🟥 This article is translated from Japanese.

It's a great listening experience. The Vines' highly anticipated second album "Winning Days". I knew from their debut album "Highly Evolved" that they had a lot to draw from and a lot of depth to offer, but this time they have added to that strength a clear vision of "giving shape to what they want to do," which makes this album even more powerful. Of course, it's fun to listen to, but it's so rich in content that it makes me feel light-headed when I finish listening to it.

Compared to "Highly Evolved", which presented various types of songs one after the other in a dizzying manner like a box lunch, saying "this is all we have", this album is generally organized with the first half being the "dark and heavy side" and the second half being the "mellow and folky side". The first half is "dark and heavy side" and the second half is "mellow and folky side. However, the first half of the album and the second half of the album are just a general idea, and each song has its own unique expression, and the whole album is as diverse as a kaleidoscope.

The vocals and harmonies are even richer than on the previous album, and the band's sound is more flexible and muscular than on the previous album, which is a big attraction of this new album. The songwriting is solid, of course, and the album is full of hooky melodies and riffs. The arrangements, which make the most of them, effortlessly coexist with a 21st century edge and a nostalgic universality, and the flexibility cultivated by their "omnidirectional musical diplomacy", which does not deny any kind of music, works to the fullest.

In particular, the second half of the album, which begins with the title tune "Winning Days" opening the door to the rest of the album, is wonderfully rich, with Craig Nichols' beautiful vocals and chorus spreading out, and strings and mellotron featured. The sound is emotional and moving. The sound is emotional and moving, and it makes me feel warm and sad.

It had been a long time since I offered to do the interview, and I was about to give up on this month's deadline when I managed to capture Craig on his cell phone while he was on the move in Los Angeles. Although the reception was poor and the content somewhat lacking in concentration, it should be enough to convey Craig's pure excitement towards music after finishing the first world-famous album of 2004.

• Compared to the first album, which was more like a best album, the second album has a more focused impression. 

Craig: Yeah, I think it's more focused on what we wanted to do. Musically, what we wanted to do was... express the songs. We're that kind of band. The songs are what make up the band. Well... I mean... it's like a painting. I write the lyrics, so the content is personal, but it's not an autobiography. I'm just writing a story. It's fun to create, no matter what it is. In the future, We want to be a rock band that makes concept albums.

• I'm looking forward to that. Compared to the previous album, this second album seems to have been made with a more holistic approach.

Craig: I think its balance is really good. I think it's a true representation of who we are now and what we want to do musically. I didn't want to layer too many instrumental parts this time. I tried to keep it as simple as possible. But I'm proud to say that I was able to put in a lot of interesting vocal parts.

• The first half of the album is dark, loud and noisy, while the second half is calm and mellow. What were your intentions for this?

Craig: There's no real reason for it, I just thought it was the best order for the songs. There's a lot of variety in the songs on this album, and I think it's kind of a journey. That's why I like this album so much. If I can take the listener on a journey, that would be great!

• For each song, the more intense ones are more intense, the more mellow ones are more mellow, and the expression is more polished and deeper.

Craig: Consciously, we play in a band format, but when we play as a band, we don't tell ourselves, "Okay, let's play a heavy song," or "Let's make a mellow song," or "Next, let's write a ballad." It's not a conscious thing. It's just what a band really is. We listen to a lot of different music, so we just want to bring what we've learned from that into our songs. Because I think it's more interesting that way. It's boring to do the same thing over and over... Well, I don't know how it's going to go in the future.

• I felt that the band ensemble has become much richer, probably due to the tour. Was there a specific moment when you realized the growth of the band?

Craig: When the album was almost finished. We have a better understanding of a lot of things. For example, the details of how we record. We've always been interested in that kind of thing, but this time we were able to record the songs ourselves. It's a very satisfying feeling right now.

• Each sound has its own meaning, sharpened yet playful... "solid and rich" is the impression I get.

Craig: Yes, it is. Most of the time, I have a clear vision of what I want the song to sound like. I think there's something magical about a song played with just three chords.

• So, the simpler the better, the more eloquent?

Craig: Well... I don't think you can say that in general, but I do think that songs with complex recording techniques and deep lyrics can be good. I think it's just a matter of personal preference. What you think is best is what you think is best. It's important to have a song that you can relate to. It doesn't matter if it's simple or not.

• One thing that stands out is the great vocalization. Whether it's the expressiveness of the vocals or the chorus work, you must have approached the vocals quite differently on this album than on the last one.

Craig: Well... not really. When we did the first album, we wanted to have a different feel to the vocals on every song. And I had the same idea in my head when I was recording this one. I wanted to express the ideas I had in my head when I was writing the songs to the best of my ability.

• Personally, I thought it could have ended with the folky and generous "Sun Child," but it ended with "Fuck the World. Why did you choose to end the album on a wild and loud note with "Fuck the World"?

Craig: Well, we had to end the album at some point. I went with that one because I thought it had the best message to end the album with.

• I see. What about the first song, "Ride"? I imagined it as an invitation to go somewhere with the music of The Vines. The whole album is an invitation to go somewhere else. Is there a sense that the whole album is about seeking "somewhere other than here" or "something that's not enough"?

Craig: I guess so. Sometimes I exaggerate the lyrics, but sometimes I really mean it at the time. So... yeah, I guess I do have those feelings. But some of the songs are just poetry, they don't really express my personal feelings. It's not that I wanted to write something negative, and I don't want the listeners to feel that those are negative songs. It's just... when I get those feelings, I try to overcome them by writing songs. Well, we just want people to have fun, and we want to make an album that people will enjoy.

• Whether it's Supergrass or Stereophonics, bands that get off to a good start tend to grow in a mellow, acoustic direction. Even though you guys have always had that side of you, your new album has a noticeable evolution in that direction, doesn't it?

Craig: As I get older, I feel less and less anger. And you realize that an acoustic guitar can sound just as cool as an electric guitar. No, sometimes they can sound even better than electric guitars. I don't know what direction we're going to go in, we could go acoustic or we could go the other way around.

• This album is the first time for the four of us to work together as a band. Isn't this the first time you were able to express yourselves as a four-piece band?　Do you feel like that debut album was a trailer?

Craig: I don't know... it's hard to say. If we could redo that album... Well, we did 80% of what we wanted to do on that album. Well... I don't know, maybe only 5% (laughs). But I think it was good. One thing I can say for sure is that every time I make an album, I'm so grateful to be able to do it. We don't want to waste a single minute in the studio, so we complete songs, lyrics, and arrangements, we complete everything before we start recording. We do this for the art. We don't do this for money or fame. Of course we're in that world now, but our work is very abstract.

• The success of your debut album has given you more freedom, but is it hard to get too crazy sometimes?

Craig: Yeah... but we're just a bunch of guys who like music. We just enjoy listening to music, seeing other bands live, and hearing other bands play. And we're happy to be part of a band that's doing this. We don't really have any control over how successful we are. We can't control how successful we are. Maybe we can control how much success depends on us, but... I don't think about success too much. What's important is that we are comfortable with what we are doing. We want to keep doing what we're doing because we believe in our music, and... well... we want people to listen to our music, of course, but we don't want to die trying to fit in with everyone else's taste. In other words, I wanted to say that I don't want to work until I collapse. I don't mean that I'm really going to die or anything like that. Death is a sensitive subject, so you have to be careful.

• Yes. What was the most important thing you took away from the success of your debut album, despite the stress of long tours and traveling?

Craig: The ability to continue to be a band. And we can put all of our energy into the band. Nothing's really changed. It was the same then and it's the same now, it's all an illusion. The only thing that's real is the music.

• On the other hand, what have you lost, if anything?

Craig: Not really. We didn't break up and we were able to make a second album. We...we...we love what we do. By the way, just because we're successful doesn't mean we can do whatever we want or do anything differently. We don't live in that world. I'm doing this phone interview from Hollywood, and I'm not interested in the world... that this city represents. You know what I mean?　

• Yeah, I know. For the past two years, you have been working as "professional musician" for better or worse. So has your attitude toward music changed in any way?

Craig: Yeah. Because it's always changing. And that's the great thing about music. It's always changing, and that's what keeps me inspired.

• What is it exactly?

Craig: Hmmm... I'll try to think about it... I still think music is great, and I enjoy writing songs and making music as art, and I feel there is a lot of potential in the act of writing. It's something I'd like to explore more and more in the future. 

• You also do art, such as the artwork for your albums. What is the difference between music and art in terms of self-expression?

Craig: A drawing or painting is something you can see, but it doesn't move. You don't move from it, and I think that's a good thing. I think that's the good thing about it, though, because when you're looking for movement, it can get a little stilted. Music exists beyond time and space, but its weakness is that it is invisible. So they're both long and short. I've been thinking about creating something that combines the two, but it's a pretty crazy idea, so it's still a long way off from being a reality. I'd like to do it after I'm no longer in the band.

• Why are you focusing on music instead of art at the moment?

Craig: I don't know why... Maybe I've loved to sing since I was a kid...? I don't know... I guess because it feels good. It's a calming act. Maybe it's because you can experience so many different emotions depending on the type of music. And the best part is that it makes you feel powerful. It's a great feeling to be able to perform in a cool way. 

• Your music has a lot of different elements, but so far not much of the electronica type. Are you attracted to music that is made by human hands?

Craig: Yeah, I really like guitar, but I'd like to try to incorporate more electronica into my music. I'm not very good at recording with computers and stuff at this point... I want to do that in a little while. But there's a little bit of that on this album too, although it's mostly guitar and a little bit of keyboards.

• Do you think there is still a lot of potential in guitar rock?

Craig: I don't know. I'm not trying to be pessimistic...there have always been rock bands, and there will always be rock bands. The more bands there are, the more opportunities there are to meet good bands. Rock music can mean many different styles of music, right? I like the Chemical Brothers, I like Supergrass. They were a little strange at times, but they were still good music, so I liked them. The music that's popular at the time changes all the time, and the music itself changes in many ways. And people have different ways of naming music. We don't really think about what kind of music it is. If it's good music, we listen to it. So we don't care what the media says. We don't care if it's well-received or not, and we don't care about the trends and movements of the time. I just do what I want to do. I think it's much better than recycling existing pop music. 

• So what are your goals for the future? What are your visions for the next five to ten years? 

Craig: Well... I think by then we'll have broken up and I'll be working on my solo project. That would be nice.

• What? Are you saying that this band won't exist in five years? 

Craig: I don't know for sure, but I think so. I think we'll be together for a few more years, but... well, maybe five more years. At least I hope so. I want to live healthy so that the band can continue for that long (laughs).

• What? (laughs).

Craig: No, I'm serious. It's not like we're in any kind of danger right now, but we're always afraid of death.

• I see... What do you think is the most ideal form of "growth" in your music career?

Craig: To be able to eat three meals a day. Drinking lots of water and sunbathing at least once a day.

• Haha I guess you say that you can do something normal. What's your ideal growing band?

Craig: Supergrass. I have a lot of respect for them. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is good too... There are a lot of other bands doing great things. Other than that... well... sorry, I'm blank. 

• (laughs) What do you want to express through this band now? 

Craig: Immaturity. Intelligence. Childlike selfishness.

• Huh.

Craig: No, that's not true. I just put a few words together. It's not like we're trying to express anything. We're just singing our songs. And our songs don't really have a message. It's just a song. If we had something to say, we'd be doing something else. We want to be responsible, of course, but we're also very reckless. We're just trying to find the right balance between the two.