In a world where the future is uncertain, the soundtrack to our continuing promises… This is the catchphrase that comes to mind when listening to the new album “合歓る-walls” (Nemuru Walls) by the three-piece band Laura day romance. This 10-song album is the first part of their third full-length album. The idea of dividing a full album into two parts, a title that sounds like a new word, and a story that is told through raw and vivid sounds and words, as if layers of time and emotion are folded over one another. With these, Lola’s attempts to capture something that cannot be defined by definite words in the real world we live in today. What is between you and me. What is between you and someone else.
As discussed in the interview that begins below, they have not yet begun work on the second part of the film at this point. No one knows now how the story will end. No one knows what will happen in the future. We cannot even know what will happen one second into the future. The fact that such uncertainty of reality is packaged in this film is part of what makes “Nemuru Walls” a masterpiece.
The future is unknown. You may not come to the promised place. Still, even at this very moment, somewhere, someone is making a promise to someone else. They are sharing joys, hurting each other in small ways, and slightly forgiving each other. This music is being played for us.
INDEX
Exploring Bonds Beyond Love and Friendship
Your latest release, “Nemuru Walls,” which serves as the first half of your third full-length album, is a remarkable work that seeks to capture aspects of our reality that cannot be expressed through existing words or values. What were your thoughts during the creation process?
Suzuki (Gt): The idea of making a long-form piece came first. When we released our first album, farewell your town, and our second, “roman candles,” people often described them as short story collections. Structuring an album like that—choosing a theme and aligning songs to it—isn’t necessarily difficult. But this time, I wanted to push ourselves to the very edge of what we could achieve. So, we challenged ourselves to create something with a more narrative-driven dynamism—a true long-form work.
From left: Yuta Isomoto (Dr), Kazuki Inoue (Vo), Jin Suzuki (Gt)
A Japanese band gaining fans among music lovers both in Japan and abroad. Their sound is shaped by Jin Suzuki’s diverse musical compositions, Kazuki Inoue’s evocative vocals, and Yuta Isomoto’s drumming, which balances tight precision with flexibility. Supporting members join in the best possible way to bring their music to life.
With each solo concert, the band has expanded its scale, selling out their Zepp Shinjuku show in November 2024. Looking ahead, they are set to perform at Osaka-jo Ongakudo and Tokyo International Forum Hall C in April 2025.
It’s a long-form work, but rather than a lengthy album, it’s divided into two parts.
Suzuki: Initially, we planned to release a single 20-track album, but we quickly realized that might be a bit too much [laughs], so we adjusted our vision. If I had to sum up the first half’s narrative in a single phrase, it would be “two people drifting apart.” But beyond that, I wanted to create something that moves between different timelines—someone living in the present, their memories, and the past that shaped them. To fully explore that, I felt we needed around 20 songs. Another key point was ensuring that the story truly begins in the present.
The realism of the opening sounds and the first lyric, ‘A delay notice on the Fukutoshin Line,’ immediately establish that the album starts in the present moment.
Suzuki: I really wanted to emphasize that this isn’t just a fantasy. I wanted to place the story directly in listeners’ hands. Even something as simple as a delay notice carries the sense that countless “what-if” stories could emerge from it. I’ve always loved the idea of narratives where you can’t quite tell how things are connected, and I think that element naturally made its way into this album.
What made you want to explore the theme of “two people drifting apart”?
Suzuki: A big part of it came from Kacchan (Inoue)’s story.
Inoue (Vo): I’ve always considered men to be my romantic preference, but when I look back now, there was this girl in middle school—it was definitely love at first sight. Our relationship never fit neatly into the categories of love or friendship; we’ve just always been together. She’s incredibly important to me, but I don’t see her in a romantic way, and at the same time, we’re closer than just friends. When I told Jin-kun (Suzuki) about it, he was really surprised, like, “That kind of thing happens?” And that’s where it all started, right?
Suzuki: Yeah. More than that, I think it stopped feeling like someone else’s story. It made me realize, this could happen to me too. That shift in perspective really clicked something in my mind. When something feels close to me personally, that’s when I can write with a level of reality that I’m truly satisfied with.
