Interview with NEXTRADE

Although NEXTRADE was formed in late 2011, the band has already achieved a great deal in such a short period of time. So much so that they have already held a one-man live and have big plans for 2013. JaME talked with vocalist iREN about the origins of the band, their sound and message as well as their experiences sharing the stage with visual bands such as Tokami, Misaruka and Capella.


As this may be the first time some of our readers have come across NEXTRADE, please could you introduce the band and its members.

iREN: We are a J-rock band formed in November 2011. There are five members: me, iREN, on vocals, TAG and USK on guitar, NAO on bass and JIRΘ on drums.

How did you guys meet? Did you decide to form a band straight away?

iREN: JIRΘ saw my thread on the internet and sent me a message asking for a meeting. We talked about music and whether we would like to play together. After our first meeting, JIRΘ contacted his friend NAO and asked him to play the bass with us. In May 2011, the three of us had our first studio session. This was the start of NEXTRADE. Then we met about ten guitarists, but unfortunately no one matched the band. We met USK on the internet and one day I saw TAG performing in a live house; I showed him the demo tape of self believer and asked if he would play with us. He later joined as the final member of NEXTRADE on October 23, 2011.

Which song would you recommend to someone who has never listened to NEXTRADE before?

iREN: self believer. It’s NEXTRADE’s first song and the demo tape was made in May 2011. It's like a pop song, so I think everyone will like it. The melody and the guitar solo are great.

Could you tell us what the main themes of your songs are?

iREN: I have written all of the lyrics so far and they are mainly about dreams, the future, persevering, never giving up, being ambitious, positive thinking. But sometimes they can also be about erotic thinking.

How would you describe NEXTRADE’s sound?

iREN: Our music could be classified as J-rock and J-emo, but our songs also contain elements of metal, rapcore, hybrid and pop. Our sound is similar to bands like abingdon boys school, UVERworld, ONE OK ROCK, SPYAIR, L'Arc~en~Ciel and more.

You have already released a demo tape, an EP and two singles and your first full album is scheduled for spring 2013. What can we expect?

iREN: We are composing new songs for the album and I think it will be released in summer. We might include an album version of desire and Diablo as well.

On November 22, 2012, you held your very first one-man live. Was it what you expected? Tell us about the experience!

iREN: A lot of people came to the show, as we expected. We really enjoyed it. We were nervous, but it was a great experience.

You recently had your first anniversary as a band. In just a little over a year you’ve achieved a lot. What do you think the future holds for you?

iREN: We can’t reveal the details right now, but we are planning to hold a one-man live again in 2013.

You already have a number of overseas fans from places like Poland, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and the USA. Do you want to tour overseas any time soon?

iREN: We want to! But we have a lot to plan and we want to travel the world at the best time for the band.

Will overseas fans be able to purchase your CDs and merchandise in the near future?

iREN: Yes, we will be dealing with that soon.

In October 2012, you performed with a number of visual bands mainly signed under Starwave Records, such as Tokami, Misaruka and Synk;yet, for the first time. In December, you shared the stage again with bands such as Capella, Calmando Qual and Rose Noire. How did these lives differ from your usual lives?

iREN: The reaction from the fans was very different, but I think the fans of bands signed under Starwave Records are very friendly. They showed passion and enjoyed NEXTRADE’s music. Many of them bought our CD as well so I don’t think we’ll have a problem playing in either the visual field or the normal field.

Soon, NEXTRADE will be playing outside of Tokyo for the first time as part of the 8-day music festival NAGO-STEP taking place in Nagoya on April 12. What does this mean for you as a band and how did this come about?

iREN: The live house 3STAR gave us the offer first. I discussed it with the other members and we decided we really wanted to join as last year’s festival was great. I think it's a big opportunity for NEXTRADE to be recognized by more people, whether in Nagoya or somewhere else. Well, since it is in Nagoya it may be our first trip. I want to enjoy the food and the air, the environment – and the show!

How did you decide on the name NEXTRADE?

iREN: I made it from the words “NEXT” and “TRADE”, connecting them with just one “T”. Sometimes people get confused and make a mistake like “NEXT RADE” or “NEX TRADE”. But the meaning is the next trade.

You have not yet recorded a PV. Is this on your radar in the coming months?

iREN: We do not have plans at the moment but we definitely want to make a PV! We have to decide which song to make it for though, so I think it’s best we focus on writing more songs at the moment.

If you could do a cover of any song, what would it be?

iREN: I’d like to cover a song by a female singer or an overseas band.

In conclusion, please tell us a funny fact about each NEXTRADE member!

iREN: I’m a huge fan of Japanese animation, TAG really likes pasta, USK eats a lot and very quickly, NAO is an internet gamer and JIRΘ likes the brand “Hurley”.

JaME would like to thank NEXTRADE – and especially iREN – for making this interview possible. You can find more information about NEXTRADE on their official website.