What sort of ideas or backstory led to the creation of Soreshikaienai?It was our first major release, so I wanted it to pack a punch. I had a bunch of demos to choose from, but we went with that song because I really felt it was the one. Still, maybe it was another case of me writing straight from my heart...
The title is Soreshikaienai (That’s all I can say), but when it was completed, I kept thinking that a lot of people were going to look at the lyrics and be like, “What’s she really trying to say here?” But those were honestly just my own thoughts—things I wrote that I wouldn’t bother saying to anyone else. It’s a song crammed with messy, tangled emotions, the kind of feelings I want to share with others but can’t so easily. So the “that” in the title refers to something everyone carries, like I wrote it with the feeling that it’s up to each listener to decide what it means to them.
That song was your first major release, but what’s your idea of a major debut?I see a major debut as a big chance to let everyone know who we are. It opens up what we can do, but it also means the choices we make from there really matter. I think there’s this idea that once you go major, it’s all cool outfits and flashy setups every time, but that kind of thing doesn’t happen overnight—and honestly, we just want to stay true to ourselves. That’s why we value our band’s natural vibe so much, the sound and performance of our shows. To me, going major just means taking what we already are and bringing it to the next level.
It might be hard to put into words, but how would you describe your identity as a band?Hmm, that’s a tough one. With Haku., we never really said, “This is the type of band we want to be,” and we don’t have any fixed goals for what we should look like as a band. But I do feel that who we are is the sum of all the elements that come out of our shows. By holding onto that natural vibe—staying true to what’s already inside us, to the versions of ourselves that branch off from there, and to the new selves we meet along the way—I think what you get in the end is Haku. We don’t consciously build it. We just don’t force it.
So you challenge yourselves, but don’t force it.Exactly. The idea is, “Even if you mess up, don’t let it swallow you!” Because once it does, you can’t do anything anymore.
Wrapping things up, in your major release announcement video, you said that you have a lot of things that you want to do. What are some of the things you want to try?Well, I’d like to do a full nationwide tour, and then also direct our live shows. One thing all of us mentioned was getting some guys in really big character costumes, like bigger than we are, dancing next to us on stage
What about playing on a big stage outdoors?That’s definitely something I want to try! This year we played at two outdoor festivals for the first time. Playing outside in that heat almost killed me, but my voice carried so far and it was just a ton of fun. Each of us in the band have our own festivals we want to play, but the one that comes up most is of course Fuji Rock. I’m also always saying how I want to play at an aquarium or planetarium. We’re always tossing around ideas like that and talking about whether they will ever really happen