[Exclusive] JpopAsia's Interview With flumpool

flumpool, a popular 4-member Japanese band, has had a busy time this year. On March 31st, the band began their "Because... I Am" tour, their 5th tour overall and their longest one to date. Over the past 6 months, flumpool has held 52 performances in 42 cities across Japan.

On July 11th, the band released their first new single of the year titled "Because... I Am", the theme song of their latest tour. The single sold thousands of copies, placing 3rd on the Oricon weekly singles chart.

With the "Because... I Am" tour and single behind them, the band looks forward as they get ready to release their upcoming single "Answer" on November 7th. Before this though, the band participate in a special concert event "A-Sketch Special Vol 2." in Singapore. JpopAsia had the opportunity to exclusively interview the band. Check out a short video intro and the full interview below:

Flumpool Video Message

Flumpool video message for the Singapore fans!

JPA: Out of all the songs that you have sung, what are your favorites and the reasons behind it?

flumpool: We choose “Because... I Am”, our latest song. The message of “believe in yourself, to have confidence” is very important; it is the main theme for this song. We really feel that even for us, our condition is not the best for LIVE performances or there may be things that are not going well for us in life, but of course, we need to have self-confidence in any time.
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JPA: Which countries would you like to visit and perform in?

flumpool: Frankly, we wouldn’t mind visiting any countries, as long as we can feel the culture of the country, like Singapore. Previously, we performed live in Taiwan, and we managed to experience the culture there as well.
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JPA: What are some of the biggest dreams that you have achieved through your music?

flumpool: During any live performances, to be able to convey the message of the song and connect with the hearts of the audience and fans, is really important.
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JPA: If you do not feel in the best condition during live performances, what do you do to gain the confidence that you need?

flumpool: Once the performance starts, everything begins to go well, even though we might have felt a little less than confident right before the performance. And because we are a band, we have each other to rely on if any one of us feels inadequate.
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JPA: With your experience, what would be your advice to teenagers who face difficult problems?

flumpool: Even for us, it is important to have self-confidence. During life, we all have some flaws. Take a marriage proposal for an example. Some of us may not be the best-looking, or be the smartest person, or any flaws, we all still need confidence. However, if you hesitate to tell a person how you feel, just because you are shy, you will never succeed. It’s the same for us. If we hesitate with our music, no matter how accomplished we are, we cannot succeed. There is no harm in trying.
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JPA: How has the release of “Because... I Am” changed your views on different matters?

flumpool: For this new release, we went on a tour in 52 cities for 5 months in Japan. This is the biggest tour that we have gone on. Throughout this tour, we tried to convey our messages and feelings to the fans, and made each performance the top priority, since we only had one single chance to connect with the fans and audience. We did our best for each performance. Through this kind of effort, for 52 times, we definitely have changed. We have gained so much more confidence in ourselves.
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JPA: Have you ever thought of playing different instruments?

Kazuki Sakai: I’ve tried playing the bass guitar, but I failed last time, so I’d like to try it again.

Seiji Ogura: Right now, I still need a lot of practice on the drums, so I don’t think I have enough time to learn a new instrument.

Genki Amakawa: I would like to try the drums as well!

Ryuuta Yamamura: Same goes for me!
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JPA: *To Seiji Ogura* I think you should teach all of them how to play the drums!

Seiji Ogura: That’s very expensive tuition fees! *laughter*