stage without it.
Kakeru: Stretching
Mona: I make my body twitch ☺︎ And I drinking lots of water as well☺︎

■ What is the most special experience that you can only get by coming to a oneman show?

Usagi: You’ll get a deeper taste of what we want to tell you.
Mime: I’d say this Band‘s energy goes even higher when it’s a oneman show.
Kakeru: Not just for our oneman shows, but we don’t have any particular rules for our live shows. That means there are times when things don’t go well, but I think that’s part of the raw feeling of a live show. I also think you can feel the inner feeling of being alive more intensely at a oneman show than at a regular show.
Mona: You can forget all your daily stress and frustrations and just go completely wild☺︎

■ Looking back over these two years, what’s a happy memory that really stays with you?

Usagi: Meeting people who listened to visual kei for the first time through Lyrica and who came to a live show for the very first time.
Mime: Ramen
Kakeru: Discovering weight training.
Mona: Sleeping all day☺︎

■ Looking back over the past two years, is there anything you feel you haven’t quite achieved yet?

Usagi: Probably not having met all the fans out there in places we haven’t been yet.
Mime: I can feel we’ve grown over these two years, but there’s still so much left unachieved.
Kakeru: 100kg of bench pressing.
Mona: Getting a healthy body☺︎

■■■MINI-ONEMAN■■■

■Your mini-oneman “Higurashi Usobuku Natsu no Yoi” (ひぐらし嘯く夏の宵), is scheduled for August 18. What are your thoughts and excitement about this event?

Usagi: Normally, our vibe is more hard-edged, but we want people to feel our softer side too.
Mime:  Since it’s a mini oneman, it will be more of a relaxing show than usual. 
Kakeru: This will be our first summer event, I hope to create some summer memories together with everyone.
Mona: YUKATA!!!!!!!!

■ The oneman is titled  “Higurashi Usobuku Natsu no Yoi” (ひぐらし嘯く夏の宵)(The evening of summer when the cicadas cry). What inspired you to choose this title?

Usagi: It’s the feeling of summer coming to an end, but you want to stay in that feeling.
It does express the feelings I used to have as a child, when I went to various summer festivals. I would like to share those nostalgic feelings with everyone.

■ What can fans look forward to that day, and what makes it worth attending to see you perform?

Usagi:  I’m usually pretty sexy, so what’s gonna happen when I wear a yukata?!
Mime:  Maybe enjoy Mime’s talk for a change… if it even happens. (lol)
Kakeru: This will be our first live in a yukata, so I hope everyone enjoys the freshness of it.
Mona: ☺︎Mime’s talk☺︎

■■■MUSIC■■■

■ How is Lyrica’s visual style decided? Where does the visual inspiration come from?

Usagi: From my own heart.
Mime:  There’s a visual guru and I take inspiration from them.
Kakeru: Strength.
Mona: From paintings☺︎

■Visual kei encompasses diverse styles such as kote kei and menhera kei. Which visual kei style best defines Lyrica’s aesthetic?

Lyrica: Our core aesthetics are; kote-kei, wildness, and fictional worldview.

■Visual kei music spans various genres, including rock, metalcore, and more. What musical style most characterizes Lyrica’s sound?

Lyrica: We’re aiming for an intensity that isn’t rock or metal, but distinctly visual kei.

■ Through your music and lyrics, what kind of feelings do you want to convey to listeners? For example, emotional resonance, or other reactions you’d be happy to evoke?

Usagi: I want people to feel that it’s okay to be alive. Even with flaws, mental struggles or a pessimistic outlook.
Mime: Rather than trying to cheer people up, I want to affirm the parts of them that feel broken.
Kakeru: I like to perform with the energy of reaching out and saying, “I’m always there for you on your side. So, let’s move forward together.“
Mona: After watching our show I hope someone would think “Let’s live another day”☺︎

■ How do you get new inspiration for writing new songs? Do you rely on a specific mood or location, or do you have a routine that helps you tap into your creative flow?

Mime:  I don’t draw from specific inspirations. It’s more like I create it from the inspiration my favorite music gives me.

■ Who usually comes up with the concepts or stories for your music videos?

Usagi: After listening to a fully completed recording, I get inspiration from what I feel when I listen to the song as a listener and use that as a concept, after that I’ll ask the other members to add their own ideas and want to express to complete the concept for the shooting. 

■■■OVERSEAS CONNECTION■■■

■ How do you feel that many overseas fans hope you will visit their country? 

Usagi:  It’s like… I want to see them but I can’t. A kind of feeling like love (?).
Mime: I love you
Kakeru: We receive that kind of message a lot, so I do hope we can do a live show overseas someday.
Mona: I’m so happy!! I love you!! I want to go on an overseas tour soon!! Please come if you can!!

■ Mona-san, we’ve heard you speak some English on your twitcasts. How did you learn the language? 

Mona: It started with wanted to understand favorite bands lyrics☺︎
And after that, it was just a  mix of studying for college entrance exams and just vibes and energy of wanting to learn it☺︎
By the way, my listening skills are still not very good ( ´･ω･｀)

■ Do other band members speak English or other languages? If so, are you confident in using them?

Usagi: I studied abroad for a short time,  so I can kind of follow spoken English, but I don’t speak much myself.
Mime:  I can’t even speak Japanese properly, so I use “Mime language“.
Kakeru: I’m currently studying.
Mona: I’m not confident, so I speak with passion☺︎

■ When interacting with overseas fans, do you feel a language barrier? Or does music help overcome it?

Usagi: Not really, because we’re both trying hard to communicate and our hearts are in sync.
Mime:  I just go with the vibe.
Kakeru: We communicate through passion.
Mona: Passion, vibes and a little bit of knowledge☺︎

■If you would perform overseas. What kind of atmosphere do you think a live show overseas would have?

Usagi: I imagine it would feel totally different from the Japanese Visual Kei vibe… or maybe not? I honestly can’t picture it.
Mime: I’m aiming to be the Japanese Marilyn Manson, so I’d be happy if it had that kind of vibe.
Kakeru: It’s unknown.
Mona: PURE CHAOS.

■■■ROAD to FUTURE■■■

■ How do you wish your fans would help you to reach a 3rd anniversary?

Usagi: I wish that our fans will drag their friends into our swamp (obsession).
Mime:  I hope even more people will support us.
Kakeru:  I want them to love us with even more passion than ever before.
Mona: Co-dependence☺︎

■ What is your goal as Lyrica to reach a 3rd anniversary?

Usagi:   To build a good stable fanbase so we can grow bigger.
Mime: To give off an overwhelming presence.
Kakeru: I want to gain a strength that no one can beat.
Mona: To build unstoppable momentum☺︎

■ As Lyrica, what kind of emotions do you hope to share in the future?

Usagi: I would like to share more that Lyrica is Lyrica thanks to our fans as well.
Mime: That we’re going to grow bigger and bigger together.
Kakeru: I want us to share the drive to aim higher and together turn Lyrica into an even greater space for all of us.
Mona: That the Lyrica we all love, fans included, isn’t going to stop here.☺︎

■ What do you hope for your future self?

Usagi: “Did you achieve your dreams?” “Even if you haven’t, I hope you’ve dreamed new dreams.“
Mime: As long as I keep doing my best in some way, it’s good enough.
Kakeru: I guess I’ll be living at my own pace, so I don’t have anything specific I would expect.
Mona:  I hope I have some kind of passive income☺︎

■■■LAST MESSAGE■■■

■ Please share a message to your overseas fans in English.

Usagi: We’ll meet someday for sure! 
Mime: Always Thank you.
Kakeru: Please wait for the day until we can meet! 
Mona: Thank you for supporting us. 
We will be a famous Vkei Band all over the world!!
So, please continue to support Lyrica☺︎
but don’t push yourself☺︎thank you☺︎

■Please give a message to your fans and readers.

Usagi: Thank you always. Please continue to support us.
Mime: I’ll keep growing from here, so don’t miss what’s coming next from Mime!
Kakeru: Thanks to you all, I can keep performing live and stay well like it’s the most natural thing. If anything ever happens, rely on us. Please keep supporting Lyrica.
Mona: It’s only been about half a year since I joined Lyrica, but my passion won’t lose to anyone, not even the other members or the fans! I may be the newest, but I’ll be supporting the foundation of Lyrica from here on out!