Kyoto’s Summer Whales Dive Deep: Embracing the Power of Individuality in Their First Interview

Self-Disclosure: A Path to Direct Connection at the Core of Emotions

-What was your intention in including the instrumental song “Scene: 4 A.M.” in the fourth track?

Aoi: I wanted to create a sense of space, and the bird sounds in this track are from a time when Kubo and I were talking until morning. We recorded the bird sounds we heard at that hour and included them in the track. I wanted to convey our environment and situation as they were, mixing in a bit of “reality.”

What do you think motivates the desire to blend in elements of “reality”?

Aoi: I think if we don’t convey our reality, listeners might eventually drift away. If we don’t disclose ourselves, there might be something that doesn’t come back to us.

Do you have a vision for how communication with the audience should be?

Aoi: I prefer to strip things down as much as possible and connect at the core of the sensation. Of course, I value aspects like costumes and hairstyles, but ultimately, I want the ‘core’ to be something that resonates between the creator and the audience. To achieve this, I need to disclose it. Otherwise, I have the image that the audience might not engage with it directly.

When you reveal yourself and present the core of what you have, it’s not about being okay with “not being understood by anyone.” Instead, there’s a sense of believing that it will resonate with “someone.”

Aoi: While it’s not necessarily a large number, I do feel vaguely that there are people who share the same sensibilities as me and who seek to be understood, who want their feelings to be nurtured and stimulated in a joyful way. I want to connect directly with those kinds of people.

I think many people who like rock bands are individuals with their own struggles. They cherish their personal sense of identity and may prefer to listen to music alone. Even though they seek unity at live shows, when I’m creating music or writing lyrics alone at home, I wonder, “Who am I delivering this to?” I want to be able to convey something directly and honestly to those people.

So, you also continue to hold onto that sense of individuality.

Aoi: I now have many friends who love music, but in the past, there weren’t many people who shared my taste for UK rock. When I was a teenager, the world I saw in movies and music videos was completely different from the scenery in Japan. The clothes I wanted to wear were different, too. While those feelings of being out of place have been resolved and I enjoy making music in Japan now, back then, I felt very disconnected. The joy I found was only in movies and music, not in reality. I don’t want to turn away from people who feel the same way now.

Summer Whales 1st E.P.Doughy Release Tour

Tokyo
09/01(Sun) @ Shimokitazawa BASEMENTBAR
Summer Whales
Emputei
Qoodow
OPEN/START 18:00/18:30
TICKET ¥3,000( 1D)
Link: eplus.jp/sf/detail/4115410001-P0030001

Kyoto version
09/16(Mon., holiday)@Kyoto CLUB METRO
Summer Whales
HOME
Black petrol
OPEN/START 18:00/18:30
TICKET ¥3,000( 1D)
Link: eplus.jp/sf/detail/4115500001-P0030001