#freedom fighters

SCANDAL; 10 Years Worth of Memories in Their Best Album, Now Released! - Interview with T-SITE

(The following interview translation focuses on: The album title for the BEST ALBUM + ‘FREEDOM FIGHTERS’ + 'HELLO’ + SCANDAL’s new start after 10 years)

For SCANDAL who has welcomed their 10th year anniversary since forming, they’ve release their best album『SCANDAL』, as created from fan votes. Throughout 10 years of conveying the things they had, the members are once again hit with very real feelings of having conveyed them. They speak of their thoughts about the strongest best album that they’ve made together with their fans.

The Best Album’s Title Can’t Be Anything Else But「SCANDAL」

－－They weren’t placed according to their rankings, so was it random?

RINA: We firstly decided that it should be a 2-disc set, so we started off with splitting (the songs) into two. We went about pairing them up as we created it, like, this song will go great with this other song.

MAMI: As we chose them according to, 'The song that’s of a similar position is this song I suppose?’, we wanted to make DISC 1 and DISC 2 the same in terms of listenable content. We selected them in order to make both (discs) equally strong.

－－As you all thought in that way, it became a 2-disc set I see. Since the release periods were randomised as well, you can go 'Oh! They sound so young!’ and stuff, and be able to enjoy the many things in these 10 years.

HARUNA: Our vocals have changed considerably (laughs).

MAMI: This time around, we included the release dates in the lyrics card. So the voices that would sound refreshing would be our earliest songs, which you can see on the cards as you think about it. I think you can enjoy it in such a way.

－－Be it your long-time fans, or those that got into you guys recently, there are different things to enjoy.

HARUNA: Yes. That’s why, we said that the title couldn’t be anything other than 『SCANDAL』.

MAMI: This had been long-awaited. Feels like we’ve done it for this very time.

－－Once again, do you have any songs on this that you feel were your turning points?

HARUNA: There are plenty. If we go down in order,『Shoujo S』and 『Shunkan Sentimental』were huge songs that allowed many to know about SCANDAL. They were both Anime theme songs, but with regards to having been able to do them, we were able to build deeper connections with those overseas, and since we had fate with going overseas since our indies period, we were able to make it happen more frequently. They were songs that gave us the chance to perform one-man lives today, and to convey ourselves to people in all kinds of places.

TOMOMI: Even till now, bands from the light music club are copying (our songs) at cultural festivals etc., which makes us really happy.

MAMI:『Awanai Tsumori no, Genki Dene』was the first single release we had after our very first Osaka-jo Hall one-man live. Since playing a one-man at the Osaka-jo had been our dream since our formation, after achieving that, this single feels like we’re once again giving it our all and restarting over.

RINA: I’m with everyone. I also do think『Shunkan Sentimental』and『Shoujo S』were the biggest opportunities we had (that people got to know us).『Awanai Tsumori no, Genki Dene』was what we’d set out with with renewed hearts, after achieving our dreams.

The 2 New Songs「FREEDOM FIGHTERS」and「HELLO」On The Best Album

－－Plus, in both DISC 1 and DISC 2, new songs have been included.

MAMI: We just finished recording for them 2 days before this interview, sorry (laughs). Both songs are very distinctly different from one another. There’s a pop song and a killer rock tune inside.

HARUNA: The song titles are『FREEDOM FIGHTERS』and『HELLO』;『FREEDOM FIGHTERS』is a rock tune, whereas『HELLO』is pop, and is a slightly pained love song. We’ve represented our current selves in different manners up till now, and we do think that we’re a band that conveys to people who we are right now and what we think, but in『FREEDOM FIGHTERS』, it was yet again a new way of getting that across. It’s a song that really emphasised on being loud. Since the bass sounds really cool, we were practically squirming about wanting people to hear it quickly. And then, in the other song,『HELLO』; Has it been a year ago, I wonder? We finished the demo and have always been mulling over it, but we talked over it and decided with everyone that now is the best timing to release it.

RINA: It’s just right that the release day is Valentine’s Day. Besides being a heartwarming, seasonal type of love song, we thought that it’ll be great to put such a Winter song inside. I’m really into this one too.

HARUNA: Both songs are poles apart and depict different situations, but honestly, we’re looking very forward to (playing)『FREEDOM FIGHTERS』over the 47-prefecture lives. For『HELLO』, we hope it’ll be great to listen to at home, while thinking of somebody that’s important.

－－After 10 years and forging a new start, please let us know about SCANDAL’s vision from now forth.

MAMI: Rather than say we’re in an 'attacker’s position’ after getting up to this point, I feel we still have much more to run towards; even after 10 years. I thought I’ll be calmer, but that isn’t the fact. Not only do I have still have many things I want to do, but there are still many places that we haven’t been to overseas, so I don’t think we can be satisfied just yet with our current position.

HARUNA: I think it’ll be great if we’re able to carry out our activities, while maintaining our own pace. Being able to welcome our 10th year and to be able to release a best (album) like this, I think we have been able to see, digest and send out all kinds of things. I hope we’ll be able to continue in such a position without changing that.

TOMOMI: Making lives the heart of our activities without change. As the years go by, be it privately or at work, I’ve experienced all kinds of things. I hope to continue conveying or singing about those things, as there are increasingly still many things left to say. I’ll like for us to believe in our current selves when the time comes, and do this relaxingly.

RINA: This being year 2017, I have many things that I really want to convey from the heart via our activities. I’ll also like to have more friends, and since I have confidence in the songs that we’re making now and have made in the past, I have very strong feelings about wanting to convey them properly. I want all kinds of people to know that from seeing our lives, and to like us. So we’ll be making plenty of songs by ourselves, and then bringing them to stage with a bang.

Original article by T-SITE HERE, translation by fyscandalband.

SCANDAL; Our Fans’ Love, 10 Years of History, and Moving Ahead In Our Own Will “From Now On” - Interview with natalie

(The following interview translation focuses on: The tracklist for the BEST ALBUM + ‘FREEDOM FIGHTERS’ + 'HELLO’)

Excitement for the Fan-voted Results

──Please tell us your feelings now, after releasing the voluminous best album as a commemoration of your 10th year anniversary since forming.

RINA: We didn’t specifically decide to release a best (album) at this timing where it’s our 10th year anniversary, instead, just having got to this point naturally. Since we made something with really good content, we have many feelings about wanting everyone to hear it quickly.

──The tracklist was decided by fan-voting this time around.

RINA: That’s right. The members were only told about the results after it was all tabulated, but up till then, we didn’t know how it would be, so we waited in anticipation excitedly. Without thinking, I voted myself too (laughs).

──By the way, what was the song that RINA voted for?

RINA: That’s a bit of a secret (laughs). I was pretty troubled, but the song that I voted for made it onto the album.

Fans Showing Off Their Maniacal Side, Surprising Song Selection

──Were there any song choices that surprised you guys?

RINA: Basically, we all had an idea. We kept thinking,「As expected!」at the song choices. Except, I think if it were up to us, we wouldn’t have included some like「SCANDAL IN THE HOUSE」or「Flashback No.5」. Looking at it, all in all, we would’ve included singles that were more easy to understand.

HARUNA: We were able to kind of feel the maniacal side of our fans. There are also interesting parts like that.

TOMOMI: I was really happy that「Bitter Chocolate」got chosen. This round’s best (album) will be enjoyed together with everyone at our lives, and we anticipated and planned for those songs that would bring about a great call-and-response to be at its center, so I was a bit surprised that such a medium-tempo song that needs to be properly listened to would be included.

RINA: I also have that impression for「Chiisana Honoo」. Since it’s a song that also contains a really important message, I’m really happy that everyone shared the feelings of wanting it to make the best album.

──Having「one piece」on it also reflects the fans’ warm thoughts.

RINA: That’s right! This song was written with the image of us carrying our earliest of dreams, to be sung at our one-man live at the Osaka-jo Hall. I think all of our fans probably knew about the personal history of this song, and voted for it after taking our history into consideration. For that, we’re extremely touched.

A Frequent「Voice (Koe)」At Important Scenes

──Following on, there is「Koe」, which MAMI takes charge of the lead vocals for. It seems that it was ranked No.2.

MAMI: Yes. I’m happy….

RINA: Ahahaha (laughs). Finished? That’s it?

MAMI: It’s not that, but this song wasn’t a single, neither was it a lead song on an album. Yet, many people really liked it.

HARUNA: It’s not like it’s always played at lives either, so isn’t there a feeling of rarity to it? That’s why I think everyone wanted to hear it.

──At last August’s SCAFES (「SCANDAL 10th ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL『2006-2016』」), it was performed.

TOMOMI: It was. It was an important scene that happened (laughs).

MAMI: Looking back, it’s like we’ll definitely play it once every year.

RINA: It’s also an emotional tune eh. I want to play it instantly (laughs).

──By the way, why is it that this song is sung by MAMI?

MAMI: At the start, of course it was planned that HARUNA sing it, but the suggestion popped up from our then director, so it turned out to be a challenge for me.

RINA: At that time, she sent us a voice memo of what it’ll feel like if MAMI were to sing and play it at the same time. That was really great, so we ended up recording it for the album.

MAMI: Ah, that’s right. It happened. That event (laughs). I’m glad that it turned out to be such a well-loved song.

A Love Letter from MAMI in「FREEDOM FIGHTERS」

──New songs are recorded with the best (album), and we also get to properly see SCANDAL at your latest. Firstly, the first song,「FREEDOM FIGHTERS」’s lyrics are written by RINA and composed by MAMI. It’s a powerful number that gets your feelings dancing.

RINA: We created the lyrics first, as a song that places emphasis on 'freedom’. Actually, it was written with the same idea as「Sisters」, which is also included in this album, and was to be worked on similarly, such as having a impressionable title that appealed to the ladies as a supportive song. It’s a way to really gain a huge reaction. For myself, I wrote it to all the comrades out there that are living in our time now, but I had a regret for myself after reflecting upon it, yet「there is no way but to accept it the way it is」. So now, I want to say the same thing to everyone once more. Since it’s a theme that we’re bringing across once again, it’s a big job that was worked on, to a point where I thought「this is nothing short of a life-shortening experience」, but which I’m glad to have written.

MAMI: When it comes to songs, it’s like I was born to guide the rhythm and melody according to the lyrics that RINA has written. For the first time, I felt the slightly unbelievable feelings of,「Ah, such a thing exists」.

──The message in the lyrics were well-delivered in its sound.

TOMOMI: When we received the demo, I thought it was a love letter from MAMI to the rhythmic team (laughs).

MAMI: Ahahaha (laughs). It was intense.

TOMOMI: Since the past, MAMI has spoke of her liking for the rhythmic team, so I always thought that I held huge responsiblity (laughs). It’s unbearable. However, with regards to the tone, it’s a little different from the usual, and it’s been fun recording a more passive tone, something that we like recently. It really strikes me that our liking for (different) sounds have also changed over these 10 years, and it’s good to feel those portions as well.

HARUNA: I too, thought that this was a written challenge from MAMI (laughs). It’s a sound that screams,「You can expect things from me!」. In terms of the melody, it does feel like something that I’m good with, but it was a new way of singing for me this time around.

Made By The Same Duo, Yet A Song With A Completely Different Atmosphere

──And then, the one other new song called,「HELLO」. This was also penned by RINA and composed by MAMI, right?

RINA: Since the best album would hit stores on Valentine’s Day, we wanted to include a Winter love song that everyone can listen to. Although it was created by the same duo, it turned out to be a song that’s of a completely different atmosphere from「FREEDOM FIGHTERS」(laughs). I’m pretty good with this type of lyrics, so it was written without a hitch.

MAMI:: Actually, we had a period in the past where we talked about「making plenty of Winter songs」, and this was a song that was made during the same time as「SUKI-SUKI」, which was included in「YELLOW」. I sent RINA one chorus for the song, and she returned with 2 chorus worth of lyrics, so it was executed very smoothly.

HARUNA: In terms of its content, you’re able to listen to it as a person that’s currently in love, or you can also listen to it as a person that’s sort of remembering a past romance. I’m the latter, so I’m singing it while recalling some bittersweet memories from my high school days.

TOMOMI: I really like songs that are related to seasons. Including「SUKI-SUKI」, we have had an increase in all types of Winter songs lately, and I’m happy about that. I’m generally not great with Winter, but when I think about performing a Winter song, I’m able to end up liking Winter a little more (laughs).

Original article by natalie HERE, translation by fyscandalband. That part about 'Koe’ was especially interesting for me, since we rarely hear Mami chat much about it ^o^

SCANDAL; 10th Year Anniversary BEST ALBUM,『SCANDAL』Interview with Billboard Japan

「The 10th Year Anniversary That Was Reached By Their Own Strength」- Each member speaks about their recommended tune~ a plan is in midst!?

－－SCANDAL, in the way you are, have released your 10th year anniversary BEST ALBUM『SCANDAL』. It’s a piece of work that is as voted by fans, but when you all looked at the results, what sort of impression or thoughts did you hold?

HARUNA: It was as we thought (laughs).

MAMI: We were like,「Yeah right?!」Since we’ve gone the whole way putting our lives at the center of our activities, it was obvious when songs that are popular at lives ranked well. We were purely just happy at that.

TOMOMI: As they were practically all songs that are popular at our lives, we kept performing them. For the ones we did live arrangements for, we still perform them at lives today. So when we heard the original audio for the first time in a long while this round, we were like,「The intro used this bar?」or「Eh, it was such a song?」 It felt a little bit weird (laughs).

－－I’ll bet that each of the songs were well thought out, but one by one, can each of you tell us which is your personal, most favourite song?

MAMI:「Departure」. I wrote the lyrics and composed it, but as we went about on our year 2015 world tour, it was then I got to know that this song is actually super popular among the overseas fans. The content about the song revolved around Japan’s 4 seasons, and depicted the change in people’s hearts and their environments as these 4 seasons shifted, alongside the use of a Japanese-style melody. For that, the overseas crowd felt it was「extremely catchy」.

RINA: Because they could feel it illustrated Japan, it was fun.

MAMI: I think, we probably don’t feel something like this regularly. But everyone researched on all the words in this song and its situational elements, and got to understand the lyrics by actually looking at the sceneries. The intro used an orgel, and the moment the sound came out, the audience went, ‘Woah!’…I was like,「Is it this popular?」, but was really happy about it. Not only is it a song that brought me confidence as a songwriter, but to create a song in Japan and to bring it overseas…it got me thinking exactly how important this job was.

－－How about TOMOMI?

TOMOMI: The one that I had the most thought about is「SCANDAL BABY」. It was the song that was voted in first place, but it wasn’t a single; instead, a number from our 1st album as the 1st song. So in order to know this song, you’ll have to have bought our 1st album, or have come to our lives. Still, it came in first. That led me to think about how it’s proof of SCANDAL placing lives at the heart of our activities. Previously in the past, we’ll make songs about what we mean then superficially, but we’ve gone past that now. In any case, the scenery that we’ve seen on stage is amazing. We can make sing-alongs happen, and if SCANDAL was a country, this would be our national anthem. It’s really a song that was raised by the audience, and they made it No.1 and a special song…in such a sense, it’s the song that has the most thought of all placed in it.

－－What about RINA?

RINA: It’s an album song called「Bitter Chocolate」, and since we were able to let many people hear it before, I’m extremely happy that it was selected this time around. All of us have ever lived under the same roof before, and we shared our time together there. When we then go on tours and the 4 of us stay in hotels, it’s like we’re always returning home and the 4 of us are living together. During one time, I sat in my room and tried making the melody on keyboard, thinking,「This somehow seems possible!」Since at the time, the lyrics were made with TOMOMI at the center of it, I brought the demo to TOMOMI’s room to have her listen to it, and asked,「Won’t you try coming up with the lyrics?」It was a song that was completed with both our styles of creation. Since that way of creating had been fun, we still make songs today in the different lyric-writing and mmusic composition pattern. I can still remember the joy of being able to ride upon lyrics that I didn’t imagine would be. Right after that time, all of us lived alone, but when I return to the house that I live in by myself and am trying to put together a demo, I think of how we spoke till late that night…and I’ll remember that as I listen to this song.

－－How about HARUNA?

HARUNA:「Awanai Tsumori no, Genki Dene」. This was released right after our first one-man live at the Osaka-jo Hall, which has always been our dream venue. Not only is it a song that signified a new start, but it also holds lyrics that can only be written at our generation then. It contained a lot of our feelings at the time, and is purely a love song, but as it was sung from a more adult-like point of view, it was the song that got me feeling for the first time,「I want to continue singing forever from now on」. It is a song that gave me the confidenec to (continue) sing such songs.

－－Again, this album contains the new songs,「FREEDOM FIGHTERS」and「HELLO」. Can you tell us what sort of thought or imagination brought about these songs?

RINA: Firstly,「HELLO」was a song that had its demo done about a year ago. Since the release period would be Winter, it was recorded with the idea of wanting others to listen to it as a Winter love song. We thought of presenting it as a royal road pop song, so not only were the lyrics straightforward, but since it also has the story element in its content, it was written in a manner that was meant to be easy to reach out to all kinds of people. We only played it once during Christmas, but I was happy that we’re finally able to release it. And then, for「FREEDOM FIGHTERS」, since we were going to go on our 47-prefecture tour, we thought about「wanting to create a killer tune that’ll look great when shot live」. We imagined and made the melody with that in mind, but we wanted to write lyrics that anyone could understand with the theme, 'Freedom’. Despite clearing that, it took quite some time (to create it). So, it was a song that was really painful to produce, but we do think we're「glad to have held on」. With this song in the best album, it was like,「We completed the 10th year anniversary using our own strength」. It’s a song that we think,「We’ve given it our all」.

－－Once more, you all feel you’re starting again from here on?

RINA: That’s right. Rather than say we’re finally going towards a new stage, we feel as though our hearts are rest once again.

－－What sort of future is SCANDAL aiming towards from here on out?

HARUNA: We’re soon starting our 47-prefecture tour, but I think we hope to stay as band that will always place importance on our lives after all. We’ve come this far by making one-man lives the central of the activities, but we really do want to involve more, and all kinds of people in our lives. Since we’ve moved along, opening our own paths till now, we also hope to play alongside all kinds of people and absorb even more things in future.

MAMI: When the 47-prefecture tour ends, the Summer fes season will also have passed eh. Since we’ll got all kinds of stuff planned, it’ll be great if people would like to「do something together」, with us. As so, please look forward to it!

RINA: Until now, we haven’t got to do a two-man with TRICERATOPS or Kishidan or The Cro-magnons.

－－Those are 3 amazing bands eh (laughs).

RINA: All 3 groups are huge seniors of ours, and we’ve received a lot of stimulation from them. That’s why, even more so, we’ll like to do a two-man and put our confidence into it. Even if we get hurt once in a while, it’s also necessary, since we can get more heated up from that. We want to do more gradually.

Original article by Billboard Japan HERE, translation by fyscandalband. Another huge part of this Billboard interview is translated HERE. Support SCANDAL in the best way by buying their best album HEREnow.

Sungold SGI Freedom Fighters

DECEMBER 1 - ROSA PARKS

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the day Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Though she was not the first to resist bus segregation - preceded by Irene Morgan,Claudette Colvin and several others - Parks undeniably served as an important figure in the Civil Rights Movement.

“People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired,” she wrote in her 1992 autobiography. “But that isn’t true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.”

Parks’ many recognitions include the NAACP’s 1979 Spingarn Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, and a posthumous statue in the United States Capitol’s National Statuary Hall. Upon her death in 2005, she became the first woman to lie in honor at the Capitol Rotunda.

All-Star Squadron Roll Call from All-Star Squadron #31, March 1984. Art by Rick Hoberg and Mike Machlan, written by Roy Thomas.