Interview with former Chatmonchy Eriko Hashimoto Talking about her first solo album after "Completion" [Electronic version limited version]

Former Chatmonchy vocalist and guitarist Eriko Hashimoto (38) = from Tokushima City = has released her first solo album "Burning A Diary" after the band disbanded. She has recorded all 10 songs produced from the dissolution in July 2018 to the present. In the album "I made it with the fuel of everyday events and feelings written in my diary" (Mr. Hashimoto), she is challenging a new band sound with talented musicians as support members. She asked Mr. Hashimoto to look back on the days after Chatmonchy's "completion" and to hear her thoughts and commitment to her first solo work, which is the beginning of a new activity for herself.

-Please look back on the 3 years and 5 months after the completion. At that time, I hadn't decided what was completed. However, if I kept writing down what I was interested in in my daily life, I started thinking about making a song. But at that time, I wasn't thinking about doing solo or releasing an album at all, it was just like making it. I thought it would be more burned out and I wouldn't do anything, so I think it was surprisingly quick to make and release an album like this.

-What made you decide to release an album? The number of songs was so large that I could make an album, so I decided to make one. But rather than wanting to do it solo, I wanted to record properly. Because I recorded only the song "Ah, so, ka" last year, but at that time I asked another musician for drums and bass for the first time. Then it was fun to match the sounds with the band, and it was easy to write songs, so I thought I liked the band. Also, I was writing songs without being aware of the band, but most of them were band-style songs. There was also great expectation that it would be great to play with the support members.

-Mr. Hashimoto is in charge of songwriting for all the recorded songs. What is the source of your creations related to songwriting? The process of writing lyrics from the thoughts and feelings of everyday events and adding melody has not changed since the band era. I had a lot of time to face the song because of the new coronavirus, so I was able to make it carefully. The base of the song itself is my daily life for 3 years and 5 months after the completion, but since I made a new recording in the studio with the support members this year, it is the latest version that greatly reflects my feelings now. And I think you are. In particular, the song "Today is Infinity" was made during recording, and I didn't plan to put it on the album at first. But I had a lot of fun working in the studio after a long time, and I was able to write the lyrics that day, so I thought it would be better to include this song.

-What are the highlights of this album? It's a lot of freedom because I can be solo and become zero, but I don't have the armor of the band anymore, so I feel like I'm going with a round waist. So, once I doubted the part that I always thought I had to do, I decided to think from the beginning and try anything. In that sense, it was quite a challenge to put a guitar other than myself in my song for the first time. It's a selfish belief, but until now I thought I had to play all the guitar. But when I actually put in another guitar, the way I caught phrases and chords was completely different. So when I put it together, it was very exciting and interesting. Especially, the song "Rose Metallic Period" shows the goodness of the twin guitars.

-You will be performing your first solo one-man live on January 14th. I'm really grateful to be able to actually do this in a situation where it's been difficult to perform live since last year. You can play with the members of the album again, so for those who like and listen to the album, I think it will be a very nice live performance. I'd like to do a solo concert in my hometown of Tokushima, but when I go back to Tokushima, I always go back to my parents' house, Eriko Hashimoto, and feel like "I'm home". So it's always difficult to maintain the tension of a live concert. But I would like to do my best if there is such an opportunity.

-A message to Tokushima fans. I had a lot of fun making this album myself, and I'm really glad I made it. I hope people who have listened to it for a long time and those who listen to it newly will enjoy it in the same way. I want to go back to my parents' house in Tokushima early, but I have never been able to go back this year due to the new Korona-ka. So, I'd be happy if the locals listened to the album and told me "I'm fine". You can see that I'm doing my best.

■ Eriko Hashimoto 1st Full Album "Burning Diary" 2021.12.8 (wed) ON SALE Regular Edition (CD only): ¥ 3,300 (tax included) * Sleeve case specification luxury edition (with CD + goods): ¥ 12,000 (tax included) * Limited quantity sale at ROCKET-EXPRESS

[Songs] 01. One of them 02. Can't return 03. Rose Metallic Period 04. Tandem 05. Oh, that's right 06. fall of the leaf 07. Escape 08. The day before 09. Today is Infinity 10. Special relationship

■ Luxury board set contents Put in a "special Hashimoto box" and wrap it in a "special diary furoshiki" for delivery.・ "Burning Diary" Regular Edition CD ・ Burning Diary T-shirt [Big Silhouette: L size]・ Chun Chun Loupe ・ "Praiba Magazine 3" * Hashimoto's Diary ("Praiba Magazine 1", "Praiba Magazine" In addition to the excerpts and corrections from "2", a new diary is also included) and a booklet containing the full interview version posted on the special site "Burning Diary".