A photo of EGOIST performing live in Taiwan
ab: You have contributed theme songs to a number of TV and film anime. Since you first formed what have you come to treasure most?

chelly： Even when I've find myself thinking "this is impossible," or this track is too difficult and I'm not sure how I'm going to do it, the first thing I do is really try to "feel" the song. Then, even when I am singing it live, I can really feel how much love I have for the song. This process is something that has not really changed since I made my debut.

ab: You first started out while you were a teenager, right? Your singing style is still the same as when you first debuted. What kind of artists do you admire or look up to?

chelly： There isn't one voice that I am too fixated on, but maybe without realizing I have been influenced by the whispery tones you can hear in Hikaru Utada's voice. I think that style of singing is something I have picked up from her.

ab: What did you sing for your audition?

chelly: For part of the audition, I was allowed to pick whatever I like. So, I sang Ayaka's debut track. It was a song that I had a really strong connection to at that time.

ab: Do you listen to overseas artists much?

chelly: Yeah, the genre doesn't really matter to me; I listen to everything from major artists to underground performers.

ab: The B-side to "英雄 運命の詩 (Eiyu: Unmei no Uta)" is "Eiyu Fate's Song," which is sung in English. It was your first time recording an entire track in English, wasn't it? How did it go?

chelly: Yeah, it was. Well, it took longer than it does to record in Japanese! I was really committed to getting the pronunciation right, so we invited a person who is really good at English in to help me out. If you listen, I hope what I'm singing sounds fluent (lol). The English lyrics are slightly longer, and there are words in the Japanese song that do not match up with the English. I am the type of person that really tries to put emphasis into the words that I sing, so it was fun to listen and compare the subtle differences between the two versions.

ab: How interesting! Are there any tracks that you have been listening to a lot lately?

chelly: I absolutely love Hikaru Utada's track in that water advert, I'm listening to it all the time. It is not necessarily that I just like listening to a specific genre of music, I try to listen to something once, and if I like it I just keep on listening (lol)!

A photo of the 'Greeting Tour 2017 "E/A"'
ab： The ingenious live performances use the latest technology and motion capture cameras to make it appear that the main heroine "Inori Yuzuriha" from the TV anime "Guilty Crown" is on stage. It is kind of different to other artists' stage performances. What aspects of it are difficult to pull off?

chelly： I guess it's the same as other artists in terms of being able to listen closely to the reactions of the audience and that kind of thing, but it is not really possible to move around freely. The body markers (which read your body movements) feels a little stiff, but it is not too difficult. Other than that, it's hard to perform at outdoor music festivals. Also we're a bit limited in our actions (lol)!

ab：Have you ever performed live at an outdoor event?

chelly： No, not once! We haven't done a festival or anything like that. Preparing before an event is essential (for our performances), so it is not possible to suddenly swap things around. It is a little frustrating, as it is something I would love to do.

ab: chelly, do you put together the set lists?

chelly： Whenever we perform live we always have a concept or theme. For this 'Greeting Tour 2017 "E/A,"' we want to introduce ourselves to the audiences and showcase the new single. Because the track ties in with "Fate," there is a chance that some people in the crowd will be fans of the anime and not so familiar with EGOIST. That is why when we put together the set list we had to think about how to introduce people to EGOIST songs, so that they could get a feel for the type of tracks we make.

ab: Oh that's why you called the tour that! Is there anything that gets you going during the live performance?

chelly： My favorite EGOIST track is "Door." When it comes time for me to perform I can feel the excitement inside me start to build as it is kind of a quiet song! I put those feelings to the side for a little bit and just sing (lol)!

ab: Wow! Anyone planning to go and see EGOIST live had better listen carefully to how chelly sounds before and after the song "Door!"

chelly： Haha! Yes, definitely (lol)!

ab: EGOIST has performed solo in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. What is it that you look forward to when you go abroad to perform?

chelly：It is always great to see the reaction to a new track. The responses are slightly different to what you get from a Japanese audience, so it is interesting to keep an eye out for that while performing.

ab: Inori is such a popular character for cosplayers to dress up as overseas! Do any of your audience come in cosplay costumes?

chelly: I can't go out on stage, so I haven't seen them directly, but our staff have taken photos with cosplayers dressed as Inori and showed them to me. In Japan, there are also people who turn up to our shows in cosplay costumes. And in Taiwan, too! The costumes are pretty daring, but everyone looks amazing!