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This article is a joint project with the radio program "Jeep® CREATIVE GARAGE" on J-WAVE (81.3 FM). AKO and HOUYHNHNM's editor-in-chief Ryo Komuta will be the program navigators, and will delve into the roots and staples of the guests on the theme of "standards" for about an hour on the last Sunday of each month at 10:00 p.m. In addition, using "radiko," a service that allows you to listen to the radio on your computer or smartphone, you can listen to the show in real time or at your own leisure with the time-free function. We hope you will enjoy this new approach to radio and HOUYHNHNM's together!

Jeep® CREATIVE GARAGE
Last Sunday of every month 22:00-22:54
Navigator: AKO, Ryo Komuta (Editor-in-Chief, HOUYHNHNM)
J-WAVE 81.3FM "Jeep® CREATIVE GARAGE
www.j-wave.co.jp/original/creativegarage/

*This broadcast with Ryosuke Nagaoka as a guest will start at 22:00 on Sunday, May 28! You can enjoy listening to the program with the time free function if you use radiko (radio station).

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You can have a cool band no matter what instrument you use.

This year marks the 12th year since the formation of the band, The Petrols. The Petrols have a unique rhythm and tone, a soothing voice with just the right amount of moisture, and lyrics and melodies that are pleasant to the ear. Once you hear the Petrols' music, which skillfully blends these elements, you will never forget it. The band's guitarist and vocalist is Ryosuke Nagaoka. As a guitarist, Nagaoka supports a variety of musicians and is well-liked by professional musicians. When did Mr. Nagaoka start playing guitar?

I started playing guitar when I was in junior high school. I first started playing guitar in an elective class. In the last period on Saturdays, students were free to choose their own curriculum, and I chose guitar. There were many options, such as soccer, table tennis, and handicrafts, but none of them really appealed to me. I had no choice but to choose the guitar. But, you know, once I started, I was really into it (laughs).

There were no assigned songs in the class, and the students started practicing by pressing the chords first.

My father loved music, and bluegrass and country music had been playing in our house since I was a little girl. My father also played the guitar, and he taught me a lot of things. I think back now, he had a lot of love for me. The "F" chord requires all six strings to be pressed, and many people fail because of that. My father taught me a chord progression that didn't require that.

In this way, Mr. Nagaoka became more and more absorbed in the guitar. He has been a member of professional backing bands since he was a student, strumming his guitar while watching the backs of various artists. He was once a guitar boy who loved music so much that he eventually became a professional. What kind of music influenced him to become a guitarist?

There is a guitarist named Pete Anderson, and I love him. He plays country music, but he has a certain spaciousness about him. He plays country music, but there is something off about him. He has a very peculiar style, and once you hear his guitar, you immediately recognize it as his. I heard him for the first time when I was in high school, and I was hooked right away.

On the other hand, Nagaoka, who has been pulling the guitar since junior high school, is also concerned about his commitment to the instrument.

It's that they don't look like other people. I think there are guitars that are considered the standard, and many people use them, right? I don't want to be the same as other people. I don't want to be the same as other people. I'm like, "I'm going to make a cool sound with a guitar that's not the standard one. I'm an innocent (laughs).

He says he has several guitars in his house, but "they're all like junk," he says lightly, "and a few that aren't. I don't have anything that costs over a million yen. I don't have anything expensive that costs over a million yen," he says in a lighthearted tone.

I buy a lot of stupid guitars (laughs), and anything over 100,000 yen seems kind of expensive. (Laughs.) I also use amps that cost a few tens of thousands of yen. But you can still make a cool band! I want to say, "But you can still make a cool band! That's more dreamy, isn't it?

Music is born from the mood of the moment.

Having lived his life solely on the guitar, Mr. Nagaoka decided that it was time for him to start his own band, and in 2005 he formed the Petrols. Petrol" means gasoline in British English. The name is typical of Mr. Nagaoka, who is known for his love of cars.

It's like gasoline is the fuel for cars and music is the energy for people (laughs). That's how I came up with the name of the band."

The Petrols' music has a catchy yet complex structure. The guitar riffs, in particular, seem to be very difficult to keep rhythm with while singing.

I think rhythm is the first thing I pay attention to when creating a song. I don't say anything specific. I give the members a vague image and let it grow from there. I share really abstract words such as "short notes" or "creepy feeling. The members would be very annoyed, but by doing so, the songs would take off in unexpected directions and blossom. That's how we create songs that only we can make.

The ability to create music in such a style is due to the strong trust between the members. When asked "What is the secret? to which he replied with a laugh, "There is no secret.

I chose members who have a cool atmosphere even when they are not playing or just standing around, and it just happened to be a fortunate gathering of three people with good chemistry. I try to let the individuality of the guitarist, bassist, and drummer stand out, but I also try to make sure that the three instruments work well together.

When the three members take the stage and perform, they produce a unique sound. The mood is different from the music you hear on the recordings. The songs are arranged in a way that can only be heard in a live performance.

I think music is born from the mood of the moment. How honestly do you express your feelings at that time? If I play the music exactly as it was recorded, the song will not grow. I want to expand the image of the song.

When asked about their goals as a band, they replied, "We want to be that kind of band where we just play and the audience enjoys dancing freely.

We just played as usual. We don't stir things up, we just play the same way we always do, and yet the audience gets really excited. I would like to be the kind of band where you can see that kind of scene.

I like to check the ride quality of both bicycles and cars.

Besides music, what does Mr. Nagaoka like to do? Besides music, Nagaoka likes bicycles and cars. He usually travels by either of them. If he has equipment, he uses his car; if not, he rides his bicycle to the studio.

I have loved cars ever since I can remember. I was the kind of kid who could look at a car on the road and guess the make and model. Later, when I went to elementary school, my father started riding mountain bikes, and that's when I started liking bicycles too. I was always modifying my mountain bike. I still do, and I simply enjoy tinkering with them. I built the bike I brought with me today.

When driving either of these vehicles, the one thing they have in common is that they both want to see how the ride will feel. He says that he does not think about it in his mind, but concentrates on what kind of ride it will give him.

I like to enjoy the characteristics of each model, whether it is a car or a bicycle. I like to enjoy the characteristics of each model. I enjoy the differences in the way they drive and the way the scenery looks different on the same road depending on the vehicle. In the case of a car, if the roof is open, I open the roof all the way and drive. It feels good to drive with the wind whistling through the air. I feel like my heart has been cleansed (laughs).

The Jeep is America's leading four-wheel drive vehicle. The engine is powerful and dynamic.

Mr. Nagaoka says that one of his favorite cars in particular is four-wheel drive. This was also inspired by an experience he had in junior high school.

This is also due to my father's influence. He bought a four-wheel-drive car when I was in the fourth grade, and my father drove it all the time. That car was so cool that I decided to buy my first car with four-wheel drive.

What kind of image does Mr. Nagaoka have of Jeep?

The characteristics of four-wheel-drive cars vary from country to country. There are Japanese four-wheel drive vehicles, British four-wheel drive vehicles, German four-wheel drive vehicles, and American four-wheel drive vehicles, each with a different design and ride quality. The Jeep has an American feel to it. Because the engines are powerful and dynamic. Also, while there are rugged models, there are also modern and sophisticated models. I think the range of models is unique.

The Jeep Renegade Limited, which Mr. Nagaoka drove this time, is a compact car with an attractive urban design. While it fits in well with urban life, it also offers a powerful driving experience in the wild.

When I first saw it, I thought it had a strange form. I thought, "They've added a unique spice to it while retaining the heavy-duty impression. But when you look at it up close, it's still a Jeep. It's modern, but I see classic design in places. The ride is surprisingly tight and the bodywork is sharp, which makes it safe to drive around town."

If you were allowed to use this car freely, what would you do? The answer to this question was as follows.

I'd like to put a canoe on my carrier and go to Lake Chuzenji. I would like to do day camping there."

A place to check what you are thinking.

Mr. Nagaoka, who says he loves to drive, often goes out in his car to "Millimeter's Music" in Machida, Tokyo. This store sells used musical instruments, equipment, and parts, and also offers maintenance services for musical instruments.

It's a very warm store, with some expensive guitars and some cheap ones. But the staff treats every instrument with love. There are all kinds of customers, some professionals, some high school girls, and some old men who seem to like guitars. It is a wonderful store that does not select its customers, but treats them in the same way, no matter who they are.

As soon as he arrived at the store, Mr. Nagaoka checked every guitar in the store from end to end. Watching him carefully look at the instruments, I could tell that he really likes guitars.

I come here about once a month. Sometimes I come to buy guitars, sometimes I come to have maintenance done, and sometimes I come here even though I have nothing to do. I simply like talking with the staff (laughs). We talk about guitars, of course, but we also talk about mutual acquaintances, the outdoors, and bicycles. I often find myself empathizing with them through conversation, and I think I come here to confirm what I am thinking."

It is important to have your own values.

Finally, we asked Mr. Nagaoka about what he sets as standard in his life.

I think it's about not being carried away. You have to have your own values. It's the same when I shop. I don't think that wearing that brand of clothes is cool or anything like that.

I have my own sense of values. Mr. Nagaoka has been pursuing his favorite things, such as guitars, cars, and bicycles, and that is why he is so persuasive.

I think it is necessary to question what is happening in the world, instead of believing it at first glance. Why are we in this situation? Then you will discover something. Then you may discover something. I think it is important to make choices based on one's own sense of values, without being swayed by the eyes of those around you or by the information flowing around you.