inrock: [translated] Dear InRock readers, About Louis Tomlinson's article We are pleased to present to you an exclusive interview article, published for the first time in Japan, about the latest collection of Louis' brand, "28 Clothing." In this magazine, Louis talks about his deep passion for fashion, the thoughts behind this new collection, and his connection with his fans, saying "we (the fans) are bound together by a very mysterious relationship," through a valuable interview. We hope you will pick up a copy of In Rock.
"Work and play to the fullest, and be kind to others... That’s the rule within the band." – Harry
Interview: Yuko Kato
Photos by: Chiaki Oshima
One Direction's first visit to Japan was like a whirlwind, even in hindsight. Officially, only Zayn was absent from events, but the entire group endured an incredibly packed schedule. Despite their exhaustion, they remained warm and friendly whenever we met for interviews, which was truly impressive.
What follows is an exclusive interview INROCK conducted with them during their visit!
Zayn, how are you feeling? We heard you weren’t able to attend yesterday’s press conference due to illness.
Zayn Malik: Yeah, my stomach wasn’t in great shape. I think I caught a stomach bug. Before coming to Japan, I was in Ghana, and I wasn’t feeling too well there either. Then, when I woke up yesterday morning, it had gotten worse—it was the worst.
But by that evening, you still performed on Music Station, right?
Zayn: Yeah, I rested in the hotel for a few hours to recover, and by the evening, I was feeling much better.
With such a crazy schedule, do you guys often get sick like this?
Louis Tomlinson: Not really. We do get pretty sleep-deprived, but that’s about it.
Niall Horan: Yeah, sometimes working long hours can make you feel a little unwell, but it’s not too bad.
At the press conference, you announced that you’ll be coming back to Japan in November for your tour, right?
Niall: Yeah, on November 2nd and 3rd.
By the way, in December, you’ll also be performing at Madison Square Garden in New York…
Louis: The Clumsy One?
Louis can be a bit absentminded at times. During an interview in the U.S., he accidentally placed our recording device on his lap, and when he laughed, it fell to the ground—completely wiping out all the data!
The staff turned bright red with frustration, and it almost became a big issue. But Louis, ever the mood-maker, quickly turned things around, joking that it was his own fault and offering to redo the interview.
"In our upcoming movie, you’ll get to see a lot of our personal sides too." – Louis
ONE DIRECTION: MSG Performance & Their Growth as a Band
"Work and play to the fullest, and be kind to others… That’s the rule within the band." – Harry
Interview: Yuko Kato
Photos by: Chiaki Oshima
You performed at Madison Square Garden (MSG)! That must have been incredible to witness.
All Members: Thank you!
I also saw your show in Oakland a few months earlier, and it felt completely different. It’s amazing how much you've grown as a band and as performers. How did you achieve such growth?
Louis Tomlinson: I think it’s thanks to the daily rehearsals and the experience we’ve gained as a band.
Zayn Malik: Yeah, for all of us, this is our first band. None of us had been in a band before One Direction, so at the beginning, everything was new. But we've worked hard every single day. There are still so many things we need to improve on, but we always want to keep growing. We’re willing to do anything to make that happen.
Niall, you play the guitar—was that your idea?
Niall Horan: Yeah, I’ve been playing since I was a kid.
Since you were around 12, right?
Niall: Yeah, 11 or 12. I wanted to play in this band too, and I’m playing on this tour.
I heard you’re interested in becoming a producer in the future?
Niall: Yeah, someday, I’d love to try producing.
Did you learn anything through recording your new album, Take Me Home, that could help with that?
Liam Payne: This time, we spent a lot more time in the studio with the producers, so we learned a lot. It was a completely different experience from last time, and it felt like we were much more involved in the process.
You all contributed to this album quite a bit, right?
Niall: Yeah, definitely. It felt like we had more input this time.
Zayn: The great thing about working in the studio is that you learn things without even realizing it. We were lucky to work with amazing producers who gave us a lot of advice. We’re really grateful to them.
Songwriting & Creative Input
This time, you guys also wrote songs yourselves. Do you think that’s important for the band?
Louis: Yeah, of course. We want to write as much as possible. It’s our album, so we want to express our feelings through it.
How many songs did you write for this album?
Zayn: We wrote five songs. Like Louis said, we wanted this album to have a piece of us in it. We wanted to prove that what we’re singing about actually comes from us. That’s why songwriting was really important to us.
Are you still working on new songs for the next album?
Zayn: Yeah, we’re still writing. Sometimes a song idea just pops into my head when I’m doing nothing, so I record it on my phone. Then, a few months later, when we all meet up for a session, I’ll say, “Hey, I had this idea a while back—what do you think?” Thanks to modern technology, we can record ideas anytime, anywhere, which is really cool.
Upcoming Movie & Behind-the-Scenes Footage
Your movie is coming out this summer (with a Japan release on November 1st). I heard you also filmed in Tokyo?
Zayn: Yeah, we did.
What’s the concept of the movie?
Zayn: It’s basically a documentary.
Louis: Yeah, it also includes tour footage.
Zayn: It follows us from the beginning until now, showing what we’ve done along the way. Fans will get to see what goes on behind the scenes. We really want people to know more about us, and we tried to make it as real as possible.
Will there be personal scenes as well?
Zayn: Hmm… maybe! (laughs)
Louis: Haha, yeah, of course! Fans will see a lot of personal moments, not just the things they already know about us.
Will your family and friends be in the movie?
Louis: Yeah, I think there will definitely be interviews with our families and friends.
Life Off-Stage & Inside Jokes
You guys seem really close. What do you usually talk about when you’re together?
Liam Payne: You probably don’t want to know… (laughs).
Niall: (laughs) Oh, come on! Tell us!
Harry Styles: Hey, by the way, do you want something to drink?
No, I don’t need a drink—I need you to answer the question! (laughs)
Louis: We talk about football, video games, girls…
Liam: Scuba diving, canoeing…
Louis: Horses…
Liam: Archery…
Louis: Murder… (laughs). Nah, just kidding! But yeah, that’s about it.
Harry: Just normal teenage boy stuff—sports, girls, that kind of thing.
Louis, you’re known for loving shopping. Did you buy anything in Japan?
Louis: I bought some robots.
Wasn’t it Zayn who bought the robots?
Louis: I bought some too. And a Polaroid camera. That’s about it.
What about the other members?
Harry: I bought some clothes, including a Hard Rock Café Tokyo T-shirt. Oh, by the way, your glasses are really cool—I like them.
Oh, thanks! (laughs) By the way, Liam, I heard you’re really sensitive and that you don’t even use restaurant spoons? Is that true?
Liam: Yeah, it’s true. I have a phobia of restaurant spoons—I don’t know where they’ve been!
Louis: Apparently, he once had a bad experience… something about a spoon getting stuck somewhere it shouldn’t have… (laughs). (Editor’s Note: Obviously a joke!)
Do you have any other phobias?
Louis: Well, we all have sensitive spots on our bodies… (laughs).
All Members: (laughs).
Final Thoughts & Upcoming Goals
Louis, people say you’re really kind and thoughtful. Is that true?
Louis: I’d like to think so, yeah.
Liam: Louis has the biggest heart.
Louis: Thanks, mate. (laughs)
I heard you text your mom often so she doesn’t worry about you?
Louis: Yeah, that’s true.
And when you were little, she used to call you "Boo Bear"?
Louis: Haha, yeah… it’s a little embarrassing, but it’s true. My mom always called me "Boo Bear" when I was little.
Harry, I heard your motto is to always be kind to others.
Harry: I try to be, yeah.
But you’re such a big star—you don’t have to be kind! Where does that attitude come from?
Harry: That doesn’t matter. Being kind is just important, no matter who you are.
What’s your next big goal?
Louis: Performing in Japan!
That’s not that big, is it?
Zayn: No, it’s a huge deal!
Niall: Also, we hope our movie does well.
Zayn: Yeah, definitely.
Niall: Right now, we’re preparing for our world tour. We want to make sure it’s a success, and most of all, we just hope our fans have fun.
Will the Japanese show be the same as MSG, or will it be different?
All Members: Totally different!
Zayn: It’s going to be way bigger.
Harry (in Japanese): Ganbarimasu! (I’ll do my best!) (laughs).
