Interview with the astonishing new guitar rock band Near Friends
Near Friends is a young band from Osaka that has performed at numerous festivals and circuit events.
They’re actively making moves, and on December 20, 2017, they released their 3rd single, “spread spirit.”
Right before the release show, we interviewed them about the thoughts behind this work and their vision for the band’s future.
A stunning new breed of guitar rock! The Osaka band “Near Friends.”
First, please introduce yourself.
AtsushiThis is Atsushi, the guitar vocalist of Near Friends from Osaka.
SoraI am Kōshi from the bass.
great riverThis is Taiga on guitar!
Thank you in advance!
everyoneThank you in advance!
How old are you all?
AtsushiI'm 21 this year, Sora is 20, and Taiga is 22.
Ah, so each one feels different!
AtsushiThat's right—each one is different.
Who writes and composes the songs?
AtsushiI’m doing it.
Were the lyrics and composition done by Atsushi, and then everyone else handled the arrangement?
AtsushiNo, it’s all me.
I'll tell the members to do it like this.
How did you come together?
AtsushiThis is a dating site.
Social media?
AtsushiThis is a dating site.
If someone asks, 'How did you meet?', that's definitely what I'd say.
SoraThe usual one (lol).
AtsushiTo tell the truth, Taiga and I are a year apart, but we went to completely different high schools.
So, a classmate who went to the same elementary and junior high school as me happened to be Taiga’s junior in high school, and when I was thinking I wanted to start a band, that classmate told me, “I’ve got a really good senior,” and the three of us hung out once.
great riverFrom there, the two of us would occasionally book a studio and do covers and stuff like that.
AtsushiSo we were like, “Wanna start a band together?” and began writing songs.
The drummer and bassist were guys I brought along from my high school, but since they were still high schoolers, they ended up quitting because they were job hunting or going on to higher education.
So it suddenly became two people at once, didn’t it?
AtsushiSo while I was looking for members, Sora-shi, a bassist, had formed another high school band. I saw their live show and thought, “Oh, that’s good,” so I asked, “Wanna play together?” and first had Sora-shi join us as a support member.
We had a drummer who was helping us out—a kid who was also playing in another band—but both of the bands that the two support members were in ended up breaking up, so we were like, “Well then, why don’t we do this together?” That’s how Kuushi and the drummer became official members. But about a year later, the drummer left, and that’s how we ended up with our current lineup.
So it’s like the current members are the ones who ended up remaining.
AtsushiThat's right.
That's why Taiga and I have always been together.
You spend a lot of time together, don't you?
great riverYeah, pretty much (lol).
AtsushiAbout five or six years?
But well, we're not really on good terms.
It's normal (lol).
great riverYeah, just normal (lol).
Feelings toward the 3rd single “spread spirit”
3rd single「spread spirit」
—Your 3rd single “spread spirit,” released on December 20, 2017—what kind of song is it for you?
AtsushiSince I usually make songs by myself, they inevitably end up being just my own. But this time, I think we were able to make it properly into a band’s song.
Do you mean, specifically, that everyone works together to arrange the actual song?
SoraWell, rather than that, it's more like deciding on a part where everyone sings together, you know.
AtsushiI felt like I was really able to share how I feel about this song.
Did it feel like your previous songs didn’t really have much of that?
AtsushiIt might come off as being very much my own thing—as if it could work with just me—and that goes for the vibe at live shows too.
As we kept doing tons of live shows and making songs, even though we didn’t fully understand everything, it feels like we’ve finally started to really clash head‑on—in a good way—and actually be able to have proper discussions.
How does that make the members feel?
great riverThis might just be my own assumption, but I had this image of making only the track first and then adding lyrics afterward. This time, though, they shared the lyrics with me at the start—explaining what they meant and what feelings were behind them—and then we went into producing the music. In that sense, I feel like I was able to think it through properly and create it.
Surprisingly, it was my first time having that feeling, so I can’t wait for everyone to hear it!
SoraWhen I was making this track, I kept exploring and iterating, and eventually something just clicked—it turned into a song everyone could agree on.
AtsushiIt really seemed like it was going to turn into a completely different song partway through!
Taiga, SorashiUh-huh.
AtsushiWe were heading in a different direction, but we went back and honestly rebuilt it from scratch.
Recording scene
Was there anything that left a strong impression on you during this recording?
AtsushiWell, I say a day, but it actually finished in about six hours.
great riverEven in a short time, we were able to do a lot of things we hadn’t done before—for example, we all kept refining it together right up until the last minute of the recording.
AtsushiEven after going into the recording booth, we changed things like the phrasing of the lyrics.
great riverI actually thought about it quite a bit.
Like, how should we bring in this chorus?!
SoraI recorded a new song that I haven’t even performed live yet.
AtsushiYes, it was really difficult to convey a live feel with a completely new song.
I wanted to keep a live feel, but also make it something you can really listen to, and finding that middle ground was difficult.
They even put my last release on the shelves at Tower Records, but it costs 1,500 yen.
I think it’s a bit expensive.
...Right, I know./...That's true, isn't it?
AtsushiSo when it came time to put out the next release, we thought: the people who heard our songs and came out to the live houses saw what our shows are like. After seeing the show, if they feel like buying some new music next, a 1,500‑yen first release can be a bit hard to pick up. It’s not exactly an introduction, but we wanted to make something that’s easier to get into.
But rather than selling like ten or twenty thousand copies, I really want it to reach the people who actually came to the live house—the ones who know what we’re like right now on the scene.
It’s not like we wanted to put it in Tower Records or anything—we wanted to sell it properly with our own hands, so we limited it to 500 copies.
I realize this has strayed quite a bit from the answer to the original question (lol).
— (laughs).
Future goals of NearFriends
You've been very active lately, appearing at many circuit events and live shows—do you have any goals you're aiming for right now?
AtsushiSince the first festival we went to see and performed at was COMIN’KOBE, we definitely want to appear there properly.
Even though I did get to perform once, it was still an audition, so if it’s held again next year, I definitely want to be invited and take the stage. Ultimately, my goal is to appear on the biggest world stage.
I like this festival on a personal level.
There are tons of events out there, but with ones like COMIN’KOBE or Kyoto Daisakusen, you can really see the organizers’ intentions and they genuinely come through.
So I’m thinking I want to put on a really cool, proper live show there.
great riverWhen it comes to festivals, the first thing that comes to our minds is COMIN’ KOBE.
Then I start thinking that I’d like to try performing at a summer festival next.
SoraYeah, I definitely want to play COMIN’KOBE.
So everyone is unanimously eager to perform at COMIN’ KOBE!
AtsushiI agree./Let me think./Right.
That's kind of why I go through Kobe, you know (lol).
They told us last year too that they wanted to let us perform, but they said there wasn’t a proper relationship established between us and COMIN’ KOBE.
They told us, 'Right now your only connection is that you once won the audition and played at COMIN’KOBE, so considering the ties between Kobe and Near Friends, we couldn’t really push for you as the organizers.' So I thought, in that case, I want to go there almost every month this year so we can properly earn our spot.
I also love how you’re honest about things like that (lol).
I think the number of Nia Friends’ live shows is quite intense. Where does your motivation to handle this many shows come from?
AtsushiHonestly, it’s tough (lol).
But for events we’re invited to, if we can feel the passion and the human touch, we’ll just do everything we can.
As far as society’s concerned, I think we’re at the very bottom of the bottom.
We’re all just part-time workers, and yeah, everyone’s highest education is high school—we didn’t go to college and we don’t have regular jobs, so maybe we’re unfilial disappointments. But the one thing we can do when we come together is give it everything we’ve got, so that’s exactly what we’re going to do.
If I’m in an environment where I’m allowed to do what I love right now, then I feel I just have to see it through.
So if there’s a place that genuinely needs us, then even if something’s going on the next day, even if we have to get up early, it’s like, “Nah, we’re going.”
As long as I'm being asked, I just want to give it my all and keep doing it.
That's pretty amazing, isn't it?
AtsushiRight, there are times when we get to work with people we want to, but besides that, we also receive quite a lot of invitations.
If the people around you weren’t pushing for you, you wouldn’t get booked that much, would you?
AtsushiI agree./Let me think./Right.
I’m grateful, but for example, if we connect on social media and they happen to come see our show and say something like, “Do you want to do a gig together?”, then I’d want to play together. But if some random person contacts us out of the blue through a mail form, we don’t know them, so we can’t really say anything, and I feel like we wouldn’t be able to put on a good show.
I see.
AtsushiIt’s not like I’m trying to rely on others or anything—I just only want to say the truth, but when I do, people are like, “What’s your problem?”
We see our live shows as entertainment, so we believe they only work when both sides meet halfway.
Well, it's just that I get invited like that, so even when I go to shows, it often ends up being like, 'Looking forward to it today, too!'
great riverLike, ‘Wheeeey!’ (lol).
AtsushiThey only ever have really dumb conversations (lol).
Nia Friends has a distinctly edgy vibe and a funny side, doesn’t it?
Atsushi:( lol
For example, at a show with other bands, we go all-out on stage, so if our set isn’t great, that’s not okay, right? It’s like a pressure I put on myself.
I think it would be absolutely unacceptable for us to lose in a live show to a band with less live experience than we have.
We’ve got our own strengths, and of course music isn’t about winning or losing, but I’m confident we absolutely won’t be beaten.
I've come this far doing that.
Your tweets are sometimes really edgy, aren’t they? (laughs)
AtsushiEven so, I'm still holding back (haha).
However, I think blurting out everything you want to say is just being prickly, and it’s not something you should post on social media.
Since we’re musicians, I think our job is to express our feelings through music. If we just spill everything like that, we’ll end up looking like some office lady’s secret alt account (lol).
—Yes, that’s right (laughs).
AtsushiWell, I’m the type who speaks up, but as you’ve probably gathered even in this short time, the other members are the type who don’t say much at all.
Right, it's well balanced, isn't it?
AtsushiThere are people who can’t speak up rather than won’t, and there are people who want to try hard but just can’t.
I want to turn it into music while properly taking that into account.
Is it like a sentence that sums up what everyone is thinking?
AtsushiWell, of course I have my own opinion.
I’m the one who makes it funny and entertaining, but I’m definitely writing what the (members) are really thinking.
great riverIsn't it obviously a different personality?
Even so, the reason I can still stay with him is that there are parts of what Atsushi says that I resonate with.
So you're not charging ahead on your own, right?
Taiga, SorashiI agree./Let me think./Right.
AtsushiIf you're doing it, you're not actually doing it.
great riverEven at live shows, since he talks a lot during the MC segments, there are times when Atsushi is speaking and I get a little teary myself (lol).
AtsushiBut that's not okay, you know (lol).
great riverYeah, but seriously, it’s amazing when it links up with what I’m thinking.
I get really hyped when someone says exactly what I’m thinking—like, “Yes, that’s it!” And I feel like it’s because of moments like that that we can stay together even if our personalities are different.
But yeah, I don't want to be together all the time, you know (lol).
— (laughs).
AtsushiInteresting (lol).
It's funny for the first time (lol).
Didn’t we get some good footage (haha)?
SoraThat was kind of the climax just now—felt like it had a punchline for the first time (lol).
AtsushiYeah, it had an ending for the first time (lol).
I was a little happy.
Taiga, Sorashi:lol
AtsushiWhen I’m on stage, I can say it loud and clear through the mic and the speakers.
But even if there are chorus mics set up, the members can only express their feelings through their instruments. So I watch these guys during the show and outside of it, thinking, Ah, this is what they’re feeling now, or this is what they’re thinking.
It’s funny, but everyone’s kind of dumb, so it’s easy to understand.
That's why I can put my words out there after properly taking that into account.
It's not like I'm just firing off tweets carelessly. I try to say things gently, taking personalities into account, but I don't want to kill my own style either, so I aim for something that feels like—touch it and ouch!—you know?
—You’re straightforward, aren’t you?
AtsushiIt's really hard to live like this.
It's not about bands or anything—it's just that I, myself, find it hard to live in the first place.
I end up saying what I’m thinking, and it shows on my face too.
But if you ask whether my life up to now has been a mistake, I don’t think so. In fact, here I am being interviewed like this, and for today’s show with another band, they trusted us and invited us as representatives of Osaka.
…I forgot what we were talking about (lol).
—The punchline (lol).
AtsushiWell, for now, I just don't want to be around this guy (Taiga) [lol].
SoraHahaha (laughs).
You two get along really well!
AtsushiWell... (laughs).
— (laughs).
Thoughts for those who support me
Please share your thoughts for those who are supporting you.
AtsushiThank you for your continued support.
Thank you always for everything.
Lately, I’ve once again realized that I’m not living on my own, and I’m not running this band all by myself.
While making this CD, it kind of came back to me again—like I remembered it once more.
For example, there are countless bands who say things like during their MC, “We couldn’t exist without you,” and you might be tired of hearing it. But there really are people who mean it—or rather, I’ve come to genuinely feel that way myself.
It’s impossible with just the band, and it’s impossible with just me alone. Conversely, if there’s no supply (the band), then the demand (the fans) can’t exist either. But it’s like what we’ve built only comes together because we both meet in the middle. Of course I’m working hard, but it’s because they (the fans) are really working hard too that we’re able to do things properly now. I finally feel like I can truly believe that.
Lately I’ve really come to feel that it’s not the light words, but saying the everyday ones—like truly saying “thank you,” “good morning,” and “good night”—that’s the hardest thing to do.
It’s the simplest thing to say, but the hardest to convey—and I think I’m finally starting to understand it little by little.
I don’t like calling people “customers” or “fans.”
I simply see them as “people,” so I can’t give them proper names, and if possible, I would like to call them by their names.
I feel like we were able to pour all of our gratitude into this recording—as a way of saying thank you to everyone who needs our music and to everyone who likes it.
In response to that as well, I was finally able to feel, this time after making it, “thank you for letting me make it.”
great riverWell, first of all, I can only really say “thank you.”
There are quite a few people who come to my shows over and over, and they bring gifts every time—and they’re often pretty funny, too (lol).
How amusing (laughs).
great riverIt seems like we’ve got this image of being funny—same with our Twitter—and our customers tend to be a funny bunch too (laughs).
AtsushiHe even gave me some ham as a treat (lol).
I mean the kind that comes in a 3-slice pack they sell at convenience stores (lol).
great riverYou got a mushroom once, didn’t you? (lol)
SoraThey brought mushrooms inspired by each of them, you know.
great riverI got some shiitake mushrooms.
AtsushiWas I the king trumpet mushroom guy? / Was I enoki-er…? (Context: The speaker is unsure if they were the one who did/was “eringi.” More literally: “Was I the eringi?”)
SoraMe? I’m just a white button mushroom.
everyone:( lol
SoraI mean, I’m having fun too—it’s enjoyable talking with you.
AtsushiIt's like people who are really human gather around us—because we ourselves are really human.
If anything, that’s exactly what I’m looking for: they’ll say something’s good when it is, and they’ll tell me it’s no good when it isn’t. That’s the best.
SoraWe’ve been hearing more and more that a customer will tell their friends things like, “There’s a great band—check them out!” or “Let’s go together!” referring to us, and I’m really grateful for that.
I'll do my best to put on a great live show worthy of the people saying “Go for it!”
AtsushiWhat are you even talking about? (lol)!
SoraHuh? Why (lol)?
great river:( lol
You mean that giving a great live performance is how you repay the favor, right?
SoraYes, that's right.
I'm glad I got to hear so many great stories!
Thank you for this time.
everyoneThank you very much!
Near Friends 3rd Single Release Event “Gashin Shōtan”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwxEPNLOAwY
Lastly
They were distinctive and unique members, yet I heard a lot about their earnest feelings toward music and their deep passion for the people around them.
As vocalist Atsushi-san said, “My job is to turn feelings into songs,” and I think the 3rd single, “spread spirit,” truly conveys that.
You won’t be able to take your eyes off our future activities!
Thank you for this time.