I don't want to set a goal, achieve it, and be done with it.
PROFILE
Vo. & Gt. of the band "Sheep Literature". formed the band in 2012 and changed to the current lineup in 2005. So far, they have released 4 EPs, 1 full album, and 1 single. They just released their fourth EP, "Zawameki" in February this year. In conjunction with this release, they held a release one-man tour in Tokyo and Osaka.
When did you pick up your first guitar?
Salt Mound:I was in the fourth grade of elementary school. A girl in my class had one, and she let me touch it. At the time, everyone was listening to YUI's music. I was in the first year of junior high school when I got my own guitar. I wanted to be like YUI. But I didn't practice much. When I entered high school, I decided to start a band, so I got an electric guitar, and I started to play a little bit at a time.
Did you become aware of the existence of a band at that time?
Salt Mound:When I was in junior high school, a boy asked me to sing in a BUMP OF CHICKEN copy band. I ended up playing the acoustic guitar and doing the vocals, but I didn't have the singing voice they had in mind, so I gave up. I was so frustrated that I said to myself, "I'm definitely going to be in a band. I was invited to join "Sheep Literature" as well.
What? Is that so?
Salt Mound:One of my classmates went to a tennis school and decided to start a band with her friends she made there, so she invited me to join. One of them was a guitarist, one was a guitarist-vocalist, and I was a sub guitarist-vocalist, and we had a bass player and a drummer, but then the two guitarists left and we ended up with a three-piece band (laughs).
What is the process you go through when writing songs for "Sheep Literature"?
Salt Mound:I wonder how I do it (laughs). Sometimes I have a theme and create based on that theme, and other times I get the idea while playing the guitar. I think words are important, but in my case, I prioritize the development of the sound image. I like that better.
Do you feel that you have been changing what you want to express in each of your works?
Salt Mound:Since the beginning of the band, we have never been the same. Last year and this year are completely different. My life and environment have changed in a short span of time, from graduating from high school and entering college to becoming an adult now, so I guess my thoughts change depending on the phase I am in.
As things change, the band's activities are also accelerating, aren't they? I think the number of gigs is increasing, and the opportunities to perform at festivals and other large stages are also increasing.
Salt Mound:I sometimes think about what I want to do next after doing what I want to do each time, but in the end, I think that the three of us have to do what we can do now. I try not to think that I have done all I can do. In a good sense, I don't set goals. Perhaps it is difficult for those around me to do so, but I do not want to set a goal, achieve it, and be done with it.
This slim-fit polo shirt is made of stretch cotton piqué and has a crisp appearance with four buttons at the chest. The collar is a ribbed polo collar and the sleeves are rib-knit. The authentic polo shirt has a feminine finish.¥13,000+TAX
I think it is because we do not set goals in this way that we are able to remain flexible. However, even though there are changes, I don't think we have lost our "sheep literature" style.
Salt Mound:In terms of performance, "Sheep Literature" is a three-piece band, and I wanted to keep it simple. I don't want to make it as messy as possible. I don't want it to be too much. If I feel like I'm overdoing it, I just cut it down. There are many bands that are simple but very attractive. For example, I think "Chatmonchy" is one of them. They don't do anything technical that no one else can imitate, but they really resonate with me. That is the kind of band I want to be.
How did you spend your time during this period?
Salt Mound:We were writing songs all the time. I had online meetings with the members once a week. I was also given the opportunity to distribute my own performances, so I don't feel that my musical activities have stopped.
I would like to ask you about fashion. Do you have a favorite outfit or style?
Salt Mound:I am currently studying fashion (laugh). I don't like clothes that constrict my body because I get tired easily, so I used to wear only old clothes and one-piece dresses, but recently I have been trying to wear beautiful clothes.
How did you feel when you tried on the polo shirt today?
Salt Mound:In my mind, polo shirts have a sporty impression. I had never worn a polo shirt before and thought it would be difficult, but when I tried it on today, I thought, "It looks great! I felt like I could pull it off. Lacoste is a brand that my mother used to wear when I was little, and I always thought it was cute when I saw the crocodile alligator.
You chose light blue. Why did you choose that color?
Salt Mound:I had never worn anything like this before, so I was looking at Lacoste's Instagram account and thinking, "What should I do? I was looking at Lacoste's Instagram account and thinking, "What should I do? Then I saw an Asian model wearing a cool light blue polo shirt, and I found it very attractive. Another reason was that my guitar is light blue. So in the end, I chose the color I liked (laughs). (laughs). I thought it was a color that was very personal to me.
What kind of image do you have of light blue?
Salt Mound:Transparency, I guess. I have an image of being very beautiful and pure, so I need to get closer to that image myself.
You mentioned earlier that you "don't set goals." Finally, is there anything you still dare to do as a band?
Salt Mound:At any rate, we want to continue for a long time. We are beginning to see our own style, but we would like to gain the stamina and strength as a band to be able to abandon it and move on to the next phase, without losing our originality, of course. Of course, we will not lose our originality, but we will continue to do what we can do as a band, while searching for ways to make it more interesting.
