LYSM [Love You So Much] Interview | Not spoiled by being an idol, the group without a gimmick’s 1st album releases (January 12th, 2022) [Natalie Interview Translation]
The 5 member idol unit LYSM released their 1st album “Love You So Much”.
Debuting in July last year with the digital single “Neon de Hanataba wo” and having their first stage that August, LYSM has since kept the pace up debuting new music nearly monthly. Keeping with their momentum, they’ve already completed a full album half a year after debut. For this album, SACHIKO (FLiP), Umeda Takayuki (ex. SHIT HAPPENING), and Onozaki Kenta (ex. SHIT HAPPENING) worked on the included 9 songs. In this debut interview on Ongaku Natalie, the five not only discuss the album, but the details of their formation, each member’s personality and view’s on idol, and their future prospects.
Interview / Words: Nakanishi Kyuu
Photos: Takahashi Yuki
Translation: me :3
— Firstly, please tell us about the details of the group’s formation. To start, I heard it started when Emma first got into the company.
Ichimiya Emma: That’s right. Originally, I was part of a self-produced group from my hometown of Akita, but with the timing of the other member(s) continuing their studies, we knew we couldn’t keep up with the same pace of activities as before, so I decided to go to Tokyo. There, while I was searching for work, I found the audition for our current company.
Kuon Maria: I was the next to get into the company. I didn’t know anything about the idol industry, but because a friend was in a chika idol group, I watched her lives and told her “I also want to stand on stage.” That’s when my interest started. Around that time, I went to a SPARK SPEAKER live by chance and found out their company was recruiting members for a new group, so I applied. From the start, I’ve had the thought of “I want to stand where I could be seen by the public eye.”
— It looks like there was quite a bit of time between then and until the 3rd person, Akari, joined, so what were Maria and Emma doing in that time?
Maria: We started and are still doing a YouTube channel called “Emaria Channel”, we were primarily doing that then. The two of us came up with a plan. Until we could do the group, it was wrong to do nothing, we just had a feeling of wanting to do something.
Emma: After that, we had to take dance lessons and do voice training, though to be honest I had a feeling of “what are we doing?” (laughs). These really are idol activities aren’t they? I got super nervous. But, the fact was that the fans of the previous group were waiting for us, so I got a feeling like “I’ll definitely cling to Tokyo!”
Tōmine Akari: Before, I used to do activities in another group, but I withdrew. While I was thinking “what should I do from here?” I saw the audition website and found the company. Originally, this was the company Tsubasa Fly was under, and because I really like WACK idols, I knew there was something like a link between SCRAMBLES and Tsubasa Fly. And so, I thought I’d audition for the company.
Amabe Rinka: I was the same. I really loved Tsubasa Fly’s “Life is Beautiful” so I thought “if I get in this company, I might be able to sing a song like that” and applied.
Tsukishiro Seina: I didn’t know anything about the industry, but like Maripi (Maria) I also had a friend that was an idol. The moment she stood on stage, she looked like a totally different person like “wow!” and I was inspired. Since I’ve had a dream of standing on stage ever since I was little, I thought “I’ll try being an idol too” and applied.
Akari: After me, those two got in at about the same time and we became the current 5.
Maria: That was February of 2021 right? It’s almost a whole year already isn’t it.
— Why did everyone want to become idols in the first place? Maria and Seina have already said theirs, what about the other three?
Akari: At first I acted in plays. In my school days, I thought “I want to make a living doing plays”, but a friend at the time invited me to be part of a BiSH cover group. That was the turning point. I’ve always liked singing and dancing, so I felt like “singing and dancing in front of others is fun!” for the first time. And so, I completely shifted from plays to idols.
Emma: In my case, in high school the first idols I got into were Dempagumi.inc. At the time I was socially withdrawn, but I saw they were in a similar situation with a shining appearance and that really made me feel better like “I want to be like them too!” After that, I came to like idols. At an idol festival I saw in my hometown, I came to really get into Bellring Shoujo Heart. From there, the thought of “I want to become a live idol too!” was born too.
Rinka: I really liked ℃-ute and Team Syachihoko (currently TEAM SHACHI) and ever since I was little I’ve wanted to become an idol. Though I never said that to my parents. At first, I kept my activities a secret from my parents, but on one occasion I invited them to see a live and they said to me “You seem to have more fun doing this.” And so, I was able to decide “I want to become an idol without getting a job. I want to continue like this.”
The 5 person group’s roles
— Tell us about everyone’s roles in the group. To start, what kind of presence does Maria, the leader, have?
Akari: It feels like she’s everyone’s mother (laughs). Looking at her visuals, she looks super flashy, but in fact she’s super familial. She often looks after everyone and dependably offers emotional support and such. She has a presence that supports the members.
Maria: 😅 [TN: this is the only way I can think to translate what she says]
Akari: Also, she’s in charge of being approached by foreigners in Shinjuku.
Maria: Ahahaha, whenever we go to a livehouse in Kabukicho, without fail, a foreigner tells me “Nice body!” There’s never been a time when that hasn’t happened (laughs). I don’t understand why there’s that appearance and that disconnect, but there was buzz on TikTok about my “How to take out the tendon of a chicken tenderloin” video. I only think the fact I can cook is surprising, so I’m really grateful for my looks (laughs).
— Well then, what is Akari in charge of?
Akari: If we’re talking about performances, it’s singing.
Emma: Well, behind the scenes she’s in charge of being talkative I think.
Rinka: She’s really always talking isn’t she.
Akari: I often butt in. Since we have people who act like idiots (pointing to Emma and Rinka) and natural airheads (pointing to Maria and Seina).
Emma: Ahahaha, certainly (laughs).
Akari: I think she’s the mood maker. Or rather, she always acts like a fool (laughs) and makes the place brighter so the air doesn’t get heavy.
Maria: But she’s the worst at getting up.
Emma: (Laughs) I certainly get told often I’m the mood maker.
Seina: And drawings, she’s really talented.
Akari: She’s drawn illustrations for our music videos and this album’s cover.
Emma: I drew the background illustration [for the album cover]. When I became an idol, I didn’t think I’d use this skill, but I’m happy to be helpful in various ways. During the time of the audition too, I didn’t talk at all about my drawings.
A group where each color comes out
Akari: She’s the youngest child, everyone treats her like a stupid brat (laughs).
Seina: I’m not a stupid brat! Please say “youngest child-like”.
Emma: At first, she was really obedient, but then we spoiled her too much. Now she has a completely cocky feeling (laughs).
Seina: For now, I want to lead everyone in dance. From around second grade, I spent 8 years doing synchronized swimming, that experience is still alive today. When I became an idol, I really felt like “I’m glad I did that” for the first time.
— Certainly, it seems like a “team competition that uses your whole body to look beautiful” has a lot in common with group dancing.
Seina: That’s right. It’s probably almost the same. So when I started these activities, that painful daily practice finally paid off.
— Lastly, what is Rinka in charge of?
Emma: She’s in charge of being lovely, or rather being an idol. She has a presence that raises all of LYSM’s idol level.
Akari: But, like that even though she acts innocent and helpless and is cute, funnily enough she’s really stoic. She’s the type to suggest something like “Ahh, this wasn’t funny! I want to redo it one more time!”
Rinka: So, I’m jealous of Emmataso (Emma). Because she’s properly calculated and funny.
Rinka: I want to be able to say funny things too.
Seina: Is that what you’re going for? (laughs)
Akari: That and video editing. On LYSM’s YouTube channel our variety videos are all edited by Rin-chan (Rinka). Since she understands all the member’s interesting points, everyone’s personality comes out perfectly in the editing.
Rinka: I’ve liked video games from the start and was raised watching various let’s players’ videos. So when I got a PC I thought “I want to try that too!” and I have been showing my friends my own edited videos. It’s like Emmataso’s illustrations, I didn’t think that experience would live on in my idol activities.
— The fact is that these five, rich in personality, have come together as LYSM, but when you hear “What kind of group is LYSM?” How do you answer?
Akari: By no means can it be expressed in a few words. These various people have happened to come together. At first I was thinking “I wonder if these five would be able to properly become one group?”
Maria: Until now, isn’t it rare for a group to have each member’s character clearly defined? Even if we’re all wearing the same costume, we’re a group where all the members have such disconnected personalities that one can understand at a glance. The five’s colors perfectly come out.
Emma: Everyone’s colors are vivid.
— I certainly feel that. When a new idol group emerges, it’s likely that it’s hard to distinguish the members (laughs), but with LYSM there was really no trouble.
An album that makes you think “I want to learn more about LYSM”
— And now, you’ve already released your 1st album “Love You So Much”, what’s your current state of mind like?
Maria: I think that even though we haven’t even done activities for a whole year, having 9 original songs is a fairly quick pace isn’t it? The audience also tells us that “the lives with a lot of songs are fun.” I’m really happy about that.
Akari: Since each song has a totally different feel, like how “what kind of group” can’t be expressed in a few words, “what kind of music” can’t be either. I think that’s an interesting point isn’t it.
Maria: I think since all 9 songs have a different type, rather than knowing that “LYSM has this kind of vibe”, I know it’s more like “I don’t know” (laughs). So, I think it’s an album that makes people think “I want to know more”, isn’t it.
— How about the production? Were there any hardships, plans, etc.?
Seina: “LYSM” was the first song recorded, but…
Maria: Yes, the first song we released was “Neon de Hanataba wo”, but in fact the first song we recorded was “LYSM”.
Rinka: We were given the lyrics to it the day of recording weren’t we? I was surprised like “Huh!?”
Akari: That’s right (laughs).
Seina: It was the first time I had done a recording and my first time I got in a booth to sing too. I was very nervous, I had a sense it was like I was in a dream. I didn’t know if I could sing like I carefully practiced, but since the thought of “our 5 member LYSM starts from here” was put into it, I want people to listen to this song the most. I like “LYSM” the most.
Maria: During “LYSM”’s recording, people around me said something like “you’re stiff”, I was nervous. When the recording was over, I was in a daze.
— From there, recording experience has piled up, you’ve gotten used to it, haven’t you?
Seina: Yes, the most recent recording was “Haru ni Tou, Kimi ni Kou”. I think I can relax now so I was able to record the best one yet.
Emma: Maripi has changed greatly. It’s like she was a different person during the time of “LYSM”.
Akari: Your voice when you first tried standing in front of a microphone has totally changed. You had a good voice from the start.
Maria: Since I was only focused on doing my best during “LYSM”’s recording, I thought it was bad to stay like that. Reflecting on it while commuting to and from voice training, gradually people around me have been saying more and more “you’ve gotten good!” Even now I have a desire to do even better.
— Now, even if you enter the booth, are you able to keep calm?
Seina: Certainly, Maripi is always nervous.
Emma: Returning to this look, she’s the most nervous person here.
— How about everyone else? During the recording of the 9 songs, were there any points where you felt change or growth?
Akari: When listening to the songs again, sure enough “LYSM” and “Haru ni Tou”’s ways of singing are totally different. Since before LYSM I’ve always done singing, the idea that “my singing is like this” had solidified, but I was surprised at how that has changed. Like I’ve become able to reliably convey my feelings, or rather, I feel like the type of voice I make is different from when I first started. And if we’re talking about idol activities, I feel like I’ve gotten used to how to sing while dancing.
Rinka: Until now, I was thinking my voice was somehow bad. I have a little habit, I mean members and the staff like to imitate me (laughs). But the fans have told me “I like your voice” a lot, so now I think I can give my all.
Emma: For me, “Bokura wa.”’s recording particularly left an impression on me. At the time, everyone was pretty busy, we seemed to hit a wall so it was a little difficult time. When I looked at the lyrics for ‘Bokura wa.”, I thought “are these lyrics about the members’ situations?” I think it’s precisely because it was recorded during a struggling time that it’s a song filled with feelings.
If we were in an anime, we’d all be protagonists
—- Listening to this album, I got the impression that there was an emphasis on musical quality rather than the functional aspects of the music. For example, there’s usually room in the A melody for fan calls to be put in, but the songs are not made for that. Do you think that has something to do with COVID-19?
Emma: Is that right? I didn’t think that was an ingredient for idol songs. Since LYSM’s main axis is music, even though we’re idols, we didn’t want to take advantage of being idols.
Akari: The audience even often tells us “LYSM is an artist rather than an idol group” and I’m really happy about that. On the other hand, the other day in Emmataso’s hometown of Akita we had our first live where calls were OK…
Emma: There were masks and face shields.
Akari: That time was the first time fans sprinkled in MIX, it was super fun. It was a live in such a way that getting excited together was really precious, since it’s important we’re able to enjoy the music just by listening to the studio versions, I think whichever way someone is able to enjoy the music is ideal.
— In terms of LYSM’s concept being “Love You So Much”, that is to say “sending love”, that’s extremely straightforward isn’t it? During these times with idol groups, with original concepts and musicianship, it’s like a game to show off originality I think.
Akari + Emma: Yeah totally.
— It seems like LYSM isn’t like that, but people who want to compete based on good singing, good songs, and good performances.
Akari: Yes, that’s right! I think, in the end, good quality is the most important and it’s best to compete with that.
Emma: This is a weird way to put it but… if the world were an anime, I think we’d be the protagonists, or rather we want to be in that position (laughs). In LYSM, we have an atmosphere of “Let’s go grab our dream with our real merit!” we’re really proud of it.
[TN: tumblr won't let me add more photos so please check this link for Emma's solo pics]
— What’s your ultimate goal?
Akari: As for the goals we have, I think “we want to stand on stage at the Nippon Budokan.” Since there’s an image of lots of idols and bands having that goal, this might not be the best way to put it, but rather it’s a status symbol to stand there. Since we think the fact of having stood at the Budokan is a big deal, we also want to have that goal.
Emma: Anway, we have a hope to get big. Like “big” is equal to “Budokan”.
Akari: That’s one way to put it (laughs).
Rinka: Personally, my beloved ℃-ute had standing at the Budokan as one of their goals. I don’t mean that any big place isn’t good, but definitely the Budokan is good.
Akari: That said, BiS not being able to have their disbandment concert at the Budokan might’ve left an imprint on me. We might have a tendency to get our dreams imprinted on us by our favorite idols (laughs).
Maria: I’ve never been to the Budokan.
Emma: In fact, I haven’t either.
— Ah is that right? When you have your live there it’ll be your first time, wouldn’t that be super cool?
Maria: Certainly! (laughs)
Seina: I’ll do my best to get there!
Emma: I’ll save it until then!
Akari: I definitely want to go.
— Well, before that, you’ll be starting your first oneman tour “LYSM wo Kizande” shortly?
Maria: Other idol fans ask us “you’re already going on your first oneman tour?”, but I feel like we have a favorable environment to be able to do it. We’ve been doing a lot of lives, been put on a lot of streaming playlists, and have had the chance to have a lot of eyes and ears on us. In that kind of environment, I was disappointed we couldn’t sell out our 1st tour’s final in November. So this time’s final, on February 6th at Shimokitazawa Shangri-la, I definitely want it to be filled up.
Emma: Rather, our power is still yet to exchange glances with the favorable environment. At this early stage, I feel a “what should I do?”-like impatience doing a oneman tour, but there’s an album coming out too…
Maria: We want to give people who listen to the album a “let’s try going to their live” feeling.
Emma: After all, since I think lives are the best place to convey our energy, I’d like people to come to the venues and feel all of our energy live.
Akari: We won’t leave anything left over.
[TN: LYSM's final group pic from this interview can be found at this link]
Once again, here is the link to the original interview.
