Since
the last time this site encountered the Okinawan sextet of bassist
Mackaz, singers Maki and Yuuske, drummer Sassy and guitarists Kazuto
and Meg, they've released a couple of new albums and had a single used
as a Bleach anime theme song. That followed the use of their Pride
single as a Gundam Seed theme. "We had the single already written,"
Sassy said. "I think that the anime stories pretty much matched the
rock music. They liked us and they came to us - it fell into our laps."
Those theme songs are major steps toward a Japanese band's success,
since they expose a group to people who otherwise would not notice
them. And the songs can be considered among the best from the group
known for its collaborative effort - no single band member takes credit
for writing any song. "From the beginning, we had 20 songs together and
we worked out the best way for us," Yuuske said. High and Mighty color
is a little unusual in that the band has two lead vocalists with
contrasting styles, but that fits the group's hard-rock roots, with
Yuuske handling the metal vocals and Maki working the melodies. "I
always was a musician and sang since I was a child," Maki said. "Music
has always been around me, and to be a professional singer has been a
dream."
Maki
was the last piece of the puzzle to be added to High and Mighty Color,
put in the band because the other members realized they needed a female
vocalist. The rest of the members were school friends who formed
several groups until they agreed on the band's final form a few years
ago. Yuuske went to the same school as two other band members, and
"...they suggested `why don't you become a vocalist, it's good for
you.' So I became a vocalist." Sassi, also a school friend of band
members, "...used to play the guitar, but I wasn't into it. I switched
to drums and I said `this is it.'" Mackaz said he started on piano in
elementary school, and when his parents gave him a choice of a swimming
pool or a piano he chose the pool, until an infection sent him back to
music as a safer choice. "In high school, I played bass guitar in the
eighth grade," Mackaz added. Everyone said `I want to be in the band'
or `I want to buy a guitar.' I picked the bass guitar at the time." Meg
also had a friend who had musical dreams and insisted that "let's
become professionals together," but that friend went off to college and
stopped playing music.
Since
the last time this site encountered the Okinawan sextet of bassist
Mackaz, singers Maki and Yuuske, drummer Sassy and guitarists Kazuto
and Meg, they've released a couple of new albums and had a single used
as a Bleach anime theme song. That followed the use of their Pride
single as a Gundam Seed theme. "We had the single already written,"
Sassy said. "I think that the anime stories pretty much matched the
rock music. They liked us and they came to us - it fell into our laps."
Those theme songs are major steps toward a Japanese band's success,
since they expose a group to people who otherwise would not notice
them. And the songs can be considered among the best from the group
known for its collaborative effort - no single band member takes credit
for writing any song. "From the beginning, we had 20 songs together and
we worked out the best way for us," Yuuske said. High and Mighty color
is a little unusual in that the band has two lead vocalists with
contrasting styles, but that fits the group's hard-rock roots, with
Yuuske handling the metal vocals and Maki working the melodies. "I
always was a musician and sang since I was a child," Maki said. "Music
has always been around me, and to be a professional singer has been a
dream."
Maki
was the last piece of the puzzle to be added to High and Mighty Color,
put in the band because the other members realized they needed a female
vocalist. The rest of the members were school friends who formed
several groups until they agreed on the band's final form a few years
ago. Yuuske went to the same school as two other band members, and
"...they suggested `why don't you become a vocalist, it's good for
you.' So I became a vocalist." Sassi, also a school friend of band
members, "...used to play the guitar, but I wasn't into it. I switched
to drums and I said `this is it.'" Mackaz said he started on piano in
elementary school, and when his parents gave him a choice of a swimming
pool or a piano he chose the pool, until an infection sent him back to
music as a safer choice. "In high school, I played bass guitar in the
eighth grade," Mackaz added. Everyone said `I want to be in the band'
or `I want to buy a guitar.' I picked the bass guitar at the time." Meg
also had a friend who had musical dreams and insisted that "let's
become professionals together," but that friend went off to college and
stopped playing music.
