An Interview with LM.C in France

While in France for their European tour this past February, LM.C took some time out of their schedule to talk to JaME about the tour, their musical influences and how they started playing music.


Maya, you have a good ear and a good accent when you speak in French.

Maya: I was often told.
Aiji: But nobody has ever told you that.

Yesterday, the audience honestly said it was very easy to understand.

Maya: Oh, that’s true!

Were you surprised that the audience replied in Japanese once you handed the mic to them?

Maya: Actually, it’s amazing that people understand. (laughs) Does it mean that people study Japanese?

At French universities, students can follow Japanese courses and often there are around 200 students per year.

Maya: (very surprised) Ohhh!!

How did you feel about yesterday’s performance compared to the ones in Japan and the others in Spain and Italy?

Maya: At the very beginning, I thought French people were a bit serious and well raised, and I also thought they looked down on us. But that wasn’t the case, they knew our songs very well, the lyrics and the universe of the band, and that shocked us a lot. The gap between what we think and the truth really surprised us, that was great.

Why did you use a sample of We Will Rock You by Queen?

Maya: Actually it’s not really a sample. We thought of a rhythm that could give that kind of atmosphere and that would turn up the heat, and that’s what came out. So it’s more of an allusion. We didn’t use the song itself, but we just reproduced the rhythm like a tribute.

What exactly are your musical influences? We can see that you just don’t want to put up borders and take a bit from each style.

Aiji: (thinks) I began listening to electro music without lyrics, and then I started to listen to songs, but I really love everything. I don’t have a particular artist that I like, I listen to Michael Jackson, Madonna, etc.

And when you started, did you play the guitar immediately? Were you already thinking about starting a rock band?

Maya: I’ve been influenced by X and LUNA SEA and the whole Japanese scene, but I started this with LM.C.
Aiji: Actually, I started with music through singing. When I began playing the guitar, I suddenly started to compose and I didn’t do any covers, so I cannot really say that I’ve been influenced by someone. But when I sang I was influenced by artists like Kate Bush and Cindy Lauper.

So you don’t want to change roles to have fun?

Aiji: I started playing the guitar when I was 18 or 19, so it’s been a long time.
Maya: We already do it in CHEMICAL KING-TWOON. We don't know that we will do it again later, it will depend on the inspiration or on the songs we want to do. But why not?

Are you planning to shoot a video during your tour?

Aiji: No, it’s not planned. Why?

Artists like MUCC, for example, shoot during lives.

Maya: Ah no, it’s not expected, but it sounds interesting.

What did you think about France, and what have you seen until now?

Maya: Everyone was cute, and while looking at the audience singing we thought they were really great people.

I hope it’s the same in other countries too.

Maya: As for now, it’s fine. (laughs)

Do you have a short message for your French fans?

Maya: I hope to see you again soon. In the meantime, listen to our albums again and again and thank you for the lives in Montpellier and Paris, they were really great and it will be a beautiful memory for us.
Aiji: This time we did two shows in France, one in Montpellier and one in Paris. Right now, we cannot promise 100 percent, but I really hope to be able to come here again, so look forward to us. And thanks again.

Thanks to you.

Aiji & Maya: (in French) Thank you.


We would like to thank Sae from Soundlicious for the translation, Philippe for his help and also the group for their availability.