Sakuracon 2014: Elisa Interview

*As we approach Sakuracon 2015 we take a look back at the interview with Sakuracon's 2014 musical guest, Elisa*

Q: How was the concert last night? Did you like the fans in Seattle?

Elisa: Well, as you all know it’s my first concert in US, so I was a little nervous at the beginning; I was trying to imagine how the performance had turn out because I understand that it’s really different on how people sort of engage in the live performance in Japan and the States and I heard the light six are you know going to be really soft and squishy and that’s another difference that I didn’t really know how it going to play out.

So during my rehearsal I was on the stage trying to imagine what is going to look like and it made me realize at that moment that I really owe all this to anime because it’s through anime that we’re all connected here and gather in this place so I once again want to really show my appreciation to the entire sort of anime culture.

And you know when the real performance came time I was really umm, thought we can create this performance together because I believe it’s not just about the artist performing; it’s about creating an experience together with the fans and you again, thanks to all the anime that really brought everyone together here, I think it’s really amazing.

And in a weird way, it is kind of similar yet different than my performances in Japan, and Japan a lot of times with fan they go for unity and there is always some choreography and all keep the same color light sticks but with here everything that I do almost instant reaction and that was also very warm as well so I think it’s both really pleasing yet different.

Q: The question I have is since this is your first time in Seattle, are there any places you like to go see while you are here?

Elisa: Space needle; and I want to go to a convenient store or supermarket and buy a lot of cheese. And in Japan, the string cheese you know is very popular right now it’s really expensive so I wanna buy a lot of those, I about 10 in my room right now and I need to get some more I go back.

Q: Which one of your songs have you done is your favorite?

Elisa: I think it really changes every time you create a new song because when you make something new, it is always going to be your favorite for the time… If I had to pick a favorite that represents me most, that I would that is God Only Knows because I was able to experiment with various sort of expressions in one song so I think it’s the best presentation of myself as far as my favorite think I kind of changes so for right now it might be Millenario (her latest single)

Q: My friends and I saw you perform at AFA Singapore and I was wondering how the convention in Singapore appeal compared to Sakura Con specifically how did the concerts in Japan compare to concerts outside Japan.

Elisa: Well I think for one, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of cosplayers here in the Seattle and it was really interesting to see this is how people express themselves and looking at the different regions and it almost made me feel like that I need to cosplay during my performance too.

Q: Can you tell me how you were brought into the RailGun Project?

Elisa: Umm quite simply I kind of put I think I’ve been involved in a few projects prior to RailGun and as a result hopefully you know, how my work really interesting and fitting for the project so they approached us, so I think that’s kind of the way it happened.

Q: My question is regards to your recent signing with Sony… What is the major difference that you experienced being signed to Geneon Universal and now the more recent Sony Music.

Elisa: I wouldn’t say it’s much of a difference in companies as much as I had to take a break because I am sure you’re aware and when I came back and I wanted to sing I just felt like I learned so much that I had time to persevere during my time away from singing and it really motivated me to sing again and it was kind of a fresh start I think for me.

Q: Very nice, I also wanted to ask about the sickness part, I didn’t know if it was you know a bad idea.

Elisa: I mean, when I got sick it I think it kind of really gave me a chance to again persevere because I went straight from an audition into my first label when I was you know, just gunning for it, going really strong and it almost feels like it had meaning you know mean, kind of getting little sick at that point and it gave me the opportunity to get my priorities you know, reevaluate my priorities if you will so I think it was almost it had a significant meaning in my career.

Q: Cool, umm, so you said umm you like to melt your chocolate, how do you like to melt your chocolate?

Elisa: Nice question! When I was really young there was this certain snack where it’s sliced banana with chocolate on it. Then when my mom would make this when I realized you know I would sort of change the banana to chocolate ratio in favor of chocolate and eventually it’s a, in the most extreme example, I just ended up with chocolate, no more bananas.

Q: Umm, so what would happens in emergency if the chocolate, you can’t melt the chocolate, you still eat the chocolate or you have to melt it and do you then in that emergency, put it in the sun, put it on the heater, find a microwave?

Elisa: When I was really young, I would put it underneath my thighs when I am sitting down right here. Sorry; But more recently I have adopted the microwave and in about 1 minute, it usually gets melted.

Q: How big of a slice?

Elisa: A single slab!
Q: And you can eat it all quickly? But what if it gets hard!

Elisa: If it does get solid again, I would put it back in the microwave again for about 20 seconds.

Q: How is your or what is impression so far of Sakura Con in Seattle?

Elisa: So, I think you know ever since I have landed here everyone is so kind, everything was warm it just you know makes me wanna skip around town and do lots of things but again when I mentioned at the performance I was really nervous I think a lot of those feelings sort of evaporated for the actual performance because all these feelings really sort of help motivate me.

Q: Is there anything else you like there other than string cheese while you are here?

Elisa: Sauce! I think it, I could be said I almost exclusively been eating meat since I’ve came here in Seattle and it’s just really, really delicious all the meat and I’ve feel like the chefs here they emphasize the sauce aspect of the dish and the way the flavor it so is that, do you guys feel that way too, in terms of the sauce and flavoring? It was really delicious, I took it home and I you know, still eating it.

Q: I have a question about the time that goes into recording an album; what is the longest time would you would spend in the studio.

Elisa: So you mean like one session in a studio or to create the whole album?

Response: To Create the whole album

Elisa: So, in my role of course in , any albums just the singing aspect of it so I know there is an immense amount of time that’s invested in other areas of the department; the guys have to compose and the guys have to mix the song so, my involvement is, with the singing. In terms of with a, in creating one song god only knows, that’s a, the one that has like about 60 vocal tracks I think layered on top of each other and with that, I was in the studio for two days consecutively 8 hours each for a total of 16 hours just to get the voices and I would think that was probably the longest time I’ve been in a studio for… one song.