Ticket giveaway: Metropolis is giving away pairs of free tickets to see Lucy Rose in Osaka Jan 29 or Tokyo Jan 31. For a chance to win, like our Lucy Rose tweet and follow us on Twitter or like our post on Facebook and follow us there.

“Conversations don’t come easy, but I’ve got a lot to say.” As the minimal guitar, gentle strings and ethereal vocals compliment these first lyrics in the song “Conversations,” the tone of Lucy Rose’s latest album No Words Left emerges. The collection of raw, stripped songs are a strikingly honest and intimate insight into what Rose has explained to be a difficult period in her career. In an interview with The Line of Best Fit, she explains the thought process that led her to create this album: “I was alone in my dressing room every night [on tour] wondering what I wanted to do with my life as a whole.” 

Although the album might suggest it, it’s not all doom, desolation and uncertainty for the British artist. In December, Rose ticked off another box on her bucket list after performing at the prestigious Barbican in London, and now she’s preparing to meet fans at her Osaka and Tokyo gigs to start off 2020.

Metropolis: Your third album, Something’s Changing, came from your solo trip to South America with your guitar. Why’s travel so important for both yourself and your music?

Lucy Rose: I felt like when releasing new music there was too much emphasis on making new fans, introducing my music to new people instead of concentrating and thanking the fans I did have already. There are huge parts of the world that feel neglected when it comes to live music and bands traveling to meet their fans, so I made it my mission to go and meet/thank as many fans of mine in Latin America. It’s important to me to be able to truly show fans how grateful I am that they have connected to my music, and I feel like a way to do that is by traveling to see them. Also, generally traveling and experiencing new cultures enriches your view on life and gives new, much needed perspective. 

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Day-dreaming about past and future tours once more. It’s always a haze, a mixture of excitement and exhaustion with the hope of doing good. At the end of the year I’ll play one of the most meaningful gigs of my career so far at the Barbican in London. I’m not wishing away the next few months but I’ve certainly started counting down the days.

A post shared by Lucy Rose (@lucyroseparton) on Aug 21, 2019 at 1:00am PDT

M: How about traveling to Japan? How was the experience last time you visited? Is there anything you’re looking forward to this time round for your Japan Tour 2020? 

LR: Both times I’ve been to Japan I’ve loved it so much. All the people I met were so kind and welcoming and I felt really connected to the crowd while playing. I’m excited to come back and see old faces I’ve met before and meet new ones. I’ve decided to stay in both Osaka and Tokyo for a few days longer so I can have more time to get to know each place. I’m really looking forward to the whole trip. 

M: Are there any Japanese artists you’ve been listening to recently? 

LR: I’m afraid I’ve recently been listening to mostly artists from the 60s and 70s like Joni Mitchell. But if you have any recommendations for Japanese artists I’d love to have them. Always interested in discovering artists and their music. 

M: A lot of your music videos are really creative — especially “Bikes” and “Our Eyes” — what’s the process of making them like? How do you translate or reflect the music through the visuals of the video? 

LR: I think sometimes music videos can become a chore for the artist to make, like homework, and I really wanted to be able to use the opportunity of making a music video to do something that I wanted to do that would be fun, like in “Bikes” — I’ve always wanted to ride a motorbike in the desert and we did that. Also “Our Eyes,” I just thought it would be fun to make, and most importantly I thought it would make people laugh. My new videos for No Words Left have been a little more serious and straightforward, but I still think represent the message of what I’m trying to say in the music. 

M: Listening to your work in your latest album No Words Left, everything from the lyrics to the instruments sounds so raw and honest. How did you come to be so brave and open in this album?

LR: I’m not really sure. It certainly wasn’t a conscious decision. If anything, when I was writing the songs I felt weak and closed off from everything. I guess the music led me back onto the right path and enabled me to come to terms with my feelings. 

M: You’ve previously made tea and chutney for fans at gigs in the UK, will you be bringing any to Tokyo? (We think Japanese fans would love it as a souvenir from the UK).

LR: Yes, I’ve loved trying to be experimental with my merchandise, but I don’t think Japanese customs will let me bring tea and jam into the country, unfortunately. I wish I could though. 

M: Are there any plans for 2020 you can tell us about? 

LR: I have plans to have no plans. And also plans for new side projects in music that excite me enormously. I want to get into supporting new musicians on their journey into music and create a world that opens up doors and opportunities for those musicians.

M: You showcased your band set during your last Japan tour in 2017. This time, you’ll be performing at Billboard with a smaller ensemble. What can we expect from these upcoming shows?

LR: I’ll actually have more musicians with me this time. Last time I was in Tokyo I brought two musicians with me, this time I’ll have three musicians and a whole album of new music so hopefully it will be a really special show.

Tour dates: 

Jan 29
Open/5:30pm Start/6:30pm
Billboard Live Osaka
2-2-22 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka
billboard-live.com

Jan 31
Open/5:30pm Start/6:30pm
Billboard Live Tokyo
Tokyo Midtown Garden Terrace 4F
9-7-4 Akasaka, Minato-ku
billboard-live.com

Ticket giveaway: Metropolis is giving away pairs of free tickets to see Lucy Rose in Osaka Jan 29 or Tokyo Jan 31. For a chance to win, like our Lucy Rose tweet and follow us on Twitter or like our post on Facebook and follow us there.