END OF THE WORLD aka SEKAI NO OWARI

Posted by: Meikee Magnetic , August 15, 2016

End of the World aka Sekai No Owari’s long road to global super stardom started with the four friends being selected to create the theme song for the highly anticipated Attack On Titan film, a live-action adaptation of the immensely popular Japanese manga and anime series. While this opportunity helped them expand their fan-base overseas, they still face a variety of challenges, especially in the United States, where music consumers have notoriously fleeting tastes. However, Fukase, Nakajin, Saori, and DJ Love are confident that if they remain true to their sound, while also being open to experimenting in their songwriting, they’ll achieve the same success around the world that they’ve enjoyed at home.

Interview by Meikee Magnetic – Special thanks to Daniel Merlot

Where were you born and where do you live now?
Nakajin: I was born and raised in Japan, and I still live here. Lately I’ve been fortunate to have more opportunity to travel overseas, and have less time to spend back at home. Each country has its own character. I have many new favorite countries, it’s been really nice.

Are you excited to be performing for the 1st time in Hollywood? What is your feeling right now?
Saori: I’m really excited! It’ll be our first time to perform a set all in English and of course I’m feeling nervous but we’ve been practicing a lot. I’m especially looking forward to playing at an intimate venue where we have the audience right in front of us.

Fukase, what have you learned about yourself since forming the band?
I went though a hardship in the past and felt like my world was ending, so I decided to re-start from the end which is the reason why we call the band “End Of The World”. I still can’t do anything without my members, and I’m a coward. I thought I hadn’t changed at all since, but when I have my band members with me I can sing in front of tens of thousands of people like a real singer.

I hear you have a very close relationship with one another, what do you mean to each other?
Nakajin: Saori and Fukase have known each other since kindergarten, Fukase and I were in the same primary school. DJ LOVE and Fukase met in high school. We’ve spent so much time together now it feels like we are family. At the same time, we respect one another with musical sense and also compete with each other like rivals.

What do you wish to achieve in your lifetime?
Fukase: I want to deliver our music to everyone all over the world, by doing so we can travel the world together and make beautiful memories together. That’s what I wish to do.

DJ Love, tell us about your role with the band and how you incorporate your sound into the songs?
DJ Love: I’m a DJ in the band. During the recordings I’m in charge of selecting sounds and instruments.

Saori, you are a beautiful pianist! I also hear you have a big part in your live show stage production. What was the most difficult stage prop that you incorporated in your show and why?
Saori: Thank you! I’m honored. Haha. Like you said, I take a lead on the stage production. There have been countless difficulties but to mention one out of all I think it was when we performed at Japan’s largest venue Nissan Stadium. We decided to fly a huge flying object and drop light parachutes from it but because of the weather we couldn’t make it work at the rehearsal. This was definitely one of the most challenging plots we’ve ever done, luckily though it was successfully done at the concert. CLICK HERE TO WATCH

What places in the United States have special meaning to you and why?
DJ Love: We’ve visited LA and NY the most so those are the two cities that means the most for us. By the way In and Out and Shake Shack are definitely very important to me.

What does Dark Beauty mean to you?
In terms of creative process, I see importance of beauty within the dark. Our song “SOS” is about screams in the sound of silence.

SEE THEIR UNITED STATES DEBUT LIVE SHOWS:
Aug 17 at The Roxy Theater (Los Angeles)
Aug 23 at The Bowery Ballroom (New York)