Ayu Okakita
Ayu Okakita: born in Fukuoka, raised in Osaka, sculpted in the US and UK. While her music journey technically started in Japan, it was in the US on a high school exchange program that she found her voice, writing lyrics and putting vocal melodies to them to combat homesickness. “I love singing. [The voice is] a very raw instrument.” Raw is an understatement however. Since that time in Indiana, this instrument of hers has undergone growth and fine-tuning. As a result, her music style is surreal, ethereal, calming, heartbreaking.
She gravitates towards minor chords, but Ayu is very aware of her habits, and she tries to pull herself towards different directions instead of sticking with what feels comfortable. She cannot deny the pull of certain musical qualities though. “I love the low sounds, and I like the sound of the cello”. This would be her next instrument to learn if she could, in addition to singing, guitar, and piano (which she says she is still practicing). Other influences and inspirations range from the jazz pianist Bill Evans to UK bands and artists such as Radiohead and Andy Stott. As for collaborations, she would love to work with the nu jazz group The Cinematic Orchestra.a.
After 7 years in the UK, she came back to Osaka in 2012, and has seen how the Kansai music scene has been changing: “There are more DJs for sure, more electronic music”. Music made digitally is now considerably prominent, especially from younger artists; a contrast to her guitar and vocal background. Yet this hasn’t stopped her from joining in both worlds. “I do electronic and acoustic, so sometimes I’m put on the [bill] with the bands, or sometimes with the electronic musicians... I like the difference, I enjoy both. If it’s good, it’s good.”
The music-making journey is not necessarily all roses. The process of song-writing itself can be hit or miss. “Sometimes I hear it, this this this! If I’m playing the piano or guitar or [when on the] computer, when it just comes to me, it feels really nice. But sometimes I’m just trying and trying and trying... I work on the song so hard, and it’s just not right… Trying too much can lead to a [meh] result.” Even when the song works, it is not necessarily received well. “One time I played at a kind of hip-hop night, and actually I played around 2am, and nobody was listening to me.”
Another “sad story” she talks about is the breakup of the bands she was part of. Bands take a lot of work to maintain, and when (for whatever reason) someone can’t be on the same page, it becomes unsustainable. When it does work though, it really works. One day she would like to work with other instrumentalists. The reason she is practicing as a solo artist is in part due to not yet having found that sustainable setup. Not that this has stopped her from making a number of high-quality, multilingual albums already.
One thing she has learnt as her musical journey has progressed is patience. Regardless whether it is with herself or with everybody else, she has learned to not “ask for instant results.” This is something she would in turn advise other aspiring artists and musicians: “To be patient. And to keep doing it.” No matter the flops and sad stories, she has made success out of them all. With the right amount of patience, perhaps she can also find that perfect band setup.
This success is not just limited to Osaka; her presence is global. Yet even this is not what she focuses on. Whereas many popstars in Japan might define success in more commercial ways, such as with record deals or Kōhaku 紅白 appearances, for Ayu it can be “when I feel the connection with the audience. That happened in Mexico, when I played in this nice theatre. Obviously the people don’t know me, and I don’t know them, but I could feel this really strong connection while I was performing… I went back to the hotel room and I sat down on the bed, and I went like ‘Oh my god!’. I felt this happiness so much. And it’s still with me today.”
Information on Ayu’s past and upcoming work can be found at the following: https://www.ayuokakita.com/
Edited for clarity
Cover image by Mike Dinsmore