Interview] JUNNA, celebrating the 5th anniversary of its debut this year, talks about its straightforward rock number "Kaze no Oto no Kiko ni Kikoinai" (I Can't Even Hear the Sound of the Wind)!

Following the release of "Umi to Shinju" (Sea and Pearl), JUNNA released the digital single "Taiyo no Kouroku" produced by Yuki Kajiura on December 22 last year, and the next single is already on its way to fans. It is "Kaze no oto no oto no meinai" (I can't even hear the wind), the opening theme for the TV anime "Rust Eater Bisco," which is currently airing on TV.
With lyrics by eijun of THE BACK HORN and music composed and arranged by R-O-N, the song is an upper rock tune that is more energetic than ever!　In the artist photo, JUNNA is wearing a black leather jacket, giving the impression of a more aggressive JUNNA.
In January, before the release, JUNNA held a live concert "JUNNA ROCK YOU TOUR 2022 ~I can't even hear the sound of the wind~", which was packed with all her charm. She decided to perform this new song in front of her fans as early as possible.
The year 2022 marks the 5th anniversary of her debut. Keep your eyes on JUNNA as they continue their journey!

The January tour started with "Here" and ended with "Sun's Passage"!

─ Right after the new year, the "JUNNA ROCK YOU TOUR 2022 ~I can't even hear the sound of the wind~," which is the title of this single, started. At the time of this interview, you have already finished performing at Zepp Nagoya on January 7 and Zepp Osaka Bayside on January 8. How do you feel about the response?

JUNNA I felt happy to be able to deliver songs directly to everyone right after the New Year. I was also thrilled to be able to feel the reaction to the new song "Kaze no Oto no Kiko E no Kiko Dekinai" as soon as possible.

─ Did you also perform coupling songs on the tour?

JUNNA Yes, we sang "Boku no Mukou" as well.

───What was the most impressive thing about the tour so far?

JUNNA We decided to play "Here" as the first song in this tour. And I took on the challenge of starting with me playing the song. It was impressive that I could feel everyone's reaction from the stage.

─ ─ It must be nerve-wracking to play the guitar from the beginning of the first song. You must have practiced a lot, didn't you?

JUNNA Yes, right up to the moment before the performance, I asked, "May I have 5 more minutes of your time?" and I was touching the guitar all the time. I hadn't played the guitar by myself since the first tour in 2017, so I was very nervous.

─ ─ The last leg of the tour will be in Tokyo, at Zepp DiverCity (Tokyo) on two consecutive days (January 19 and 20). By the time this interview is published, it will already be over.

JUNNA I think I am able to show a new me in the way I sing and stage each time I sing, so I hope those who are going to all the shows and those who are going to Tokyo only are looking forward to it.

─ ─ The last song chosen for this tour is "Taiyo no Kouroku," the ending theme for the final episode of the TV anime "The Pirate Princess," which was just released on December 22, and is also a new song, right?

JUNNA Yes, it is. I was happy that this song was played at the climax of the last episode, where the main character Fena's story ends and a new journey with everyone begins. I thought that many things were saved by the scene where "Passage of the Sun" was played.

─ As the title suggests, "Passage of the Sun" is a song full of hope and flows cheerfully, isn't it? I was moved by the ending full of happiness.

JUNNA I also cried when I saw the anime.

I sang "I can't even hear the sound of the wind" with the feeling of just going through with it.

JUNNA Now, let's talk about your new song "Kaze no oto to no oto wa kikoinenai," the opening theme song for the TV anime "Rust Eater Bisco," which started in January.

JUNNA I thought it was an intense song. I have tried my hand at this kind of song several times, but I think this is the first time for me to go this far. There is a rap part in the song, and I wondered if it would be okay (laughs). (laugh), but I thought that if I could sing this song well, I would be able to show a new side of myself.

───How did you end up choosing this song as the opening theme for "Rust Eater Bisco" from among several candidates?

JUNNA Yes, I actually sang to two candidate songs, and the director of "Rust Eater Bisco," Atsushi Ikaritani, listened to them and made his choice. He liked both songs, and one became the opening song, and the other became an insert song, which became "Fractal," the second song on the single.

─ Oh, so that's how it happened. The other song was also given a proper form.

JUNNA Yes.

JUNNA──Both songs are cool rock songs, but "I can't even hear the sound of the wind" written and arranged by R.O.N. is more solid.

JUNNA It is my first time. Of course, I have known his name and works for a long time, and I love him so much, so I was really happy to be able to sing R-O-N's songs. Unfortunately, I was not able to talk to him until after the recording was finished, but he praised my vocals, which made me very happy.

─ ─ What is your favorite part of the melody of "Kaze no no Honekimi Nogunai"?

JUNNA The song is cool because it has strong and weak parts in the high heat of the song. I thought that would be the best part of the song. Also, I think it is the rap. It was my first attempt, so I studied how to sing it even before the lyrics were written.

JUNNA──Did you have some kind of tentative lyrics?

JUNNA No, there were no lyrics. That made it more difficult to sing, and I felt like I was trained in the opposite direction. So, I was able to sing exactly as I imagined in the recording after the lyrics for the actual performance were completed.

───The lyrics were written by eijun (Eijun Suganami, guitarist of THE BACK HORN). What was your impression of the lyrics?

JUNNA The lyrics are just as I imagined when I asked him to write the lyrics, with each word piercing to the heart, and many four-letter idioms are used. I thought the lyrics were cool.

─ I also felt that there were a lot of four-letter idioms. Words such as "有象無象", "電光石石火", and "跳梁跋扈" create a hard image, which I think is cool.

JUNNA Moreover, I think they are well mixed with English to create a unique world view.

──How was the recording process?

JUNNA The part before the chorus where the song climbs from a low note to a high note was difficult, but the rest of the song was not so difficult. Especially in the chorus, I was able to sing with all my might.

I thought it was cool when I heard it! What I thought was cool was the last chorus, which has a high note that was not in the previous choruses.

JUNNA It's too high (laughs). (laughs) But I was excited when I sang it, and I am sure that the listeners will feel the same way.