INDEX
Frustration with My Own Inability to Fit In
In the past, your self-organized events have featured bands like eastern youth, bacho, Minsei VS Shinsekai, and THA BLUE HERB. It seems like you have respect and sympathy for people who have created their own space through DIY.
Suzuki: I just like them because they’re cool. I’ve never really thought about whether they’re DIY or not; I just invite them because they’re cool.
Zu: It’s about why those performances are cool, right?
Suzuki: Maybe it’s because there’s a DIY background to them.
Zu:: They definitely have strong intentions, and I admire that strength. I think Mikiko Zu is kind of inconsistent. We say, “It’s okay not to change,” but we’re not that strong. As she said earlier, “I get frustrated with this, but I’m also angry at myself for not being able to adapt,” and that inconsistency is at the root of it. So, we’re given the opportunity to share the stage with really cool people to confirm that we’ve been able to keep going despite that inconsistency.
Suzuki: It’s not so much confirmation; seeing an amazing live performance can actually be discouraging.
Zu: It’s like, “Give me the right kind of discouragement.” It’s a different kind of feeling than when we share a stage with a popular but confusing band.
I think seeking out discouragement can be important, but it must be tough at times. Why do you keep going despite that?
Zu: It’s about joy. For example, when we play a show with eastern youth and see everything we’ve built come crashing down, it’s tough, but it’s also a reminder of how much we’ve actually built up. If we’re only playing events that are already set up for us, we lose that sense of realization.
Suzuki: If you don’t confirm what you truly believe in, you start to forget it. It kind of dilutes over time.
Zu: It feels like having someone illuminate the path you’re walking. It’s incredibly necessary.
Suzuki: It’s so discouraging that sometimes you can’t even get back up. Even now, just thinking about it is discouraging. I don’t have any firm ideology, and maybe I’m just happy to be able to perform.
Even when you’re excited and having fun on stage, the anger never disappears, does it?
Suzuki: Yeah, it really is a deep-rooted thing.
If you had started making music with the dream of becoming a rock star, then making your major debut might have been considered a goal, right?
Suzuki: I should have set it as a goal. Then I could have ended it with a “Yay!”
Zu: You can’t end it yet, though.
Suzuki: What does it mean to live a fulfilling life? What is happiness? The goal feels so far away [laughs]. But I’m glad I was born. I get to carry all these different emotions.
Suzuki Mikiko Zu major 1st album Abara
Release Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2025
CRCP-20613 / ¥3,300 (tax included)
Tracklist
- Iwaku to Kyūkutsu
Planned to include 12 tracks in total.
Official Links
- Suzuki Mikiko Zu Official Website:
mikikotomikikotomikiko.jimdofree.com - Suzuki Mikiko Zu Official YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@officialchannel6635 - X (Suzuki Mikiko):
https://x.com/suzukimikiko7 - X (Zu):
https://x.com/madaisami
Suzuki Mikiko Zu “Shinzō no Sōon – End of 2024 Edition”
- Doors open: 11:30 / Show starts: 12:00
- Performers: Hwyl / Suzuki Mikiko Zu
- Tickets: 3,500 yen in advance (plus drink fee) *Student discount: 3,000 yen (500 yen cashback upon presenting student ID at the entrance along with the ticket)
Tickets on sale now: https://eplus.jp/sf/detail/4217910001-P0030001
exPoP!!!!! vol.169
January 31, 2025 (Friday)
Venue: Spotify O-nest
Time: OPEN 18:30 / START 19:00
Admission: Free (must buy 2 drinks)
Streaming: https://www.youtube.com/@NiEWJP
Performers: toddle, Suzuki Mikiko Zu, and more!!!!!
■ Ticket reservation form
*Admission may not be allowed without a reservation.
https://expop.jp/tickets/169
