Zy 42: An Cafe

This year, 2008, is the 5th year since the formation of An Cafe. Contrary to their pop appearance, their music and performance is always of high quality, and the band is always trying to improve. Such growth is incredible. But it was not all easy going for the band over these five years as they experienced many hardships, including member changes and a breakup. Looking back over their history, we talked to An Cafe about the band now!


When you first formed the band, I think that you had many dreams and aspirations so now, five years later, are you where you planned to be?

Miku: My way of thinking five years ago and my way of thinking now is totally different. I remember thinking back then that I wanted to be like a particular band that I liked, and I was always thinking about what I should do to become a band like that.

Teruki: Everyone was like that. I think that we started a band because of that; we wanted to be like a famous band.

Miku: I remember being really happy one day when someone told me that I was similar to an artist that I really liked. I was like, "Yeah!!"

kanon: We were just like high school students, making a band because we felt like it.

Teruki: Yeah, I think that we just enjoyed playing in a band.

I see. So what were Yu-ki and takuya doing at around that time?

Teruki: takuya had just entered senior high school.

takuya: Yes. At around that time, I entered senior high school and started playing the guitar.

At that time, did you want to become a professional guitarist?

takuya: No, not at all. I just enjoyed playing the guitar. I had not begun to think like that at all.

Yu-ki: I was in the 2nd grade of senior high school. It was the most fun time for me as I belonged to the school brass band and had lots of seniors and juniors who I played with. We even got the gold prize in a brass band competition.

Miku: What? Are you boasting? (All burst out laughing)

When you got the gold prize (laugh), did you think about becoming a professional musician at all?

Yu-ki: No. My future dream was not yet clear to me.

Teruki: Yeah, not yet.

Did you enjoy your normal student life?

Yu-ki: Yes. The school festival, for me, was the most fun.

So the both of you would have never imagined the present situation, right?

takuya: I had never imagined what I would be like after five years.

Well, let's go back to An Cafe in the beginning. As you yourselves have said before, over these five years you have really grown, both in your live performances as well as what you say in your interviews. (laugh)


Teruki: I think that we started right at the bottom. (laugh) The adults who had something to do with the band, like our manager and tour staff, taught us a lot. I think that they really thought about making our music grow in a good way.

Miku: I think that if the people we met along the way were different, then perhaps the present An Cafe would also be different.

I think that everything that has happened over the past five years is connected to the present An Cafe, but what event has left a lasting impression on you?

Miku: Well, first of all, I think meeting our manager. He said various things like, "I think that you should do this here." But I did not really listen to him at all at first. I remember him also saying, "This is more An Cafe." You know, when you do your own band, you have your own image so I did it the way I wanted to. But even so, he patiently said those types of things to me, again and again, and gradually I could see things more objectively. I had never thought about what An Cafe was up to that point until then. I remember that the band changed after "Shibuya no tiaran" (at Shibuya AX on May 1st , 2005) too. After the live, our manager said to us, "I am really ashamed to be the manager of An Cafe."

Wow! Really? That is kind of shocking.


Teruki: Before that, I think that we were kind of depressed. I think that we had hit a wall with audience numbers and that was the final stroke, I think.

Were you shocked too, kanon?

kanon: Um...

Teruki: Did you want to say, "Do I care?"(laugh)

Miku: Or maybe, "So why don't you just quit being the manager of An Cafe?" (All burst out laughing)

kanon: No, I just simply envied other bands.


For the rest of the interview, please refer to Zy 42.
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