Interview with exist†trace

After making their American debut at Sakura-con last year, all-female visual kei band exist†trace are back in the United States for a four-date tour, this time hitting the East Coast. JaME catches the band members just before their tour and dives deep into their thoughts about America, their upcoming performances, music and more. Read on to find out!


When we last talked to you at the convention Sakura-con 2011, you expressed an interest in touring all of the United States. Now that this is going to happen, how do you feel about the upcoming tour?

Jyo: I’m so excited. I want to succeed in this tour, then I dream of touring across USA next! I really want to meet everyone who has been waiting for us in various locations!

Omi: I’ll enjoy it with all my might.

miko: I’m looking forward to it! We’ll tour around the East Coast for the first time, so I want to enjoy my time with you there.

Naoto: I’m really excited. I’m happy to do lives in various places, and want to do them in more places. I'm eager to do lives soon.

Mally: I can’t wait! I’ll do my best to go on a high with the American fans!

As part of the tour, you will perform at the anime convention Tekkoshocon. Do you prepare differently for such a show?

Jyo: Not only at Tekkoshocon. How about I challenge myself to do a cosplay?

Omi: It’s a secret.

miko: It’s a secret, but we’ll prepare the stage in a way that will surprise you!

Naoto: When we see you, our hot supporters, we’ll be excited and the stage would be wilder and more special.

Mally: Rather than anything special, we’ll do the best performance of exist†trace on the whole tour!

What are the largest differences between performing in front of an anime convention audience and a one-man audience?

Jyo: At an anime convention, I might be able to find cosplayers cosplaying characters from anime I know, so I’m looking forward to seeing such cosplayers from the stage.

Omi: There is nothing especially different. We just want to enjoy ourselves with you there.

miko: At the convention live, people who don’t know us would look at us, so we’ll show our charm to them in a matter of seconds.

Naoto: There is no big difference, but I’m happy to see cosplayers from the stage. They are colorful.

Mally: We performers will just do our best! However, I enjoy seeing cosplayers among the audience.

You will perform in several states: Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts. What do you already know about these states and what do you want to visit while you’re there?

Jyo: I have an image of New York where people read newspapers while eating hotdogs at the same time, so I want to do it too. I don’t know much about Boston, Philadelphia and Pittsburg, so I want to discover various things there.

Omi: I don’t know much… I want to eat delicious food in each place.

miko: KISS is from New York. I really want to go to Ground Zero! I check tourist resorts in each place, but I want to know about wonderful local food too, so please give me advice!

Naoto: I don’t know much, but I want to go to Ground Zero. We shouldn’t forget the horrible incident.

Mally: I researched the places well beforehand! I’m not sure if we have time to go sightseeing, but I want to eat delicious food in each place anyway!

At most J-Rock concerts, the majority of the attendees are already familiar with Japanese music and visual kei. How are you planning to attract people who don’t know anything about Japanese music yet?

Jyo: We’ll display our charms as much as possible. We hope American people know that “There are Japanese who shine so brightly.”

Omi: We’ll provide a stage where people enjoy watching and listening to.

miko: I think the Japanese language is rather easy to incorporate into rock music, so I hope you'll listen to beautiful Japanese and be interested in Japan.

Naoto: I believe in our music, so I hope you'll listen to it regardless of the country you're in.

Mally: I think we'll persist in “our originality.”

Last year, you made your United States debut at Sakura-Con and you mentioned not knowing much English back then. Have any of you studied English to prepare for this tour? If so, how have you done so?

Jyo: I listen to an English conversation CD, but… it’s quite difficult. I’ll hold out until I can speak with you in English, even if it's just a little bit!

Omi: English is difficult… but I'll work hard.

miko: I lived in Texas for a while when I was a child, so I can speak daily conversational English somehow. But I rarely have the opportunity to speak in English in Japan, so I’m looking forward to converse in English in USA after such a long time!

Naoto: I can’t do it well, but I want to be able to speak well in the future.

Mally: I’m studying everyday conversation by using an iPod application, and sometimes ask miko. (laughs)

A lot of foreign people hold stereotype images with regards to the United States, for example from movies (e.g. Western movies). Did you have any of these stereotype images before travelling to the United States for the first time, and did you find any of these stereotypes to be true?

Jyo: I’m not sure it’s a stereotype image… but I once saw an America woman on TV say, “We Americans can do anything because the word ‘American’ has the word ‘can’ in it.” Since then, I had the image of “the country where many people can stand up to anything” and which has many heros. I’m looking forward to seeing what hero I can meet on this tour.

Omi: I have an image where people are broad minded and cheerful… actually I think that's true.

miko: When I was a child and went to USA for the first time, I thought there were big cities everywhere. However, I realized America is a vast and rich country with big cities, mountains, grasslands etc.

Naoto: I don’t have a stereotype image, but many people express themselves honestly, which is wonderful, I think.

Mally: I don’t have such a stereotype image, but the country is huge, and I have the image of an interesting country with a mixture of different cultures.

Last year, you turned major. Now, several months later, what are some of the differences you have experienced between being indie and major?

Jyo: It’s that the "Igu Family" (nickname for exist†trace fans) has grown! It’s the different from before as many reliable staff now support us, which is so wonderful.

Omi: Restriction of freedom and a new world.

miko: There is no change in our band, but stuff around us changed a lot. The number of staff increased, and they support us and help us to go further.

Naoto: As more people are involved, we have an added responsibility and bear the burden more. But the feelings we have about our band don't change; we want more people to see exist†trace.

Mally: There are more people concerned with us. As we are supported by fans and many staff, there is a greater responsibility to achieve results, so I became tenser.

This May, you will release a new album entitled Virgin. What is the meaning of this title to you, and why did you choose this title?

miko: The first album is very important and unforgettable for the band, and it’s the same thing for us, so I named it as I thought it was the best word to describe our precious "first time." And we are women, so it has a more profound meaning.

Can you tell us about the concept of the album and how will this album differ from exist†trace’s previous works?

miko: There isn’t a concrete concept, but we made the album thinking it would be something like a self-titled album. Because it’s a full album, we could put in maniac songs which we couldn’t put in our former works.

How are the roles of songwriting and lyrics shared between the five band members?

miko: I write and make almost all of the lyrics and music, and Omi also writes and makes lyrics and music of about one song in every work, and sometimes Jyo writes lyrics too. They haven’t been released yet but Naoto and Mally make songs too, so they would release their songs someday.

What is most challenging when composing a new song?

Jyo: To get over my previous songs.

Omi: To infuse my personality and a brand-new feeling.

miko: To clear my hurdle.

Naoto: I dare to put phrases I can’t play smoothly, and overcome them. It’s fun.

Mally: To challenge the limits of my knowledge and technique.

How does the process of creating an album look like for you? For example, what do you do first, last and what is the most difficult part of it?

miko: It’s not particularly fixed, but I often make melodies as I play the guitar freely. The most difficult thing is to write the lyrics.

Next year, exist†trace will celebrate its 10th anniversary as a band. When you look back, what are some of your greatest accomplishments in this period?

Jyo: To have our major debut, and that we could come here with these five members, and be happy to be able to go ahead together. Of course, we weren’t happy all the time, and it seems like it's going to be like that from now on too, but we will still advance.

Omi: Going major.

miko: I think it’s our advancement to a major status. But I’m never satisfied and will just continue to push forward to our dream stage.

Naoto: The best thing is that we could play with these five members, and we could make it because of these five members.

Mally: To be able to perform lives overseas like this! We played two times in Europe and two times in USA, and we want to expand our activities continuously! Of course, we play mainly in Japan!

Are you planning to celebrate your 10th anniversary? If so, how do you wish to do this?

Jyo: I haven’t specially thought about it yet, but if we do, I want to celebrate looking back upon the 10 years with these five members. We’ll celebrate our 10th anniversary on a large scale.

Omi: 10th anniversary…? I want to drink with the members and staff.

miko: Nothing in particular. I think we aren’t there yet, so we’ll work harder this year rather than celebrate.

Naoto: I have decided on nothing yet, but if we were to celebrate, I want to hold the best event during which we could express our thanks to the many people who have supported exist†trace until now.

Mally: Next year isn't exactly our 10th anniversary because Omi wasn't yet our member when we formed exist†trace in 2003. We think April 2004 was the starting point of the present exist†trace as that was when Omi joined us. These 10 years passed so fast, so I haven’t thought about it concretely yet.

How do each of you usually get ready for a show? Do you have any rituals?

Jyo: I simulate what I plan to do in my head. For example, details like “What I shall say in the MC” or “I’ll go close to Omi at this part of the song.”

Omi: I unify my spirit.

miko: We all form a circle to lift our spirits just before the live.

Naoto: I close my eyes and concentrate alone before the live.

Mally: We form a circle to join our minds as one for the live. Personally, I take amino acids!

Finally, leave a message for your foreign fans.

Jyo: Finally, our dream of an American tour will come true. I’m looking forward to seeing many smiles during this tour! Let’s make this tour a success with all of us!

Omi: We can’t go to overseas so often, but I feel your love and great support from afar… Thank you for your constant support.

miko: I’m sorry we can’t see you often, but we desire to see you all the time! We had been to USA and Europe, but we also want to go to other countries to perform our lives, so please call us more! I’m sure we’ll go to see you! And our album is very cool, so please listen to it!

Naoto: Thank you for your continuous support from overseas. We can’t come to see you often, but we receive your passion. Let’s make the best out of our time with you. I love you.

Mally: Because Japan and USA are so far apart, I’m very happy to see you soon! I want to go to many other countries too, and I believe our hearts are connected through the exist†trace Family all over the world! I love you sincerely! And we thank you!


JaME would like to thank the band members for making time for the interview.