An up-and-coming rising star of the J-pop world Yui Nishio is here, bringing folk-style and feel-good music to everyone. Anime Corner had the chance to talk with the artist, delving into her musical journey and exploring her connection with anime and manga.
Q: To start off, we’d like to learn more about your path towards becoming a musical artist. What led you to it, how did you get to where you are today?
A: I started my career as “Yuinishio” in 2016. I’d just entered university that year and wanted to form a band, but I was shy and couldn’t talk to people, so I started singing with my guitar anyway, which was the beginning of Yunishio. I wondered if the singer-songwriter style was my thing, but here I am.
Q: How do you stay inspired and motivated during the songwriting and production process? You compose and write lyrics too – not a small feat!
A: The songs I create are born from the fabric of daily life, and I draw inspiration from my daily experiences, identifying what I feel comfortable with and what I don’t like as I navigate through life. I tend to get inspirations when I take a bath and walk. The reactions of my friends and listeners when they listen to my music give me motivation. Even in the face of negative feedback, my competitive spirit kicks in, compelling me to strive for improvement with the thought, “I’ll create an even better song,” and that’s motivation for me as well lol
Writing lyrics and composing music is undoubtedly hard work, but I feel so indebted to the arrangers who arrange the music for me!
Q: Could you walk us through on your approach to coming up with the lyrics for your songs?
A: I always jot down my thoughts and feelings as I go about my daily life on my iPhone, documenting even trivial things that might never make it into a lyric. When I notice connections between these fragments of writing, I weave them together to form lyrics. When I create an anime theme song, I immerse myself in the original manga to extract/write down my own interpretations and insights to shape the draft lyrics.
Recently, I have been jotting down memorable phrases from books I read in bullet-point form on the left page of my notebook, and later writing out essays related to the book’s content on the empty right page. While this process may not directly yield lyrics, I value the opportunity to input and output on a daily basis.
Q: Among many musical genres, what drew you towards folk and funkier pop styles?
A: Originally, I liked simplistic songs with minimal notes, so I often listened to Japanese folk songs and bossa nova for their inherently uncomplicated soundscapes. Gradually, I began to like songs with richer notes that are rhythmical, leading me to listen to genres like funk and R&B.
Q: Do you have a favorite instrument?
A: I normally play the guitar but I like the piano. I’ve been playing the piano since I was 4, so it feels like a long-time friend.
Q: If you could collaborate with any musical artist, Japanese or not, who would it be?
A: If Japanese, I’d love to collaborate with artists like Gen Hoshino, KUKIKODAN, Asako Toki, and yeye. If overseas, Benny Things and Phum Viphurit.
Q: Can you share a memorable moment from your career so far that has had a significant impact on you as an artist?
A: Last year, I had a live performance in Taiwan for the first time. I believe most of the audience didn’t hear of or see Yui Nishio for the first time until then. But they waved their penlights and clapped in rhythm to cheer me on. As a result, it livened up the live performance, and it made me very happy. What’s more, all my CDs were sold out at the venue on the day. It was the first time for me that all the CDs were sold out at a live concert. Despite having different languages and cultures, I enjoy being able to communicate through music, and that made my first overseas performance such a wonderful memory.
Q: Given you performed the opening for both seasons, how familiar were you with the Banished from the Hero’s Party series before the anime premiered?
A: I don’t usually read light novels, so I started out not knowing what kind of work it was. But you know, the title of the work explained it all so it was helpful haha
Q: Do you watch anime or read manga/light novels in your spare time?
A: Not light novels really, but I often watch anime and read manga. My favorite anime are Love Live! School Idol Project, Sweet Blue Flowers, and Odd Taxi. As for manga, I like the works by MAKIHIROCHI and Chica Umino.
Q: What was your reaction upon learning that your song was chosen as a theme for an anime for the first time?
A: I was of course truly happy, but at the same time, I felt anxious because my songs don’t sound very much like anime theme songs. Since it was my first tie-in, I got really enthusiastic.
Q: You also performed the ending song for Reborn to Master the Blade. Since that was an ending song, did you take a different approach than you did with the opening theme songs?
A: I thought that unlike the opening theme, it didn’t necessarily have to closely mirror the storyline, so I focused more on creating a soothing sound and crafting lyrics that could be easily enjoyed. I view the song’s approach as akin to a character song, reflecting the personalities and lives of the characters.
Q: Is there an anime franchise you would love to perform a theme song for someday? Or perhaps a manga that hasn’t been adapted yet?
A: I want to create theme songs if food-themed works are animated, like “She Loves To Cook, And She Loves To Eat,” “What Did You Eat Yesterday?” and “Happiness comes from eating, sleeping and waiting.”
Q: Your music often has an upbeat and uplifting vibe. Can we expect any surprises or a new sound in your future work?
A: There’s nothing particular that I could share yet, but I’d love to write a song with strings.
Q: Now that you’ve released multiple albums, singles, and contributed to various anime series, what’s next for Yuinishio?
A: I haven’t made a music festival debut yet, and my goal is to perform at many festivals both in Japan and abroad.
Q: Any message to international fans who enjoy your music?
Thank you for listening to my music! I’m grateful that you enjoy my songs in a language that’s different from your usual one. I hope to perform live overseas someday. When that happens, please come and see me!
Yui Nishio is a singer-songwriter who made her major debut in October 2022 in Nippon Columbia with the release of their first full album “tasty city”. Her songs “Beautiful Day” and “Routine Life” were chosen as the opening songs for both seasons of Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside TV anime.
In January 2023, her song “Selfhug Biglove” was the ending theme song for the Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire TV anime. She also has been selected for Spotify’s “EQUAL JAPAN.” You can listen to her songs on her YouTube channel and follow her on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) for more updates.