Interview with GOOD BYE APRIL

Neo-new music band GOOD BYE APRIL digitally released their first major label single BRAND NEW MEMORY on April 5th via the historic Japanese new music label, PANAM. Reminiscent of Philly soul, this sweet number sings of summer and love that never fades away. It was produced by Tetsuji Hayashi and features a horn section including trumpeter Yusuke Orita and trombonist Kayoko Yuasa.

A 7-inch vinyl edition will follow on May 24th featuring the B-side TRANSIT IN SUMMER, in which GOOD BYE APRIL is joined by one-man horn section Yusuke Shima. The track is a boogie cover of a 1983 song by S.Kiyotaka & OMEGA TRIBE which was originally produced by Tetsuji Hayashi.

Not long after the digital release of BRAND NEW MEMORY, GOOD BYE APRIL's vocalist Sho Kurashina took the time to answer JaME's questions about the song, the band, and their music more broadly.

Can you first please introduce the band and tell us one thing about yourself?

Sho Kurashina: We are GOOD BYE APRIL, a band rooted in Japanese '70s new-music and '80s city-pop. The members are Sho Kurashina on vocals, Takashi Yoshida on guitar, Ayane Enmoto on bass, and Tsunoken on drums. Our band is made of nostalgic melodies, lyrics that reflect the personalities of Kurashina and Enmoto, and the mixture of '80s and contemporary music. One thing about me, Sho Kurashina, is that I love summer and fishing.

How did you form as a band, and what is the story behind your name?

Sho Kurashina: When I was twenty years old, I ended my previous band and wanted to start another band. I was a developing artist of Japanese label Toshiba EMI, and Enmoto was in the same label team. We had a studio session with many drummers and Tsunoken joined that session. We started our career as a three-piece band at the end of 2010. Six months later, Takashi ended his previous band in Osaka and joined us. As for our name, each member thought of ten of their favourite words, and "goodbye" and "April" both came up. These two words have opposite meanings — in Japan, April is the season of “Hello” — and we felt that it fit with the feeling of our music.

Could you offer us any insight about your new song BRAND NEW MEMORY?

Sho Kurashina: Our major debut single BRAND NEW MEMORY is a nostalgic and vibrant tune produced by Tetsuji Hayashi, the maestro of Japanese AOR (adult-oriented rock) and city-pop. It's inspired by the Philly soul sound, and I feel a real grooviness in the ensemble of the band, and the horn section and strings give the song an extra sweetness. I recommend this song as background music for the upcoming season!


What are some of your biggest musical influences, and how do these influences shape your band's sound?

Sho Kurashina: We especially love Japanese '70s and '80s new-music, which is now currently famous as "city-pop". Those types of music have very groovy rhythm sections and harmonies. So we took those influences and blended them with the current mainstream sound.

What is your creative process like when writing and recording?

Sho Kurashina: We first discuss the main theme of the song and build ideas with melody and rhythm. Then I bring that back home and make a demo track, and build it up in the next studio session. Afterwards, I, or our bassist Enmoto, write the lyrics. It depends on the song, but most of the time, we record each member's part at the same time, and then move on to recording overdubs, lead vocals and background vocals.

How do you approach live performances, and what is your favorite part about playing live shows?

Sho Kurashina: We always try to give the best performance that we can for every song. My favorite aspect of live shows is that we get to use synchronized sequences and play with guest support musicians, such as keyboardists, percussionists, horn sections and so on.

What do you think sets GOOD BYE APRIL apart from other Japanese neo-music and city-pop bands?

Sho Kurashina: We create a sound that takes listeners to the '80s. Even if they never experienced living in that era. Of course, we also like current foreign music and would like to make brand new sounds like those artists, but the melody and lyrics are more important for us. I think that is our main difference with other city-pop bands.

How do you want GOOD BYE APRIL's music to make listeners feel, and what message do you hope to convey through your songs?

Sho Kurashina: We hope that our songs will make listeners' daily lives a little sweeter and more dramatic. And the thing that I care about most is that our music becomes something not only fashionable but evergreen for listeners.

JaME would like to thank GOOD BYE APRIL for taking the time to speak with us.

Don't forget to listen to their new song BRAND NEW MEMORY on Spotify and Apple Music.

For more updates on GOOD BYE APRIL, be sure to follow the band on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.