meg “scanty blues” interview for BARKS
publisher: BARKS (source article missing)
published: June 2002 (exact date unknown)
meg will debut with “scanty blues” on July 10th, 2002.
In preparation for this interview, I listened to both her indies-era songs and the tracks off this debut single, but each of them expressed a girl’s cute aspects, stubborn aspects, and romantic aspects over a nicely rhythmic sound.
The photos of meg included in the materials I was given bring to mind a hard-to-grasp “quirky girl” type, yet with her name listed in the credits for not only the songs’ lyrics and composition but arrangement on top of it all, it seems she may not be a mere style-over-substance singer after all…
The one-sided feelings you long to express to your partner, but can’t say
Nice to meet you. … Oh, you’ve brought business cards!
I did. A lot of musicians don’t carry business cards, but I had some made (laughs).
I understand “artist” being listed as your title, but “promoter,” “management” and others are here as well.
I’m the type who wants to do everything. I end up shipping out documents, and I handle my own merchandise sales, too (laughs). Plus, I think that’s difficult to comprehend only judging by the impression of my songs and pictures, so if there’s someplace I’m going, I try to start off on a proactive foot wherever I go. I have no resistance towards that.
I see. Given your brimming curiosity in that way, what made you choose to become a musician who sang songs?
I’d thought from the beginning that I wanted to do something expressive. When I seriously considered my path in life in middle and high school, I only had a vague idea of what that would be, but I wanted to be someone who expressed something. At that time, though, it wasn’t restricted to just music, but I’d thought that I might be able to accomplish that through design...
Out of all the avenues available for expression, why did you choose singing?
Mmm... It happened naturally. I’d always liked music, and I had a strong image of singing as a stage where I could express myself. Besides that, as I was doing lots of other different things, I was given the advice of “Why don’t you try singing?” and that solidified my decision.
Since your indie debut, you’ve been not only a singer, but a lyricist, composer and arranger as well.
Yes. The shape of the sound… Like the tone quality and backing track and such, I’m really conscious of what produces a song’s atmosphere, and I perceive how my voice will go over that as if it's one of the instruments, one of the sounds. You can sing smoothly or forcefully even at just one point to express it, so “creating” that is fun.
That makes sense. Out of all the duties involved in that, which is the one you regard most highly?
Hmm, that’d have to be music production. Lyrics, composition and vocals are all important, of course, but it’s more about bringing them closer to me as a whole. I feel like I should be involved not only in my music, but the design of my cover art, photographs, and the goods that form my image. I don’t understand the more complicated parts, but I think I’m putting out what feels right to me at the moment.
It seems you also take a producer-like standpoint to yourself. Your debut single “scanty blues” came together like that, but the euphony of its title and the contents of its lyrics match very well.
The lyrics reflect the one-sided feelings you long to express to your partner, but can’t say… I wrote them based on that. From there, I had this word “scanty” with a meaning of “one-sided” or “lacking” and I thought that could be a nice fit. Scanty actually means a type of underwear. But I ignored that side of it (laughs). I added blues to have the nuance of soul. It’s about a girl’s unspeakable feelings.
Interesting. You also compose, but this time it was done by Okamura Yasuyuki.
Right. By my staff’s suggestion, it was decided that Okamura-san would be a good choice, so I immediately listened to his CDs and went to meet him. When I mentioned that I wanted something with a bluesy guitar sound, he played that on the spot and made it for me. I took that home and added lyrics to it, and then I had Okamura-san expand on it further. Then, once the recording was finished and we were mixing the track, there was concern that there were too many sounds going on at once, so I started to alter it like “well, let’s cut the horns completely, then only have the percussion right here” and… Okamura-san had disappeared (laughs). So I took over and made it house-y. Okamura-san’s version is the one included as the coupling track.
(laughs) More than an instant impact from the first listen, this is a song that slowly encroaches upon you after a few plays.
Definitely. Okamura-san’s magic really does its work in that area. So after everything, I thought Okamura-san really was a true artist. Including his liability to leave halfway through (laughs).
What are your plans from here?
I’ll continue releasing CDs this year. Various ideas I have are coming together, too. Giving shape to those things alongside my staff is something I’m finding really fun right now!
Flexible, curious, producer… meg is a character who has arranged the balance of those words well.
She may be cute, but more than just that, what shows through the captivating strength of her will is that she understands both herself and her current position exactly.
With that resilient core, naturally as a girl and deliberately as an artist, she could be one to watch in a variety of fields.