THE JAPAN NEWS

 

By Yayoi Kawatoko / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

Unlike most bands, WEAVER does not have a guitarist. The group relies on piano, bass and drums to rock the hearts of their audience. The trio — Yuji Sugimoto on piano and vocals, drummer Toru Kawabe and bassist Shota Okuno, who were all born in 1988 — made their debut in October 2009. The band’s name indicates they are “weavers of music.”

Last month, the band released “Night Rainbow,” its first album in three years. An old saying has it that a rainbow that miraculously appears at night brings happiness to anyone who sees it. As the trio poured their souls into the album, it conforms to the band’s focal point: “We want to make people happy with our music.”

Starting in April, the band will tour Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo and other major cities across the country.

In January 2014, when they were at the peak of their popularity, the three went to London for six months. In the British capital, they lived separately and went to different language schools.

“Because I was in an uncomfortable environment, I was able to go back to the basics,” Kawabe said.

The three all savored the firsthand feel of what it is to make music in one of the world’s great music capitals.

“I was able to create music I genuinely believed in,” Sugimoto said, while Okuno said, “I became able to express things in a more sophisticated way.”

The band said the new album is filled with sounds designed to really give audiences the greatest possible thrill.

“KOKO,” the first track in the album, is the name of a London club. The song is Okuno’s favorite, while Kawabe likes “Beloved” and Sugimoto chose “You.”

The three formed the band when they were classmates at Kobe High School, which has a high academic standard but lacked a popular music club. They had to do everything by themselves, from booking a studio to securing a place to practice and stay together during holidays. At the time, they wrote many lyrics in notebooks, which they still treasure and call their origin.

Asked if they had any messages to teenagers on what they could get out of music, Sugimoto said, “If you come into contact with music, you will surely find a brand-new version of yourself.”

“If you love music, this alone can win you friends,” Kawabe said. “I hope young people will move a step forward.”

“You can continue making music even after you grow old. I hope young people will get to know great music,” Okuno said.

WEAVER’s tour starts at Orix Theater in Osaka on April 9. The band will then perform at NTK Hall (Village Hall) in Nagoya on April 10; Alpha Anabuki Hall in Takamatsu on April 16; Granship (Medium Hall) in Shizuoka on April 17; Fukuoka International Congress Center in Fukuoka on April 29; JMS Aster Plaza in Hiroshima on April 30; Wakabayashi-ku Bunka Center in Sendai on May 2; Sapporo Sunplaza Concert Hall in Sapporo on May 4; and NHK Hall in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, on May 6. Visit www.weavermusic.jp for more information.