“― Sarah Recordsは大好きだし、正直に言って僕らはこの時代のバンドや音楽シーンに取り憑かれているんだ。僕らが友達に作るミックス・テープにはいつも、Brighterや、The Field Mice、St. Christopher、The Sea Urchins、Another Sunny Dayが入ってる。”
Interview & Translation by Masami Tsuchiya (Wallflower)
僕たちはみんなバンドを始める前は知り合いじゃなかったんだ。LorenとScottは2010年に初めて出会ったんだけど、その時ScottがThe Smithsの「Back to the Old House」をギターでカヴァーしていて。僕たちはすぐに友達になって、一緒に曲を書き始めることが出来たんだ。数年間は2人でライブをしていて、2012年にNikkiに出会ってからはドラムマシーン（Cameronと名付けたTR-606）を使ってライブをしていたよ。2013年にDanが加入するまでね。
― バンドを始めてからこれまでのストーリーを教えてください。
バンドを始めたばかりの頃からインディー・ポップのコミュニティーが僕たちを迎え入れてくれたのは、とてもラッキーだったんだ。オンラインでいくつかのデモをリリースしてから、Manic Pop Recordsが7インチ・シングルのリリースをオファーしてくれて、2013年の春にリリース。それから数年間は、Eternal Summers、Pains of Being Pure at Heart、Hibou、Nothing、Ringo Deathstarr、Mourn、Beach Fossilsのサポート・アクトとして地元で沢山のライブを経験したよ。僕らのこれまでの活動の多くは地元シカゴに留まっていたけど、ミシガンやミネソタのようなミッド・ウエストでのライブも経験したり、2014年にはDaytrotter Sessionのレコーディングにも参加したよ。2015年にいくつか新曲をリリースしてから、これまでに僕らのお気に入りのバンドをリリースしていたshelflife/fastcutからアルバム・リリースのオファーを得ることが出来たんだ。デビュー・アルバム『Lost World』をリリース出来るのは本当に嬉しいし、制作に時間が掛かってしまったことをファンの皆が気にしないことを願ってるよ。
– YoutubeでThe Field Miceの曲をカバーしている動画を見ました。メンバーはみんな、Sarah Recordsや80’s～90’sのインディー・ポップ・バンドが好きなのかな？あなたたちが影響を受けたバンドを教えてください。
ビデオをチェックしてくれてありがとう！Sarah Recordsは大好きだし、正直に言って僕らはこの時代のバンドや音楽シーンに取り憑かれているんだ。僕らが友達に作るミックス・テープにはいつも、Brighterや、The Field Mice、St. Christopher、The Sea Urchins、Another Sunny Dayが入ってる。The James Dean Driving Experienceや、Razorcuts、The Waltones、The Bodinesのような他のインディー・ポップ・クラシック/C86世代のバンドもお気に入りだよ。この時代のキャッチーな音楽はネット上で沢山見つける事が出来るし、古いジンを通じていつも新しいバンドに出会う事が出来るんだ。また、The Pains of Being Pure at Heartや、Fear of Men、Beach Fossils、The Drumsのような現代のバンドからも影響を受けているよ。
― Star Tropicsは2013年のNYC POPFESTに出演していましたよね。NYC POPFESTはどうでしたか？また、残念ながら今年は同フェスティバルが開催されませんが、この数年でインディー・ポップ・シーンはどのように変化したと思いますか？
POPFESTは最高だったし、誘ってもらえて本当に感謝してるよ。僕らは機材を全部詰め込んで、シカゴからニューヨークまで車で行ったんだ、途中でLorenの故郷のオハイオで仮眠を取ってね。このバンドを始めて本当に初期の頃の話だし、もう一度出演して、あれからどれだけ成長したか見せられたらなって思ってる。僕らの敬愛しているバンド達の出番の前だったから、すごくナーバスになっていた覚えがあるよ。Close Lobstersがリハーサルで「I kiss the flower in bloom」を演奏しているのを見たのはすごく非現実的だったし、あのツアーでお気に入りの思い出の1つかな。インディー・ポップ・シーンはすごく流動的で、ベテラン・バンドが特別な地位を持っている一方で、いつも新しいバンド達を迎え入れているように思う。いつも僕たちを迎え入れてくれるシーンの一部で居られることが誇らしいよ。
Panda Riot：僕らは愛を込めて彼らの事を盟友と呼ぶよ。彼らとライブをするのが大好きだし、僕らと通じるものがあるんだ。彼らはフックのあるドリーミーなシューゲイズ・ポップを書いていて、ギタリストのBrianが僕らの全シングルをレコーディングしてくれたんだ。彼らもこの夏に新しいレコードをリリース予定で、僕らも楽しみにしているよ。
Cassettes on Tape：僕らの初ライブは彼らと一緒だったし、彼らとは長い歴史があるんだ。彼らのサウンドはブリット・ポップを連想させるし、ヴォーカルの低い声は少しポスト・パンク的でもあるんだ。彼らはソングライティングがすごく巧くて、僕らはいつも彼らの新しい曲を聴けるのを楽しみにしてるんだ。
― Star Tropicsというバンド名は同名の古いファミコンゲームのタイトルから付けられたと思うのですが、どうですか？TVゲームをするのは好き？
実は、僕らのバンド名はインディアナ州の古本屋で見つけた占星術の本から取られたんだ。その本は埃まみれで、ほとんどのページはすでに破れているか失われていたんだ。僕らの手に渡るまで長い年月を（みすぼらしく）経ていたに違いなかった。何人かが教えてくれたから、同名のゲームのことは知っているけど、僕らと名前が一緒なのは偶然なんだ。・・だけど、LorenとScottは確かにゲームが大好きだよ。Lorenは、R-TYPEや、Tatsujin、雷電のような古いシューティング・ゲームを沢山プレイしてきたけど、ペルソナ・シリーズやThe Last Of USみたいな最近のゲームも好きなんだ。
“To say we like Sarah Records is a huge understatement to be honest as we are pretty obsessed with those bands and the music scene from that era. Bands like Brighter, The Field Mice, St. Christopher, The Sea Urchins, and Another Sunny Day always find their way onto mix tapes that we make for friends.”
Interview & Translation by Masami Tsuchiya (Wallflower)
-Could you introduce all your members?
Hello! We are Star Tropics from Chicago, Illinois. Scott plays lead guitar, Loren plays bass, Nikki plays rhythm guitar and Dan plays drums. Loren and Nikki share vocal duties, sometimes singing alone and sometimes together in harmony.
-When/How did you start Star Tropics? Had you guys already been friends in Chicago before you started the band?
We were all previously strangers before this band. Loren and Scott first met in 2010 when Loren overheard Scott playing “Back to the Old House’ by The Smiths on his guitar. They became friends really quickly and were able to start writing songs together right away. After playing together for a few years we met Nikki in 2012 and played with a drum machine (a TR-606 named Cameron) until we met Dan in 2013.
-Could you tell me the story of your band so far?
We were really lucky right from the beginning as the indiepop community was very welcoming to us. After releasing a few demos online we were invited to record a 7” for Manic Pop Records, which we released in the spring of 2013. Over the next few years we played a lot of local shows opening for bands like Eternal Summers, Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Hibou, Nothing, Ringo Deathstarr, Mourn, and Beach Fossils. While most of our history is still local to Chicago, we have played a few shows in other midwest states like Michigan and Minnesota, and we also travelled to record a Daytrotter session in 2014. After releasing some new songs in 2015 we were offered the chance to release an album on Shelflife/Fastcut, which was huge for us as they have released music from some of our favorite bands. We are very excited to release our debut album, Lost World, and we hope that our fans don’t mind that it took us so long to make it!
-I watched on youtube a video which you guys covered The Field Mice’s song. Do you like Sarah Records or 80’s-90’s indie pop bands? Could you explain the bands which you guys were inspired by?
Thanks for checking out that video! To say we like Sarah Records is a huge understatement to be honest as we are pretty obsessed with those bands and the music scene from that era. Bands like Brighter, The Field Mice, St. Christopher, The Sea Urchins, and Another Sunny Day always find their way onto mix tapes that we make for friends. Other classic indiepop/c86 bands like The James Dean Driving Experience, Razorcuts, The Waltones, and The Bodines are also favorites. That era was so rich with catchy music that digging around online and through old zines always yields a new band ripe for discovery. We are also inspired by contemporary bands like The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Fear of Men, Beach Fossils, and The Drums.
-Who is the songwriter of Star Tropics? How do you create songs?
Song writing duties are split between Loren, Nikki, and Scott. We never really have a specific way of writing as all of our parts seem to have been written in different orders for each song. Sometimes one person will write the majority of it, and other songs we each add different layers over time. No matter how the song comes together though, we always write the lyrics dead last. Sometimes a song will be almost completely done, with a melody too, and it will sit unfinished for weeks without actual lyrics. Maybe we are just shy about the words, I’m not sure why it happens this way.
-Are there any messages behind the title “Lost World“? Or do you have any concepts of this album?
The title was chosen for it’s ambiguity. It’s both aloof and beautiful, and we think it suits our music quite nicely.
-Star Tropics played in NYC POPFEST 2013. How was NYC POPFEST? Unfortunately, that festival doesn’t be held in this year. How do you think indie pop scene have changed in recent years?
Popfest was super fun and we were so thankful to be asked to play that year. We packed up all of our equipment and drove to New York from Chicago, while stopping to sleep halfway in Loren’s hometown in Ohio. This was so early-on in the band’s life that we would really love to go back to show how much we have grown. We were so nervous becauase we were opening for many bands that we loved. Watching Close Lobsters soundcheck ‘I kiss the flower in bloom” was so surreal and one of our favorite memories of that trip. The indiepop scene seems so fluid in that it’s always ushering in new bands while still holding a special place for the veterans. It’s a scene we are proud to be a part of as it has always been very welcoming to us.
-Could you talk a little about music scene in Chicago? Do you know any local bands you’d like to recommend?
The Chicago music scene is brimming with a lot of talented musicians and great bands. While a big chunk of the scene is Garage Rock minded, there are still many bands of other genres that give it a little more diversity. While we would love to recommend a million of them, a few that come to mind are:
Ne-hi : these guys write really great garage-pop songs and they just put out their second album. We don’t know them personally but we are big fans and would love to play shows with them (if they would have us, of course!).
Airiel : These guys write incredible shoegaze tunes and we just happen to share a practice space with them. Their live set is an absolute MUST as you really need to be there in person to actually feel how loud it can be.
Panda Riot: We affectionately refer to them as our band BFFs because we love playing shows with them and feel a kinship with them. They write dreampop-y shoegaze music with great hooks and their guitarist Brian has recorded every single song we have released so far. They are about to release a new record this summer as well and we are very excited to hear it.
Cassettes on Tape: We have a long history with these guys as we played some of our first shows with them. Their sound has a britpop feel to it, with a little bit of postpunk due to their singer’s low voice, and we always look forward to hearing their latest songs becauase they have a knack for great songcraft.
-I think your band name was taken by an old NES video game “Star Tropics”, wasn’t it? Do you love to play the video games?
Our name was taken from an astrology book that I found in a vintage book shop in Indiana. The book was super dusty and a good chunk of the pages were already torn out/missing. It must have lived a long (and possibly sordid) life before it made it’s way into our hands. We are aware of the game now as a few people brought it to our attention, but the name it shares with us is just a coincidence. But Loren and Scott definitely have a shared love of video games. Loren plays a lot of vintage shmups like R-Type, Tatsujin, and Raiden, but we also like modern games like Persona and The Last of Us.
-What kinds of images do you have about Japan? If you come to Japan in the future, Do you have anything in your mind you want to try?
We would absolutely love to come to Japan, that would be a dream come true to be honest. None of us have even been there before, so there would be so much for us to check out. We would love to see the cherry blossoms in springtime, the temples, the hot springs, and the beautiful architecture, among other things. Oh, and definitely Akihabara because we love electronics!
-Thank you for taking your time to interview with us! Last, could you give a message to your fans in Japan?
We appreciate our fans in Japan and we would love to tour there some day. We hope you enjoy the latest songs and please look forward to more as we are already writing our next batch :)
