Interview - Aya Kamiki

The anticipated 2nd mini album from Kamiki Aya, "Rock On", who released her first mini album, "Constellation", has arrived. The charm of the girl who delivers powerful vocals and overwhelming live performances has finally shown her true feelings in this album, and left an impression with the powerful 8 recordings. From hard rock tunes to piano ballads, with her variety of potential, we asked Kamiki Aya about this new work that lets us feel her unstoppable will to create.

Junko: You completed your 2nd mini album, "Rock On".

Aya Kamiki (Aya): I feel like the parts that took time are really complete. I sang with my own accompaniment, and tried writing my own songs. I think it's really concentrated.

Junko: In your previous work, it was said that you would only show one side, but what did you think you'd do with your second album?

Aya: Last time I stood on the start line and was just my 19-year old self... I figured I'd get out the life-sized me, but in September, I had my birthday and turned 20, so I figured I'd make something that would let everyone feel that big turning point. Different from my teens, now that I'm in my 20s, I think that there are a lot of different things outside of love. I sensed that and made this album.

Junko: In your first album, no matter what, the lyrics were all about love, but this time, even if it was the same love, it wasn't cute or the typical yearning, it felt like a part close to you that's really real.

Aya: All right! When I wrote I didn't think about anything (laugh). I'm the type who always puts the title on last, so this time I put on a title that related to the central theme, but wasn't in the lyrics. I twisted and twisted the setting and feelings and put my heart into making the songs, so it really did end up taking a lot of time.

Junko: One more thing from the lyrics... for your first, it was said that you thought you would send out the "human emotions". On top of your expression of feelings, what else has changed from your last work?

Aya: This time I might have thought that I should try to make it cooler. So, I tried to write in a more natural form. There were times I just couldn't write; it was a different feeling from my previous writers block. For a song, I'd say, "I'm going to write on this kind of theme", and then wrote based off the theme. When I wrote like that, I felt like I couldn't, find the words to express the theme well. Before, it was, "What'll I do?" and "What should I write?”

Junko: Why do you pick a theme you want to write on and then write that way?

Aya: When it came to the point where my first mini album became a CD... well, aren't the views from the maker and the views of the listener different? So, since I wanted to be harsh on myself, I took the buyer's point of view, and listened to the CD. When I did, I thought "Ah, this isn't good enough" or, "It's still bad" or, "From the beginning, until the end, if I just say, 'I love you', that's tiring". I thought, within that, if it's not sweet and bitter, it's boring. And while I'm saying that, I do love my first CD, of course. It's something that I worked my hardest to make, at 19 years old. But, my knowing that my 2nd would send out something even more, I figured I'd try to write it more honestly.

Junko: So, in that, do the lyrics for your self-made song "Amaze” give off a different feeling?

Aya: Well, of course, I wrote it myself (laugh). When you turn 20 you don't know what kinds of roads are ahead or what'll happen, right? Life isn't full of only good things, and what you'll do is up to you, so surely you get lost on the road. When you think of walking there, you get excited... I thought I'd write on that this time. As for which this song is, the image of the song is first. So, it was hard for sure, but making a song in my own image was fun.

Junko: This time you have piano rock, guitar rock, and a ballad at the end, for a very wide spectrum. It seems like you make your own rock with your freedom.

Aya: Of course. I think I'll never stop saying I'll do a lot of different things. If I did, I'd be boring, and I'd turn stupid (laugh). I think with doing lives, and making CDs, you need something that you enjoy. So I don't think the next one will be the same as this. Next time I won't make it as cool, and I might just make it how I feel at the time, I think that's the most important. And, since I think I'll make something good of it, I want to keep the real me in my sights and still be making music. If I decorate it, the threads will come out (laugh). I think being natural is the best.