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Kaika’s Artistic Inspirations: RADWIMPS, Shuntaro Tanikawa, Tahi Saihate
This is the first time we’re interviewing you solo as Kaika, so could you tell us what first inspired you to start making music?
Kaika: I bought a guitar when I was in 9th grade. I thought it might be fun to try making songs, so that’s how I started.
About “Higurashi no Uta”, you mentioned in a previous interview that it was a song about things you couldn’t tell your friends, like your activities as KAF, and that you wrote it while thinking about those things on your way home from school. Was that sense of turning things you couldn’t say into songs something you’ve always felt?
Kaika: My feelings at that time often became abstracted into songs, and I think there were times when I could express emotions that I might have found difficult to voice directly through music. Also, I just remembered that the 3DS had a recording function, so I would record my songs using just my voice. I also enjoyed writing, so I created a sort of lyrics notebook where I would write down lyrics all the time.
Your lyrics are wonderful, but did you also enjoy reading books and words?
Kaika: Yes, I did. I liked both novels and manga, but I also loved poetry. I admire poets like Shuntaro Tanikawa and Tahi Saihate.
How about the sources of influence for your songwriting?
Kaika: At first, I practiced by playing RADWIMPS songs on guitar, trying to mimic their chord progressions. Your Name. had such a big impact on me… I heard RADWIMPS for the first time in the theater, and I was like, “What is this?!” Before that, I had only listened to music that played on TV, and later I got into Vocaloid and listened to artists like HoneyWorks. But RADWIMPS was completely different from anything I had heard before, so I was really shocked. After that, I started listening to more Japanese rock, and discovered bands like Mrs. GREEN APPLE, and I was like, “Wow, there are so many different artists!” It really surprised me [laughs].
