INDEX
Ultimate Self-Indulgence, in the Best Way
In the past, you’ve launched the literary magazine, taken photographs, and explored a variety of creative outlets. Now, you make music with a strong sense of purpose. Back around the time of Sway, you spoke about feeling a lack of confidence in music. What drives you to make music today?
ehara： By the time I joined the label and quit my job, I already knew I wanted to focus on music. Looking back, what I called “lack of confidence” during the Sway era was really just a way of accepting my own limitations — thinking, “This is all I can do,” or “This is the level I’m at.” Back then, I was trying other creative things too, but honestly, those were just ways to express what I couldn’t convey through music.
For instance, when I started the magazine, it was shortly after my family dog passed away. I wanted to write a song about it, but I couldn’t. Writing became my outlet instead — I created a literary magazine with some friends and published essays. It wasn’t that I was searching for other projects because I didn’t know what to do; if I could have expressed it through music, I would have.
MEI: Why do I make music? Simply because it’s fun. Making money from it is really hard, but I keep going because I enjoy it — that’s the whole reason. I don’t see myself as contributing to society, and it’s not about wanting to lead or change anything. Music isn’t about taking charge or guiding others; it’s me living entirely for myself.
Even when I take action on social issues, it’s mostly for my own sense of fulfillment. Of course, if it sparks something in someone else who wants to act but doesn’t know how, that’s a bonus—but at the core, I do it because I want to. Whether it’s music or anything else, I just follow what I feel like doing, and watching myself grow and change along the way—that’s what’s genuinely fun, and that’s how I want to live.
You’ve been expanding your work beyond Japan to a global audience. What kind of projects are you looking to focus on next?
ehara： Right now, once the tour winds down, I want to dive back into making music. Of course, as a musician, I hope people will sit down and listen to an album from start to finish, but at the same time, I just want to keep doing whatever I can in the moment.
The U.S. tour opened my eyes to so many things I didn’t know, introduced me to new people, and sparked ideas and ambitions for what I want to do next. I don’t feel like taking a break at all. In that sense, my mindset hasn’t really changed since the Sway days. I’m still aware of my own ignorance. It’s more like, while I’ve got the energy and motivation, I want to keep doing what I can.
I’ll be looking forward to your future projects while diving deeper into All About McGuffin!
ehara: Thank you, although, knowing me, by tomorrow I might already be thinking, “Well, that’s enough for now” [laughs].
All About MacGuffin
Item number: KAKU-230 / CD: DDCK-1082
Label: KAKUBARHYTHM
CD price: 3,200 yen (excluding tax)
Included songs
1.Opening theme
2.After that…
3.The Fruit not yet ripe
4.Cut out
5.Picture
6.I miss you
7.Sad Driver
8.Game Over
9.Huge things coming
10.Ending Theme
All About McGuffin Tour 2026
mei ehara embarks on a nationwide five-city tour with her latest album All About McGuffin.
Tour Dates:
Jan 17, 2026 (Sat) – Nagoya, Shinsakae Shangri-La
Jan 18, 2026 (Sun) – Tokyo, Shibuya CLUB QUATTRO
Jan 25, 2026 (Sun) – Fukuoka, ROOMS
Jan 31, 2026 (Sat) – Kumamoto, NAVARO
Feb 1, 2026 (Sun) – Osaka, CONPASS
Doors open at 17:00 / Show starts at 18:00
Tickets: ¥5,000 in advance (tax included, drinks not included)
Official Pre-sale (lottery): Oct 17 (Fri) 18:00 – Oct 26 (Sun) 23:59
General Sale: Nov 15 (Sat) from 10:00
Ticket Information:
Tickets required for high school students and older.
Children below junior high school are free only when accompanied by a guardian (1 child per 1 adult).
Student Cashback: ¥1,000 cashback upon presenting student ID at the venue.
Disability Cashback: ¥1,000 cashback for those with a disability certificate; one accompanying helper admitted free of charge.
Ticket Links:
e+
Ticket Pia
Lawson Ticket
