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mottoyomitaiAs usual, this feature contains messages from each interviewee to the other, an extended cross-talk, and a short "interview" with both of them on the talk theme.
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JO1 Meets...: Yonashiro Sho x Yamazaki Masayoshi
Talk Theme: The Roots of Music
A regular publication where we fulfill the “dreams” the 11 members of JO1 hold in their hearts. This 4th instalment is a cross-talk between Yonashiro-san and Yamazaki Masayoshi-san, who he still admires till this day. We look closer at the charms of both of them, while unravelling details about each of their origins of music, such as guitar, piano, and roadside live performances.
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Message: Sho to Masayoshi
Yamazaki-san debuted in the year I was born, and I think it’s really cool how you broke through with your own style, without being swayed by the trends of the times, or those around you; for that, I’ve always respected him. I also look up to the way Yamazaki-san not only creates all of his own songs, but expresses his unique perspective through various instruments. In terms of songs, I love “One more time, One more chance”! I’m always shaken by the way it starts with a gentle, heartrending melody; the ephemeral lyrics; the way the chorus really comes for your feels, and how it’s arranged to end with the guitar. It’s a wonderful song that I’ll never be able to stop talking about!! Recently, my fellow members (Kono) Junki and (Kimata) Syoya have started learning the guitar, and we practice together, and I think they’d be pretty envious if I were to tell them that I got to speak with Yamazaki-san (laughs).
Message: Masayoshi to Sho
I feel a little bad about this, but I listened to JO1’s songs on Youtube after finding out about today’s cross-talk. I was surprised at how sharp the dance was, and it must be pretty difficult to think of formations and film the videos for an 11-member performance, I imagine. Upon actually getting to speak with Yonashiro-kun, my impression is that he’s a very serious, fine young man. I was moved to see that he’s approaching music very earnestly. Well, but when I heard that he was born in the year I debuted.... I did get a little depressed (laughs). DIY is a hobby of mine, and I’ve heard from him that he likes it as well, so it would be nice if we could do something together sometime. (There was a request from Yonashiro-san: “I’d like to make a bench or side-table, and have a meal together!”)
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Cross-talk
The root of improvement is the sense of inquisitiveness, to want to do “more”
Yonashiro (YS): Please treat me kindly today! I was really moved when I heard that you’d watched our videos!!
Yamazaki (YM): I did watch them. Your dance was really cool. An 11-member group is really amazing, isn’t it. You could make a full soccer team (laughs). How are your songs created?
YS: Generally, someone from South Korea will create the songs, and we’ll sing them. When a song gets decided, all of us will sing all the parts on our own, then after that we’ll split the lines. Because there are 11 of us, it’s a process that ends up taking a long while no matter what we do.
YM: That would be pretty tough..... How long does the production process take to release one piece?
YS: For us, a single will have 5-6 songs on it, so including the filming of the MV and recording it might take around 2 months.
YM: I see. For me, I create the song, the lyrics and the arrangement pretty much simultaneously, so recently I tend to finish the entire process in my own studio. To create an album, it would take me around 3 months. For 11 busy people there might not be enough time, but now you can send videos and session files over the Internet, so I wonder if your communications with the South Korean side have become smoother?
YS: Honestly, the ideal situation would be for us to take the lessons in South Korea, but given the current situation that’s tough.... We’re progressing while each putting in our own work. Someday, I’d like for us to become like Yamazaki-san, and increase the extent to which we’re involved in the process. Also, since I have the chance to meet you, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask, but I’m a little worried about imposing....
YM: It’s alright. Ask me anything (laughs).
YS: I also play the guitar, but I want to get better at it. I really want to practice about 5 hours a day, but if I do that I’d be abandoning the dance lessons we have every day, so I’m conflicted (laughs). Are there any good practice techniques you can do regularly?
YM: There was also a period for me where I had no tours, and so didn’t play the guitar, you know. Then I became extremely terrible at it (laughs). When you think about how a guitar has six strings that you have to press on with four fingers, there’s really a limit to the sounds you can produce with it. Once you know the patterns, then it’s about looking at the possibilities, seeing what you can do (with those patterns). Even for me, there’s areas I haven’t explored before, and I’m still making new discoveries even now. Sometimes I forcefully try something, going “I wonder if I can press this chord like this”, and end up cutting my finger (laughs). So while the time you spend touching the guitar is important, the root to improving is to have a sense of inquisitiveness, to want to do “more”. I’m still in the process of working on it.
You feel nervous because you’re conscious of people’s eyes on you. On stage, sink into the music
YS: Last November, we had our first concert with a live audience, and I was so nervous I thought my heart would beat out of my chest, but the 3 days were so enjoyable that they really passed in the blink of an eye. Yamazaki-san, have you ever felt nervous?
YM: Of course I get nervous too, but I get the sense that if you lose yourself in the song and dance, and face the themes captured within, then you wouldn’t feel the pressure as much. Doesn’t nervousness arise because you think that you’ll be judged by someone, or compared to someone else? If you think about the feelings captured in the music, and focus on how to express those, you won’t be so concerned with these external things. So in the end, I think it’s important that when you’re on stage, you sink into the music. That being said, I can only do 50% of that, and even now when I appear at festivals and such (I get so nervous that) I end up not being able to see the audience’s faces, though (laughs).
YS: So Yamazaki-san also feels that way, I see; I feel a little relieved, upon hearing that (laughs). On another note, having been singing for 27 years now, the trends in music change, don’t they. How have you dealt with those changes?
YM: I debuted with plucked guitar music in the age when dance music was popular. Since then, I’ve always declared that I’ll be true to myself, and have confidence in my own songs. I always say that, putting aside whether or not they’ll sell well, I want to have no regrets in the way I put out music, no matter how the times change. When I entered this industry, I met people who gave me the chance to create whatever I wanted to, and I’ve come all this way being able to freely create on my own. I’ve really been blessed by those around me, I think.
YS: That’s so cool! Before debuting, I’d go listen to roadside live performances while holding on to my guitar, but recently putting out music through short videos on TikTok or Instagram has become more common, so I can really sense how the methods of sharing (music) have really changed.
YM: I see. But there’s all sorts of music fans out there; people who like plucked guitar music, those who like alternative music, and those who prefer a classic style. So it’s not really that everyone’s way of listening to music has changed, I think. Even if the genres are different, it’s still music, and if someone like JO1-san does a more classical style, that might get more people interested in your work. I think it would be pretty interesting to aim to become a bridging presence like that, wouldn’t it.
YS: I’d like to try! This is just my personal opinion, but I feel like the definition of what makes a “pro artist” is becoming more blurred, these days. There’s a part of me that worries about what I should do for the fans, as a professional.
YM: Since the separation doesn’t seem to be very stark, it might hang upon whether you have the self-awareness that you are a professional, I think. On top of that, wouldn’t it be about just showing off the difference in your ability?!
YS: Showing off.... I see. In order to do that, I’ll work to polish myself up more, so that I’ll be more than just talk!!
YM: How level-headed~ This old man over here can say nothing more to that (laughs).
The real charm of a concert is the chemistry. You can sing in a key you normally can’t do
YS: For us, since we debuted around the time COVID-19 was going around, we weren’t really able to have concerts before a live audience, and instead had to communicate with our fans through social media.
YM: That must have been tough. But I looked at JO1’s social media and streaming, and I think that, with your powerful performances and everything, it’s a pretty effective way of expressing everyone’s charms.
YS: I’m super happy that you said that!! Thank you very much!!
YM: When I saw the choreography, it’s really cool on video; it seems like some parts of it might be able to get spread throughout the wider world through social media?
YS: Yes. But in the end, our feelings of wanting to perform before our fans were really strong, so not being able to do that was pretty frustrating, and even back then the embers would have a lot of discussions, and we were very conflicted. For Yamazaki-san, who’s always been standing on the stage, what do you think the real charm of a concert is?
YM: I wonder.... As expected, when there’s an audience, there’ll be chemistry. As the crowd gets hyped you’ll get uplifted as well, and sometimes you might even be able to sing in a key that you normally wouldn’t be able to achieve (laughs). Ever since the spread of COVID-19 I’ve done a number of online concerts, but there are times when I worry about whether the songs are really coming across, and break out into a strange sweat.
YS: You can’t see their reactions straight away, after all.
YM: When there’s no live audience, it feels like a one-way communication. When you’re in a band you can communicate with your fellow members, but to do an online concert as a single guitar player feels a little lonely sometimes (laughs). What I mean by that is, JO1 might have been helped along by the eye contact and conversations with your fellow members.
YS: That’s true, that was a big help (laughs).
Looking forward to a guitar session together someday
YS: Recently, I’ve been making music on the computer with the other members. Most times I’ll create the melody first; Yamazaki-san, when you create songs, where do you start from?
YM: I don’t really have a fixed process. In my head the drums will play and I can feel the rhythm.... It’s like I add on sounds and prune away (unwanted bits) to the things that come to mind, and slowly turn that into something real.
YS: What do you do about the lyrics?
YM: I try to read books and write down words on a regular basis, so that I can fill my brain with words. But words themselves are fluid, and they change with the times, don’t they. It’s tough to look for generic words, but there really isn’t any one right answer to it. There are times where I can’t seem to write anything, and at those times I’ll fall asleep (laughs).
YS: Right now I’m mostly just in a state of trial and error, so that’s very helpful! (In response to a question from the editors’ department about whether he’d like to collaborate with Yamazaki-san on anything:) Eh~ is it alright to ask for something like that?
YM: (Reaches out for a guitar nearby, and begins to play on it casually)
YS: Eh?? (He’s unable to speak, and instead applauds heartily, his eyes sparkling) Thank you! In the past, I saw a video where you posted a cover made with a looper, and I thought that was super cool, so I’d love to be able to do that together someday!!
YM: That’s nice, let’s definitely do that together.
YS: Yamazaki-san, truly, thank you for today!! To even be able to see you play the guitar with my own eyes.... I’ll definitely brag about this to my parents later (laughs).
YM: I see, your parents would also be closer to me in age, right (laughs). I look forward to the day we’ll get to meet again.
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Individual talk
Yonashiro Sho
When I was 19 years old, I left Okinawa with the aim of becoming a singer, and attended many auditions while attending university. When I was running out of options and not having much luck, I encountered the programme known as “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN”, and managed to debut as part of JO1.
Thanks to that, I feel like I’m really living a fulfilling life right now, having my dreams of “singing songs” and “having many people watch me sing” come true. It’s a world I’ve always admired, so no matter how busy I am, I’ve never once thought it to be tough.
Right now, the way people listen to music is changing, but as an artist living in this age, I have a great sense of anticipation, thinking about what I can challenge and try out from here on out.
Yamazaki Masayoshi
3 years after my debut, I realised that I was pretty busy. I was doing concerts, and in that year I also put out around 2 albums.
I was young and I had confidence in my physical strength, but I remember there being so many tasks to undertake that I couldn’t finish going through them all in my head. But I was a singer-songwriter, so it might be unpleasant, but I’d receive returns proportionate to how hard I worked (laughs).
As I continued to be active, my fan club got set up, and more and more people were cheering me on, which was a source of support for me. I think I was able to keep going no matter how tough it got, because of the existence of my fans.
