Hailing from Osaka, Japan, Syzygy is a pop-rock band blending rock-driven sounds, catchy melodies, and emotionally honest lyrics inspired by real-life experiences.
From their early releases and memorable live performances to lineup changes and the challenges of finding their sound, Syzygy has continued to grow through every experience.
Now entering a new chapter, vocalist Ei is rebuilding the project with plans for new music, live performances, and new members.
In this City Stories interview, Syzygy opens up about their journey, music, influences, challenges, and dreams for the future.
For readers discovering Syzygy for the first time, could you introduce the band and tell us about the music you are currently creating?
Syzygy is a pop-rock band from Osaka that began in May 2025. We build our music around a rock-oriented sound, combining catchy melodies with emotional lyrics. Much of our music is based directly on vocalist Ei’s personal experiences and emotions.
How was Syzygy formed? What inspired you to start the band?
The original Syzygy consisted of two high school students, one vocational school student, and one university student. The band came together after Ei, who was still in high school at the time, began attending a music club at a vocational school.
The idea originally came from former Syzygy guitarist Shima, who wanted to start a band with a stylish sound centered around a female vocalist. The members were brought together, and that became the beginning of Syzygy.
However, as we continued working together, differences in values and musical direction led to several changes in the lineup. Despite those changes, we continued our activities as Syzygy. Currently, Ei is the only remaining member continuing the project.
At the time we formed the band, Ei was preparing for university entrance exams. However, she thought, “If I have the opportunity to make music with vocational school students, I definitely want to give it a try!” So, even without knowing much about the world of bands, she took the leap and began her musical journey.
What is the story behind the name Syzygy? What does it mean to you?
Former drummer Momokwa was very knowledgeable and introduced us to the word “Syzygy.” We thought the word sounded cool, so we simply decided to use it as our band name. (laughs)
In astronomy, “syzygy” refers to an alignment of three or more celestial bodies, such as the Sun, Earth, and Moon. Because of that meaning, we also liked the idea of the members becoming one as Syzygy, much like planets aligning in a straight line.
Could you tell us about the musical chemistry between the members and what makes Syzygy unique?
Our songwriting process originally involved Gt. Shima creating the instrumental arrangements, while Vo. Ei added the melodies and lyrics. Because of this, I feel that the songs we created could never have been made by either of us alone. They were possible precisely because they were the result of our collaboration.
We would sometimes challenge each other’s ideas and bring different perspectives into the songwriting process.
However, Shima left Syzygy in July 2026, so from now on, Ei will most likely be handling the songwriting on her own.
Syzygy’s music features memorable melodies and emotional lyrics. What inspires you when writing songs?
I’m really happy to hear that people find our melodies and lyrics memorable, because those are exactly the aspects we put the most effort into.
Ei is responsible for the melodies and lyrics. I would listen to the instrumental tracks created by Shima over and over again and write melodies and lyrics based on whatever came to mind.
Since I write about things I experience and feel in everyday life, I rarely struggle with finding something to write about. When creating melodies, I simply try to find the melody that feels the most comfortable and satisfying for me to listen to.
What roles does each member play in the songwriting and production process?
Shima would create the instrumental arrangement, and Ei would add the melody and lyrics. Once we brought the song into the rehearsal studio, we would make adjustments and arrangements based on anything that felt necessary, gradually completing the song.
The other members would also sometimes contribute ideas during studio rehearsals, which helped shape the final arrangements.
What was it like creating and releasing some of your early songs, such as “Yellow Sky” and “Highlight”?
It really felt like our initial burst of inspiration.
At that time, we still hadn’t fully figured out what kind of music we wanted Syzygy to represent, so we were creating songs through a lot of trial and error and simply feeling our way forward.
Is there a Syzygy song that is especially meaningful to you? Why?
The song that holds the most personal meaning for me is “まだ、降りない春” (“Spring That Hasn’t Fallen Yet”).
I wrote it around the time I graduated from high school, so it is essentially a graduation song. I feel that it captures the worries and struggles of growing into adulthood in a way that I could only have expressed while I was still a high school student.
We also filmed the music video in an actual school classroom, which became a really fun memory with the members. That experience is another reason why the song is so special to me.
What emotions or stories do you hope listeners take away from Syzygy’s music?
With Syzygy’s music, we want to capture not only the beautiful moments of life, but also the feelings of being lost, getting hurt, and still trying to move forward.
We value turning those emotions of being “in the middle of life” into sound as honestly as possible.
Moving forward, we want to continue creating music that allows listeners to connect it with their own memories and emotions—music that feels nostalgic, a little painful, but ultimately leaves you feeling like you can face forward and keep going.
Your music combines rock with catchy melodies. How has Syzygy’s unique sound developed?
When we were writing songs, our attitude was basically, “Let’s just do what we want to do.”
Shima and Ei each created music based on what they personally liked, and the sound we have today naturally developed from that process.
So, in a way, we are still exploring what truly defines Syzygy’s sound. We believe there is still a lot for us to discover.
As a relatively young band, what has been the biggest challenge you have faced so far, and how did you overcome it?
Because we were still a young band, we faced many challenges—from disagreements between members to designing promotional graphics and organizing everything leading up to a live show.
One of the biggest difficulties was finding a solution that everyone could agree on when each member had their own opinions and ideas.
We addressed these challenges by talking things through repeatedly, sharing our perspectives, and working through each issue one by one.
There were certainly times when it felt difficult, but I believe those disagreements, challenges, and moments of trial and error were all necessary experiences for us to grow as a band.
How is Syzygy’s live performance different from recording in the studio, and what do you find most exciting about performing live?
When recording in the studio, we focus on creating something that is as polished and complete as possible as a recorded piece of music.
Live performances are different because we value the atmosphere and sense of unity that can only be created in that moment.
We don’t want the audience to simply listen to our music. We want them to get involved, have fun, and share the excitement with us.
Another great thing about performing live is being able to directly feel the audience’s reactions while we play.
Moving forward, we want to improve both our musicianship and stage presence so that we can deliver performances that leave people thinking, “I want to see them again,” while creating shows that truly overwhelm and captivate the audience.
Is there a particular live performance or moment that has been especially memorable for you?
One of the most memorable experiences was Syzygy’s first-anniversary show, held at ESAKA MUSE on May 19, 2026.
During that show, we performed our unreleased song “THAT’S MY GIRL” for the first time.
We also tried something new by having the audience raise their fists along with our “Hey Hey” chant.
Since it was a completely new song that the audience had never heard before, I was a little nervous about how they would react. But they got much more excited and involved than I had imagined, which made me incredibly happy.
Being able to create the atmosphere of the venue together with the audience through a song we had written ourselves was especially memorable. It was a moment when we truly experienced the unique excitement of performing live.
As musicians active in Japan’s live-house and music scene, what kind of influence or inspiration have you received from the environment around you?
There are so many people in Japan’s live-house and music scene pursuing music in different ways, and simply being surrounded by that environment gives us motivation and a desire to improve.
In particular, seeing musicians we know personally, or artists around our age, performing on bigger stages is incredibly inspiring.
It makes us think, “We want to stand on a stage like that someday,” and motivates us to practice harder and put on better performances.
You have participated in various music events and auditions, including the LuckyFes audition. What have you learned from those experiences as a band?
Through participating in different music events and auditions, I’ve come to realize that music itself isn’t really about simply deciding who wins or loses.
However, competing against other bands through auditions can create a strong feeling of “I don’t want to lose,” and I learned that this competitive spirit can become a source of motivation and growth.
We haven’t achieved any major results in auditions yet, but watching other bands perform and recognizing our own weaknesses has given us a strong push to work harder.
We want to make sure that none of these experiences go to waste. We’ll continue growing as a band and hope that one day we can achieve something truly significant.
Are there any Japanese or international artists or bands that have influenced Syzygy’s music?
Originally, we were planning to create a band with a more stylish sound, so I believe Shima drew inspiration from No Buses when creating the instrumental arrangements.
Ei has also been strongly influenced by Haku. and really loves indie rock. There is a part of me that would like to incorporate more of those kinds of sounds and song structures into Syzygy’s future music.
If you could collaborate with any artist or band you admire, who would you choose and why?
I would absolutely love to collaborate with Haku.
They are truly Ei’s biggest inspiration and role model. Every time they release a new song, I’m so impressed that I feel like I’m about to fall over! (laughs)
Their incredible sense of melody and lyrics, the way their songs develop, their live performance ability—everything they do is amazing.
Honestly, I just love them that much. (laughs)
Looking ahead, what can fans expect from Syzygy in terms of new releases, live performances, and other activities?
At the moment, all of the members other than Ei have graduated from the band, leaving only one official member.
Because of this, it will be difficult to immediately resume our activities in the same format as before. However, we have already started gradually making plans for future releases and live performances.
We want to work hard so that we can once again perform in front of everyone who has supported us. We would be very happy if you could look forward to what comes next and wait for us.
What dreams, goals, or major milestones do you hope to achieve with Syzygy?
One of our major goals for 2026 was to perform at MINAMI WHEEL.
However, with several members leaving the band, we had to put our activity plans on hold and essentially start over, which was very frustrating and disappointing.
Even so, we have no intention of ending Syzygy here.
Our first goal is to find new members and restart our activities. Then, next year, we hope to achieve our goal of performing at MINAMI WHEEL.
Beyond that, we would also love to win a major music competition or audition.
On a personal level, one of Ei’s biggest dreams is to eventually share a bill with Haku.
These goals may still feel far away, but we want to keep moving forward, one step at a time, and make our dreams come true both as Syzygy and as individuals.
Finally, what message would you like to share with your fans in Japan and listeners overseas who are just discovering Syzygy?
To everyone who has supported Syzygy, thank you so much.
With members leaving the band, we are currently in the process of rebuilding our activities, but we have absolutely no intention of ending Syzygy.
We will work hard so that we can perform in front of you again and bring you a stronger, more powerful version of Syzygy than ever before.
And to everyone overseas who may be discovering Syzygy for the first time, we hope that our music can help you feel something from Japan.
Even if we speak different languages or live in different countries, I believe music has the power to connect us.
We want to continue expanding our activities and reaching more people around the world, so please look forward to Syzygy’s next chapter!
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