BUMP OF CHICKEN is set to release their new album “Iris” on September 4.
This new work marks BUMP OF CHICKEN’s first album in about five years and their tenth overall. Since the release of their last album, the band has been on numerous tours. The tracks on this album reflect various emotions they have felt during live performances.
To commemorate the release, Music Natalie conducted an interview with Motoo Fujiwara (Vocals, Guitar), who shared insights on the making of the album and his thoughts for listeners.
Interview / Nobu Shiba
“From Inside the Window,” Where Their Roots Became Song
── Now that the album is complete, what impression do you have of it?
It’s like a documentary of the past five years, honestly. What we felt during these five years has easily turned into words, music, and songs, and I feel like each of those songs gradually came together to complete the 13 tracks.
── Previously, you mentioned that “Instead of creating songs with the image of an album in mind, we create each song individually and when they come together, they form an album.” Was that the case this time as well?
Exactly. We just finished a tour called “Homesick Satellite 2024” (held from February to April 2024), and before it started, I was asked by the staff to think of an album title, and it struck me suddenly. This has been the case not just with this album, but with all our past work.
── Where did the title “Iris” come from?
At first, I had absolutely no idea for a title. We’ve always approached each song individually, after all. An album title is supposed to encapsulate those 13 independent stories, right? So, looking at it again, the song “From Inside the Window” is something close to the underlying principles of why we do music and why we’ve been a band. When I wrote this, it felt like that came through in the song. However, I always make it a point to say that this song is not special in a way that sets it apart. In the sense of being special, each song is special, and each one is important. It’s just that “From Inside the Window” was born from our most fundamental aspects. And I think this image is appropriate as a summary of the 13 tracks.
── What exactly is that image?
Everyone has their daily lives, and the ways in which they go about it vary. Some take the train every day, some drive, some bike, some walk; they might be heading to school, work, part-time jobs, or picking up and dropping off children at kindergarten—the possibilities are numerous. Some people never leave their homes, and the ways they spend time indoors are diverse as well. In each person’s daily life, their essence exists within their heart, and looking out at society through the window attached to that heart reveals the scenery of daily life. Everyone lives their life through the frame of the window that follows them. Even before I wrote “From Inside the Window,” I had this feeling in my mind. Outside the world seen from within that window, many other window frames float around. Walking through a crowded place, you’d see window frames everywhere, corresponding to the number of people; most would be mere passersby, but in that, connections can be made through those windows where interests overlap, allowing people to meet. I create music from within my window and sing, and there are people who discovered that song from their own windows. I believe those people come to our live shows. These individuals are the ones who found our music through their windows. Performing this song live and connecting with the audience through it has really solidified that feeling for me.
The Title “Iris” Expressing “Focusing on Each Other”
── After going through the pandemic and experiencing tours like “Homesick Satellite 2024,” do you feel that the specialness of live shows has become even more pronounced?
Yes, definitely. It’s something I originally thought, but the meaning has unavoidably intensified. I came to view a live show as a gathering of the people who found the song from inside their windows. This person in front of me is someone who found me, I think. I wanted to meet this person; I’ve been searching for them all along. In essence, creating music is a process of searching for that individual. I wanted to see proof that they received it. In other words, we both focused on each other from our respective windows. We gazed at each other around our music, honing in on it. From there, my attention turned to the eyes, leading me to the word “iris.” That’s how we arrived at “Iris.”
── The song “From Inside the Window” and the imagery of live performances became the starting point for the concept.
Yes, and the word “rainbow” appears quite often in my lyrics, and among the songs included in “Iris,” there’s one titled “Nanairo,” which also fits this theme nicely. Moreover, I looked a bit deeper and discovered that “Iris” originates from the name of a goddess in mythology, “Iris.” She is known as the messenger goddess. I thought that was really nice, which is why I decided on “Iris.”
── During the MC of “Homesick Satellite 2024,” you said “I was looking for you; I wanted to meet you,” and that was quite striking. It connects to your feelings towards live shows.
This is something I’ve strongly reconsidered after performing live over these past five years. To us, live shows mean meeting the audience. While it might seem obvious to some, standing on stage, singing while drenched in sweat, with emotions running high, and ending up in a shell of exhaustion, repeating that for days—it’s something I’ve been reminded of. It’s a place to meet the people who have received our music. When I put it into words, it sounds incredibly simple, yet it feels extraordinarily significant, especially as we’re now in our 28th year of our career.
── BUMP OF CHICKEN’s music has always carried a certain urgency, which I believe resonates with listeners. Do you feel that has intensified further over the past five years?
That’s absolutely true. It could be due to aging, or maybe it’s due to the band’s history. As we repeatedly create songs and perform live, we come to recognize what’s truly important more and more. Things we understood from the start have only grown. As a result, it becomes more urgent, and if I were to say it negatively, I feel it’s become quite intense. I am aware of that and think, “It can’t be helped.” It’s a natural thing, and I find it disingenuous to say, “I don’t like this, so let’s change it to something new.” I don’t feel particularly interested in that. Conversely, my interest in what’s happening within my band, through our activities, never wanes. I’m always curious about why this listener is crying so much with this song. Why is this person so happy while this one is crying so much? That kind of curiosity is endless. It keeps deepening.
Next Page »
We have reached a phase where we do not hesitate to show elements of our hobbies.