Mere seconds into Japanese pop group Atarashii Gakko!’s latest tour cease on the Hollywood Palladium, all the sold-out crowd seems captivated by the foursome.
Clad in retro college outfits, the group, comprised of members Mizyu, Rin, Suzuka and Kanon, command the stage, performing distinctive pop anthems and complicated choreography. Atarashii Gakko! has had an undeniably spectacular yr thus far between attention-grabbing Coachella performances, a U.S. late-night tv look and a brand new album. Their international profile has solely been rising since their worldwide debut in January 2021 below 88rising.
Final December, the group made their U.S. tv debut on Jimmy Kimmel Reside! with a efficiency of their international breakout hit “Tokyo Calling.” The extreme track, with equally intense choreography, is directly a call-to-action and a have a look at the disillusions of on a regular basis life, with the lyrics: “Dad’s caught within the grind, the job’s grip is appalling / Brother’s chained to the display screen, at his wits finish at school / Mother’s escaping actuality, hooked on idols.”
Hours earlier than the group purchased the October L.A. crowd to their toes, Atarashii Gakko! sat down with The Hollywood Reporter. The highly effective four-piece group, talking by way of a translator, says they hope followers world wide see them as, in literal translation, a hopeful mild. In additional metaphorical phrases, Atarashii Gakko! hopes to be the sunshine on the finish of the tunnel for a lot of world wide by way of their music and performances.
Under, the group discusses what private expression means to them, why their music interprets to a worldwide viewers and their objectives for the longer term.
How has the tour been?
SUZUKA It was a first-time expertise for all of us, however we had nice help from everybody and so we made certain to placed on nice performances. We needed to exhibits as soon as per each two days or so, and we deal with placing on nice performances.
As a gaggle, you had been based on this concept of pushing in opposition to norms and private expression. What does that imply to you as people and members of the group?
SUZUKA We really feel like our regular is sort of a bit boring, so we constantly consider the best way to transcend that. That goes into it, relating to making our performances, but additionally in our on a regular basis lives as properly. “How can we take pleasure in our moments as a lot as doable?”
Atarashii Gakko!
Courtesy of Atarashii Gakko!
You’ve discovered success on a worldwide scale, which isn’t at all times straightforward. Why do you assume your music interprets so properly to a worldwide viewers?
RIN We really debuted abroad throughout COVID, so our debut was really through the web. We really assume possibly that has kind of a catch as properly our debut by way of the web, discovering us by way of social media. Perhaps that’s a method that showcases our uniqueness in addition to our ardour. We additionally assume we’re in a position to captivate the gang by way of… We really feel just like the followers may see us as nearly iconic characters in a way. We expect the followers see us from several types of views somewhat than only one from one lens.
As you had been in a position to begin touring once more, did you discover that it was totally different to play in entrance of world crowds?
SUZUKA There’s undoubtedly an enormous distinction within the sense of seeing it from the stage. [In] Japan, ever because you’re little, you’re being taught a way of collectiveness, a way of unity. If we ask the viewers to do one thing, they do it collectively. Whereas over right here or abroad, everybody has a way of individuality, so everybody’s having fun with it in their very own method. It’s nearly like watching a carnival.
What was your Coachella expertise like?
SUZUKA Coachella is certainly a competition that all the world focuses on, and all the world is aware of about. The size of it, all the environment was undoubtedly one thing intense, thrilling. This tour [the AG! Calling Tour], the set checklist that we’ve been taking part in, the bottom, the muse was really set there. The set checklist that we’re taking part in proper now, was really ready for that originally, for the Coachella efficiency. I believe the Coachella efficiency was the place we first showcased AG! from Japan. That idea, that’s the place we set the muse for that. I believe the Coachella efficiency was undoubtedly type of like the beginning of 2024, and the place we actually felt like, “Oh, that is the beginning of one thing massive taking place.”
Talking of the beginning of one thing massive taking place, “Tokyo Calling” looks like a turning level for you, by way of international recognition, at the least. What has it been wish to expertise the total life cycle of that track, from when it was launch till now?
RIN It’s actually cool to have the ability to see how the reactions from the AG! followers, in addition to simply different listeners have turn out to be an increasing number of huge. It’s really beginning to type of match the sample or match what we had been imagining the track would turn out to be after we initially launched it. Tokyo is a metropolis that represents Japan, so ever since we created the track, we knew that it will, or I suppose, the hope was that it will turn out to be this huge track and an intense track. The picture is we’re operating in the direction of the longer term. There was a way of figuring out that it will turn out to be massive. After we see all these followers scream “we’re marching” all through the track, it’s simply very, I suppose — for lack of a greater time period — cool. To see how far it’s come.
Atarashii Gakko!
@jamesbaxter
What do you hope your followers take out of your music and from you as performers?
SUZUKA, RIN, KANON and MIZYU Actually, so long as they obtain our vitality. In a great way, we wish to depart it as much as them. It’s actually as much as them how they obtain our music, how they obtain our performances. We consider our performances are one thing distinctive to us. Solely the 4 of us can re-create it. We would like to have the ability to ship that vitality to the world, and we’re nonetheless on an journey that we will’t even think about. We’re nonetheless occurring journey. There’s actually that Japanese phrase, omakase, which implies depart it as much as you. We wish to depart it as much as them, and all through all through all these abroad excursions, we see all of the totally different followers are having fun with the live shows, having fun with the performances in their very own methods. There are some followers which can be crying, there are some followers which can be vibing and so they’re dancing a lot, they’re not even watching the present. [Laughs]. We simply need them to take pleasure in it in their very own free methods so long as they’re having fun with our vitality.
What are your objectives for the yr forward?
KANON It’s our tenth anniversary subsequent yr, so we undoubtedly wish to do one thing there, so we’re serious about that. We went on quite a lot of abroad excursions this yr. After we return we’re really occurring a tour round Japan as properly, however subsequent yr we undoubtedly don’t wish to cease going abroad.