Interview with Sunemegamafy

Congratulations on Sunemegamafy’s 10th anniversary! Time goes by so fast. It is hard for me to believe that I have been following Sunemegamafy for 10 years now! I was really happy to see Sunemegamafy again on March 16th! The performance was really amazing! Thank you as always. 

■ Let’s start with how you would like to introduce Sunemegamafy to the readers who don’t know you yet.

Tomo: We’re a rock band with perfectly balanced songs that came together at the perfect time as each member was building his or her career.

Toru: A soulful rock band with a focus on intense yet tender songs.

Kenichi: A band full of passion and emotion.

Kyoushi: A four-person rock band.

■ Please introduce each member..(by Toru) 

Tomo: The reliable big brother who leads from the front as a vocalist.

Toru: A somewhat shy and troublesome guitar player.

Kenichi: A

cheerful and sensitive bass player.

Kyoushi: A drummer with enlightenment.

■ Why did you decide to become a musician?

Tomo: I guess it’s the ultimate hobby that I found to be fun and that still continues to this day. So there is no particular reason.

Toru: When I was in high school, there was the so-called band boom. All my friends were in bands, so I started to play as well, 35 years have passed since then.

Kenichi: because of someone’s influence.

Kyoushi: There was no reason. Before I knew it, I was a drummer. 

■ What are your thoughts on the celebration of your 10th anniversary?

Tomo: I don’t think we’ve moved as fast as we should have, but these 10 years have gone by so fast. To me it feels like we were just formed a few years ago. 

Toru: I’m happy to be in a band that I can still hold on to at this age, and I’m grateful to the other members as well.

Kenichi: Time seems to have flown by so fast.

Kyoushi: I feel very happy about it. 

■ Please tell us about the artists that have influenced you.

Tomo: Artists who have influenced my songwriting: The Cure、Echo & the Bunnymen、Bauhaus、Killing Joke、The Pop Group, Nine Inch Nails、KoЯn、BUCK-TICK.
People who have influenced my singing: Koji Kikkawa, Kyosuke Himuro, Trent Reznor, Koji Tamaki, Yosui Inoue, Koji Miyamoto

Toru: REZY BeAT, U2, Aerosmith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Poison, Slayer, GASTANK, etc.

Kenichi: Visual Kei and Anime songs.

Kyoushi: There are too many…

■ What is the reason for your choice of instrument?

Tomo: In the third year of junior high school, my classmates and I decided to form a band. We had already decided on a guitarist and a bassist, so I asked my other friend to play the drums while I sang. I forced him to be the drummer.(lol) And so I ended up being the vocalist.

Toru: When I was in high school, I had four friends that I hung out with almost every day and we decided to start a band, but none could play the guitar, so I ended up playing it.

Kenichi: Someone influenced me…

Kyoushi: Before I knew it, I was a drummer.

■ Please tell us how you started your musical career.

Tomo: Because I had a friend who played in a band with me in the third year of middle school. I think that’s when I started my musical career. 

Toru: I started because I wanted popularity, but I wasn’t popular.

Kenichi:  Someone influenced me… 

Kyoushi:  Before I knew it, I was a drummer.

■ What has been the greatest joy for you in your career as a musician?

Tomo: To be able to make music together with these members. 

Toru: That I am able to put everything I’ve ever felt into music.

Kenichi: There have been so many things that have made me happy that I can’t decide which is the best one.

Kyoushi: I am very happy to be able to perform live on stage.

■ You’ve released two CDs and a music video in the last 10 years. Do you have any plans to record a new CD or release a new music video?

Tomo:  We plan to release a new CD by the end of the year.

Toru: I like to create something soon.

Kenichi: That’s right…

Kyoushi: We start recording soon, right? 

■ As Sunemegamafy, what is the secret to staying together for 10 years?

Tomo: The difference in our attitude is the same. So far, we are all doing it with a normal attitude.

Toru: As a musician, trust and exquisite distance

Kenichi: I think it’s our trust.

Kyoushi: The secret? I wonder what it would be.

■ In March 2020, a global pandemic broke out and the live concerts could not be held as planned, and a very frustrating period followed for a long time. What was your state of mind at that time?

Tomo: It’s a small world, but we were waiting for the time to come back to the stage. That’s how I felt.

Toru: I had the idea that I would be able to do it again, but I wasn’t sure if I would be able to do the kind of live performances that I liked, like getting into a frenzy and getting wild.

Kenichi: I thought it couldn’t be helped.

Kyoushi: I’m not looking back. My gaze is on the present time and the future.

■ I really like the positive and negative atmosphere in the lyrics. The songs sometimes start with a negative atmosphere but end on a positive note. Can you introduce our readers to your four favorite songs? Please tell us more about how the song was created in terms of lyrics and melody.

Tomo: 
無常の風 (Mujou no kaze)
I created the melody by playing the guitar and singing. The feeling of tempo, softness, silence and movement, I think that thanks to the members, it has become an essential song for Sunemegamafy. I wasn’t sure if I should write lyrics about my father and friends, about what actually happened to me, but Ken-chan, the bassist, told me to write as I wanted, so I was able to write as I wanted.

百折不撓 (Hyakusetsufuto)
I gave it to the members with the rhythm and riff in mind, but the rhythm I thought would sound cool when Kyoshi played it fit perfectly, and I got carried away and added the melody. The lyrics were written during the coronavirus pandemic, so it’s about not giving up and getting back up. Overcoming difficulties! I guess that’s the lyrics.

わやくちゃWayakucha
As the title of the song suggests, it’s a chaotic song (lol), but I wanted to make it an interesting song with a deliberate rhythm change, so I gave it to the members. The part where all the members have a chorus battle is also a highlight. The melody just started to come together and kicked in. The lyrics are about the chaos of the world.

にんげん (Ningen)
I had the A and B parts for this song about 10 years ago, and it had been shelved for a long time, but when the band members listened to it, they liked it, and it became a masterpiece because of the love of the band members. I want people to experience it in a live show because it is a song that has a lot of room to grow. The lyrics are written in a positive way. It’s about living in the present and the end that will come one day.

Toru: I guess it’s ソノ先ノムコウヘ(Sono Saki no Mukou e) after all.

Kenichi: 陽のあたる場所 (Hinoatarubasho)

Kyoushi: 百折不撓 (Hyakusetsufuto)

■ More songs have been written in the last 10 years. Has your favorite song changed?
[Before Tomo answered “道の先(Michi no saki)” Toru answered “ソノ先ノムコウヘ” and Ken said “陽のあたる場” and Kyoushi said  “無常の風”]

Tomo: 百折不撓 (Hyakusetsufuto)
It just feels so right when I sing it.

Toru: My favorite songs haven’t changed. But I have a special connection to all of them, so I have a different feeling for them than just liking them.

Kenichi:  They haven’t changed, but they have grown.

Kyoushi:  It hasn’t changed.

■ You’ve been involved in music for a long time. What is the biggest change in the music industry compared to the past?

Tomo: I go into the studio, write songs, rehearse and play live shows over and over again, so I am not really aware of the music industry.

Toru: The age range of musicians at venues.

Kenichi: It feels as if there are fewer younger bands?

Kyoushi: I wonder?

■ What is the most important thing if you play in a band?

Tomo: To make sure you are well prepared for a live show. But first of all, as a singer, you must have a passion for singing.

Toru: As I said in a previous interview, I try to put my feelings into the sound, but I’m only human, so I have ups and downs, but I try to keep my mind straight and keep performing.

Kenichi: To have fun doing it.

Kyoushi: Do the best you can that day.

■ Other than music, please tell us about your hobbies.

Tomo: Camping, drinking by the campfire.

Toru: Mahjong, pachinko, reading while bathing.

Kenichi: I’m about to take up several hobbies. 

Kyoushi: Hobbies? What are my hobbies?

■ What is the most memorable event in Sunemegamafy’s activities?

Tomo: Personally, I was impressed that I was able to perform in my hometown (Sapporo) last year.

Toru: My goal is to make the 10th anniversary live on June 22, 2024 the most unforgettable live concert of all time.

Kenichi: Our first live show?

Kyoushi: Which live was it? I can’t remember…

■ Do you have any goals for your activities in the future?

Tomo: First of all, we want to perform energetically and passionately at the live shows scheduled to be held later this year.

Toru: I want to create exciting music with the current members as much as I can, and I want to strive for the moment when the sound played by human beings goes beyond music and becomes a prayer.

Kenichi: Just to have fun.

Kyoushi: To be interviewed for the 20th anniversary.

■ Finally, please give a message to our readers.

Tomo: See you at a live show. And experience it.

Toru: I hope you will experience a live performance at a live house. Let’s have fun!

Kenichi: Thank you for your continued support!

Kyoushi: Please come to our liveshow!