There was nothing left but the ‘final option’ of music

――First of all, I would like to hear about your childhood memories, as I remember you saying, ‘There’s no point of me living, and that hasn’t changed since I was little.’ —This remark made me wonder what your childhood was like.  

Chi-: I think I was an energetic child, but there has always been a bit of darkness in me. When I was in middle school, my friends told me, ‘You have eyes like a dead fish’ [laughs]. I wasn’t depressed or anything, but I had a cold attitude—always thinking, ‘We all die in the end anyway.’

――You were probably looking at things with a bird’s-eye-view.

Chi-: I think so. When you’re in school, you’re often enforced to be in a group. Especially girls [they like to form cliques]. Whenever there was a dispute in the group, I was mostly seeing the situation from the perspective of an outsider.

――What led you to start music while you were holding on to the melancholic feelings?

Chi-: I’ve never been a person who’s passionate towards living life, and I became even more jaded at the time when I graduated high-school. ‘What’s the purpose of living?’—that thought became stronger. But at the same time, I thought, ‘Why not do whatever I want as if it’s my last chance.’ I contemplated deeply, trying to figure out what I really wanted to do, and came to realize that music was it—and I’m continuing it to this day.   

――So, you were living life thinking, ‘There’s no point of living life,’ since you were little—Were you ever scared to live life like that?

Chi-: It’s certain that I’ve always had obscure feelings towards life. It got worse right when I graduated high school. Since I was little, I’d strongly felt that I didn’t want to exist, and even longed to be a water flea [laughs]. I had the urgency to pull myself out of the rut, and that’s probably the reason why I started music.

――It seems difficult to turn that negative feeling of not wanting to exist into music.

Chi-: I agree [laughs]. Normally, I’m demure and prefer to live discretely, but I can be different with music. I started music thinking that ‘I could disappear anytime,’ so I’ve never feared of anything in doing music. With music, I want to stand out, and feel like I can embrace all my flaws of not being able to get along with others, and turn them into my uniqueness and strengths.

――So, you can be different from your usual self with music.

Chi-: That’s right. Basically, when I make music, I let out my negative emotions like sorrow and anger, and I think these pessimistic feelings can often be conjured and released through music. I play music hoping for the listeners to perceive my messages.  

Loneliness and negativity could become your strength

――I see. So, you met the two Whoopies along your music journey—can you tell me about how you guys started Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie?

Chi-: A month after I started pursuing my career in music, I began playing live shows once a month in Tokyo. The Whoopies were watching my second show in Tokyo, and it all started from there. Back then, they played a song for me as a reference and told me, “We want to play this type of music,” but that song was so damn dark… [laughs]. At that time, the music they shared was new to me, but nowadays, you see artists like Billie Eilish and those slightly dark tunes are in. So, I guess the Whoopies were like foreseeing the future. The songs they played for me were really cool.

――Have you ever asked the Whoopies why they chose and asked you to start a band with them?

Chi-: They wanted me to join the band since they heard me sing. They found out about me on the internet, and came out to see my show!

――I agree, you have an amazing voice! By the way, the name of the band, Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie, is an exquisitely mysterious name.

Chi-: There is an American snack called Chocolate Lime Whoopie Pie, and one day, the Whoopies came up and asked me, “Wouldn’t it be cute if this was our band name?” So, we were inspired from that name and changed ‘Chocolate’ to my favorite animal, ‘Chameleon.’ I have a thing for chameleons—I love the way they live [laughs].   

――That’s interesting [laughs]. Can you tell me specifically what you like about chameleons?

Chi-: Chameleons can camouflage themselves to match the environment, and that’s an ability that I definitely don’t obtain. I’ve never been good at blending into a social group or new environment…. So, I have this respect towards chameleons, as they can adapt according to their surroundings.    

――I can tell from the lyrics of the songs in the 1^st EP, PLAY WITH ME. I assume you have this negative notion against people in groups and certain sentiment towards loneliness, which you feel on a regular basis.

Chi-: That’s something I’ve been feeling since I was younger. I used to have negative feeling towards loneliness, but as I get older, I’ve come to realize that everyone feels lonely at some point. Being part of a crowd makes me feel smaller, and whenever I try to do something in a crowd, I’m bound by rules in order to protect the crowd—That makes me feel burdened and feeble. On the other hand, when I’m alone, there’s nothing for me to lose, and I feel stronger and invincible. I know I have the Whoopies to back me up, but it’s imperative for me to keep my head up high to fight through my own life’s challenges.   

――I’ve noticed that your lyrics involve some shadow aspects, but they always end in light, and seem to be representing what you’re seeking in this world—what are the messages you want to deliver to the listeners through your songs?    

Chi-: I was at rock bottom when I started music, so right now, I’m not scared of anything. I think being in an incredibly negative state makes you indomitable in the end. People who are positive as a result of overcoming negativities, are extremely strong; and I believe there’s always something good after negative events—I want the listeners to capture this message.

――I guess that’s similar to the concept of what you mentioned earlier, ‘Let’s play in the world of insanity.’

Chi-: Regarding our lyrics, I think they fit well to the circumstances of the modern world. I’ve never predicted that the world was going to be like this, but I’m surprised how the lyrics exactly match the present age [laughs].

As representatives of ‘Punk,’ we want to alter the Japanese music scene

――I think another characteristic of the 1^st EP, PLAY WITH ME, is probably the unique sounds. I personally think the Mixture-rock-ish sounds are incredibly fascinating—what kind of sounds is Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie aiming to pursue?

Chi-: I’m essentially a fan of artists like, Kiyoshiro Imawano, Michael Jackson, and James Brown, but the Whoopies love Beastie Boys, and mixed genre music like rock-meets-digital music and rock-meets-hip-hop. So, I think our tastes in music are conflated and mashed up in our songs. In other words, every member has its own musical preference, and they are all fused into one. However, Whoopies often claim, “We are doing Punk music,” so, I guess we fall in the genre of punk… [laughs].

――So, you guys have something like an unyielding sprit?

Chi-: I do have a strong will to change the Japanese music scene. It might sound obnoxious, but from the bottom of my heart, I really want to alter J-POP—so, I guess that part of me is punk.

――You seem to have a punk-ish sprit. Why do you want to change J-POP?

Yeah, I think I have a punk mind [laughs]. Personally, there’s no one in the J-POP scene that I admire. And that was sort of another reason why I started music. I thought, if there’s no one I could look up to, why not I become the one. I always imagine my alter-ego, and think how my alter-ego should behave and say in order to attract myself and become a fan of her. For example, if I did a street live in Ginza, I imagine myself as a fan and consider what I should do to please myself as a fan. I hope Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie could play a part to change the music scene.

――I see. It seems like the chance has come for you this year. You are featured in Spotify’s RADER: Early Noise 2021, which means you will be exposed to more audience this year.

Chi-: I believe so. But I’m not willing to change the style and with what we are doing right now. So far, we’ve been authentic to ourselves and doing whatever we want to. So, our ultimate hope is to have as many people as possible to listen to our music. We want to be widely accepted and garner more audience with our latest EP.  

――Tell me about your future vision.

Chi-: It’s been four years since we started the band, and it feels like we’ve finally reached the starting line—We’ve solidified our own performance style and began enjoying ourselves as Whoopies, so we’re looking forward to showcasing ourselves in front of everyone at events and festivals; we want to make the EP sort of like our business card, and have a lot of people listen to our music—hoping this year to become the year that Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie gains recognition.  

――Are you guys currently creating anything?

Chi-: Yeah, we are. The 1^st EP was made under the concept of ‘Let’s play in the world of insanity,’ and the next song is written based on our thought, ‘Isn’t it time for the world to shine’—so, in the future, I hope we can deliver the messages to the world as our propositions for its next step.

*

Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie
The band is comprised of the iconic orange-haired Chi- and her peers—Whoopies 1 and 2. Not only the band writes its own lyrics and music, but also does everything on its own including recording and creating video contents from putting out ideas, garnering props, shooting to editing. It is a creative collective leading in the era by constantly producing cutting-edge ideas. The band is gaining attention and featured in Spotify’s RADAR: Early Noise 2021.
Twitter: @chi_clw
Instagram: @chameleon.lime.whoopiepie
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP9dFgrskFYoSXX52K2xAyw

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They have built their one-and-only presence, that does not fall into any genre, with their proficient dance and vocal skills, and brash style of boldly “exceeding beyond the ordinary”—making us expect that they are the nascent star that would guide us to the new era. I spoke with the four girls of ”ATARASHII GAKKO!”, who are stepping into a new stage, to learn about their path to the global debut and vision of the future.

Five and half years of progress—winning over the concept and finding “a place where we belong”  

――First of all, congratulations on your global debut. Can you tell me what kind of activities you’ve been doing before your international debut?

MIZYU: One is definitely live shows.

SUZUKA: We’ve done a lot of live shows. Also, we’ve collaborated with Kourakuen, sang a theme song for a TV drama series, had a recurring segment on Kannai Devil (TVK), in which we introduced different parks—we’ve been active in a variety of fields, right?

RIN: Yeah. Looking back, we’ve been able to present our two main talents of singing and dancing through these projects, and felt like we can imbue anything with our styles.

――You seem assertive.

SUZUKA: Yup. We’re confident.

MIZYU: We’re fun, I think. [laughs]

――I’m sure you’ve been through a lot, but how is it looking back at the past? What were the five and a half years prior to your global debut like?

SUZUKA: We’ve grown throughout the years. I personally think I’ve become more mature during the five and a half years, and the ways we think as the ATARASHII GAKKO! have also evolved. We’ve discussed a lot about our concept of “Dancing Sailor Uniforms, Representatives of Japanese youth,” and I feel like we’ve been able to find the right place for us. There are still many uncertain things, but I think we’ve cleared the basic challenge of being assertive no matter what in order to accomplish.

MIZYU: In the beginning, we didn’t even know thoroughly about ourselves—So, the four of us started off from learning about each other.   SUZUKA: In the past five and a half years, we were able to prevail over our concept!

――“Prevailing over your concept”—that’s well said! Specifically, in what ways do you think you’ve grown up?

MIZYU: I think my brain has evolved. [laughs]

SUZUKA: Ditto. I think our brains have immensely developed from trying to figure out ways to entertain the public with our abilities and a place where we belong.  

――So, you’ve got a grip on rational thinking.

KANON: I think we’ve been able to reinforce the core, intention and fundamental root of the ”ATARASHII GAKKO!”. It’s like, the four of us have honed our senses of being together.  

MIZYU: We’ve always been able to dance physically, but I think we’ve became more capable of dancing with our brains—Sort of like, being able to express our imaginations through our dance moves. When I look at myself from a year ago, I feel like I’m looking at a completely different person.

Praising the uniqueness and balancing as we grow

――Are there any messages you want to deliver through your activities as ”ATARASHII GAKKO!”?

MIZYU: It might sound obscure, but we definitely want to convey youth. There’s no age limit on youth—as it’s about enjoying yourself to the fullest, and overcoming internal conflicts with your full strength. So, I’d say, youth isn’t a perk only for school kids. We want to express youth through our songs and live performances.

SUZUKA: Also, the world is currently focusing more on embracing freedom and individuality, and we want to join that flow. There’s nothing wrong with being different. In fact, let’s embrace the uniqueness! —That’s my mentality.  

――You just described about the current mood of the world—but how does the world reflect in your eyes as the young generation? Because of Covid, it seems like the negative aspects are surfacing more these days.  

SUZUKA: I actually think we’re increasingly shifting towards positivity! Right now, it seems like serious minds and liberated minds are getting mashed up. We’re in the process of moving towards the good side.

RIN: Right now, social media is growing. And we can easily share our thoughts with others. I think it’s good that there are more platforms that allow us to communicate our ideas with others.

SUZUKA: But, don’t you think analogue is still important? I think it’s imperative to keep a fine balance between digital and analogue.

The certainty they felt before signing with 88rising, and their confidence for the future

――I see, you guys look at the world in a flexible way. While you guys are moving ahead positively, you’ve made a global debut under the name ATARASHII GAKKO!—how did it happen?

MIZYU: It all started from a strange event, where we presented our song, “Koi Geba” to the industry people—we don’t know why, but we had a hunch that this would be the key to our success. One of the members from 88rising was there watching and filming our performance, and that immediately led us sign the contract with them. Everything happened so quick.    

KANON: Before the performance, we told ourselves, “This is going to take us somewhere big,” and we were so surprised when it was really brought to fruition. SUZUKA: But, we really felt something was going to happen—Like, something insane.

――You instinctively felt that it was going to happen. So, how is it—how do you feel about your worldwide debut?

SUZUKA: It’s happening, but it doesn’t feel like it’s really happening. Maybe because we haven’t gone up on stage yet since our global debut, so it feels like we’re living in a fantasy. However, we know that someday, eventually, we will be performing internationally—it’s good for us to be under this constant pressure.  

RIN: I agree. There’s a world in front of us that we haven’t been able to see yet.

――But would you say you’re more excited than anxious?

MIZYU: We’re looking forward for the future, and we’re confident. However, there’s definitely a part of us that feels insecure. Now that there are more people who only know us from our video contents, we feel pressured as we need to exceed their expectations when we finally get to perform in front of them.

The messages they want to deliver to the world as “Representatives of Japanese Youth”

――What are the messages you want to deliver to the world?

SUZUKA: We want to express the essences of Japan and ourselves. As we are the representatives of Japanese youth, we want to make people excited and think that Japan is cool, the”ATARASHII GAKKO!”are cool.  

――You guys literally became the representatives of Japan. Where do you think the charms of the Japanese culture are found?

MIZYU: Recently, I’ve been thinking that the charms of Japanese people are that they are disciplined to follow the meticulous rules, living conscientiously and courteously.    

SUZUKA: I’ve noticed that the Japanese school rules and culture appear more beautiful to other countries. Japanese people pay more attention to details, and I think that’s deemed attractive by other cultures—so, I want to present that side of Japan more to the world.    

KANON: Like showing Japanese etiquette tips, right? SUZUKA: Yeah, like bowing when we get on stage—we want to demonstrate Japanese manners.

――Since you have such clear vision, I’m sure you want to play live shows as soon as you can.

MIZYU: Definitely. We’ve done many gigs in the past, but after all, we’ve only been able to make approaches to those who’ve experienced our live shows, yet not to those who’ve never seen us live. Since we haven’t been able to perform live due to the pandemic, we’ve been naturally guided to the new medium of live streaming. Up until then, we’ve never posted videos of our live performances, but now, we’re earning new opportunities of increasing engagements with our online contents. So, currently, even though we can’t perform live shows, we are active on video platforms and social media—seeking to grow more audience.

SUZUKA: Right now, we can do no-audience concerts, upload videos, and have many people watch our contents as many times as they want. We can make them feel like they’re actually experiencing our shows multiple times. From now on, we need to come up with proactive approaches and effective ways for the ”ATARASHII GAKKO!” to gain more recognition.  

KANO: The isolation period last year had a positive effect on us. In terms of us stepping up, I think we are on the right track. RIN: After our international debut, we’ve been garnering more comments from overseas viewers on YouTube. Right now, people spend more time on social media, so I think the timing has been great for us.

――I see, you guys haven’t been negatively impacted by the circumstance of not being able to perform live shows—in effect, you have been able to grow as a band. So, how do you want to present yourselves in the future?

KANON: That’s right. We’re still figuring things out, but I hope we can come up with more clever ideas.

SUZUKA: We want to do fun things with our own unique ways.

――Tell me again, about your future vision.

RIN: We want to create buzz through social media and videos, and eventually, provide phenomenal moments to, not only domestic but also international audience, with our live performances.

SUZUKA: I strongly believe in ourselves that someday soon, we will be generating buzz—so for now, we want to focus on approaching the Japanese market, then eventually expand to the international market. We want to continuously enjoy ourselves as ”ATARASHII GAKKO!”

ATARASHII GAKKO!
Proclaiming themselves as “Singing and Dancing Sailor Uniforms, Representatives of Japanese Youth,” living strongly and joyfully in the modern society, and “going beyond the ordinary” by expressing a sense of individuality and freedom with their whole bodies. The quartet is constantly creating buzz with various mediums, and omnidirectional approach that covers about 378 degrees, from live shows, music, dance, to Avant-garde videos—with the hope of inspiring the society to embrace more freedom and individuality.
http://leaders.asobisystem.com
Twitter： @japanleaders
Instagram： @japan_leaders
TikTok： @japanleaders

Photography Kentaro Oshio

Translation Ai Kaneda

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