Interview with NAZARE in São Paulo

While they originally disbanded in 2021, visual kei band NAZARE returned with the single Gensou ni sakarete wa, released this January. This year also saw the band embark on its first international tour, the NAZARE Latin America Tour 2024, which began in Brazil and brought the band through Chile, Peru, Colombia and Mexico.

A few hours before their show in São Paulo, the second concert of the tour after a date in Rio de Janeiro the previous day, the members of NAZARE spoke with JaME about their six-year career, visual kei and their expectations for the Latin American tour.

NAZARE disbanded in 2021. When did you decide it was time to come back?

Mio: The initiative came from me. I searched for Yoh and suggested that we restart. From there, we started talking again, and eventually, the band got back together.

What did you do during the band’s hiatus?

Mio: I didn’t do anything.

Yoh: I formed another band. [Author’s note: Yoh is referring to the band NAMELESS.]

Uta: I like to perform, so I played as a support member for several other bands.

Issei: I drank a lot of alcohol. (laughs)

We interviewed you back in 2018, when you had just started the band, and except for Issei, everyone was a newbie. What has changed since then?

Mio: I don’t think anything has changed.

Yoh: Neither do I.

Uta: In general, I don’t feel like anything has changed either.

Issei: What’s changed is that we’ve stopped rehearsing a lot in the studio. (everyone laughs)

Mio: In a year, we go to the studio to rehearse twice. (laughs)


In that interview, you mentioned that you got into visual kei because of Uta. Has the meaning of visual kei changed for you over time?

Mio: I’ve always been a huge fan of visual kei, so for me, there’s not much difference between being on stage or in the audience. It’s an intense love that always persists.

Yoh: I had bands in other genres, but NAZARE was my first visual kei band. I got into this genre simply because I like visual kei, but I think that, with its unique worldview, visual kei is something we should be proud of globally, in a good way.

Uta: After I started playing in a visual kei band, I became interested in listening to other genres, ones I hadn’t listened to before, and incorporating those elements.

Issei: I’ve never been in a band that wasn’t visual kei, so for me, it’s all visual kei, nothing has changed.

This year, NAZARE will be celebrating its 6^th anniversary. What has been the most significant moment in this journey so far?

Mio: It’s the world tour we’re doing right now because we’ve had the chance to be in front of an audience that had never interacted with us before. It’s been very challenging but also a very cool experience. I got really emotional at yesterday’s concert.

Yoh: In our first year as a band, we had a very busy concert schedule, but for me, this tour is also very meaningful. It’s a very significant moment in my career.

Uta: In these six years, a lot of great things have happened, as well as difficult, sad, and happy things. Doing a world tour is really tough for any band — it’s not just about wanting it — so being able to achieve this now is very important to me. In the future, I’ll be able to talk about this to people, to my kids. That’s really cool.

Issei: This is my first international trip, and I’ve never been on a plane for so long, so for me, this tour is also the most significant moment. (laughs) It’s also the first time we’ve done an interview like this.


Since we're talking about the tour, how was the concert yesterday in Rio de Janeiro, and what are your expectations for tonight's show and the rest of the tour?

Mio: In Japan, when we play a ballad, the fans listen quietly, but yesterday, when we played that kind of song, people were shouting and singing along, even though it was in a different language. When we announced INNOCENCE, the crowd shouted a lot. Because of the fans, I felt something I had never felt before. I want to keep feeling these things I’ve never felt in Japan.

Yoh: Yesterday, I felt a heat and energy that I’ve never experienced in Japan. I hope that with each show, this feeling grows — that tonight will be even bigger than Rio, and tomorrow bigger than São Paulo... I want to feel that more and more.

Sorry to say, but Brazil is the best of all! (everyone laughs)

Uta: In Japan, it's forbidden to record the concerts, and yesterday was my first experience playing with the audience filming us. It was very different and really cool. Also, fans here can't always attend our shows, so it’s a unique experience. I hope everyone has amazing memories and enjoys the moment as much as possible.

Issei: In Japan, we’ve never had such an exciting performance as yesterday’s, so I’m thinking about moving the band here to Brazil. (laughs) I hope tonight’s concert will be even more amazing than yesterday’s.

Mio, you have a YouTube channel where you release covers of various songs by other bands and artists. Is there one you’re particularly proud of and would recommend for fans to check out?

Mio: Ah, yes! Silent Eve by Sadie.


You released the single Gensou ni sakarete wa in January. Can you tell us a little about it?

Mio: The title track of this single conveys the feeling of questioning why we’re alive, why we’re here. It’s that doubt that surrounds our existence. As for the B-side SiLENT., it’s a song I wrote five years ago, right at the start of the band, and it’s only being released now. It’s funny to listen to it today and realize I still relate to lyrics I wrote so long ago. I can compare my past self with who I am today.

What are NAZARE's plans for the future?

Mio: We don’t have anything concrete now. Most likely, all the emotions we’ve received on this tour will influence our next release.

Finally, can you leave a message for your fans?

Mio: Thank you so much, always!

Yoh: Thank you so much for coming to see us. I love you all!

Uta: Now that I’ve come to Brazil, I feel like the rest of the world is closer. I hope we can visit other places and meet all of you.

Issei: Thank you! Thank you! (in Portuguese)

JaME would like to thank NAZARE, R.I.T Agency and interpreter Guilherme Ritsu for the interview.