While most childhood friends bond over video games, cartoons or sports, Yuto Uchino and Kaoru Nakazawa found a mutual love for music. Side by side since they were four years old, the pair grew up together listening to an assortment of artists and realising their dreams of becoming musicians. 

Throughout their teenage years, Yuto and Kaoru formed various bands but nothing really stuck until The fin. 

“We formed several bands together but we were so young, so basically it was mostly for fun. We started The fin. To have fun at the beginning too, but we became more serious after we got some fans,” Yuto tells Bandwagon. 

Formed in 2010, the band started as a four-piece that made waves in Japan for their signature indie rock sound that brought together the worlds of Japanese and Western music. 

After a few years and some lineup changes, The fin. now comprise Yuto, the band’s frontman and songwriter, and Kaoru who plays the bass. Even as a duo, the ‘Night Time’ hitmakers continue the ripple of the band’s influential beginnings, consistently growing in every sense of the word. 

“I think The fin. is more like a project, where I can express anything through music. I do everything related to music, like composing and recording, and Kaoru plays the bass on stage and he gives me support,” says Yuto. 

“My motivation is always about making music and Kaoru and the whole team support me to keep everything going very well. I can clearly see that our bond got much much stronger than before, not only as friends but as teammates,” he adds, reminiscing over The fin’s decade-long journey. 

Since the band’s early days, The fin. have been known for their unique synth-driven sound that’s both idyllic and dynamic—much like water, something that Yuto has always compared their music to. 

“Water is a big influence on my works. I like to imagine water when I think, it’s one of my favourite elements because it can be soft but strong and can form any shape,” he shares. “My music used to be vague and blurred, but I think it’s getting more vivid and precise. I think it’s connected with the way I see the world or myself.”

Across their expansive discography—which currently spans five albums and EPs, and a myriad of singles, The fin’s water-like sound is apparent, with each track moving you through the motions of experiences and feelings. 

One of their most popular songs is ‘Night Time’ off of their 2014 album Days of Uncertainty. Themed around the vagueness of youth, the hit track walks you through the adolescent experience, a time in life where most feel they’re just floating by or coasting through. 

“Anyone can have this phase in life. It's about adolescence, loneliness and uncertainty. Even now I can feel the same when I sing it, as I go back in time,” Yuto says. 

While ‘Night Time’ continues to be a classic, Yuto has always favoured whatever they just recently released which, in this case, is their latest album Outer Ego. Traversing between reality and the inner mind, the 12-track record explores life, the mind, and ego through a multitude of perspectives.

“Sometimes you dive deep, sometimes you fly high. You can experience the whole journey that I took to make this album. And it’s all about what I have felt in my life and everything I sing is true,” the vocalist shares. 

“It’s the most conceptual album in my works. Also, it has strong messages too. My music used to be something that rang inside of my heart, but this album has a lot that speaks to others.”

The fin. are currently embarking on their nationwide tour around Japan, bringing their unique music to a live audience for the first time in a long while. "It was great that we could finally have real live shows. I had almost forgotten how much I missed playing on stage," says Yuto. 

The band has performed all across the region, from Singapore to Taiwan. When asked about their most memorable show yet, Yuto shares," The one we did the first time in Thailand was something special. It was the first Asian tour we had and I didn’t know that we had so many fans there. I still remember when I started playing the first song, I couldn’t hear anything but the big noise from the audience."

 

 

 

 

 

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Outer Ego comes not only as the band’s first album in almost four years, following the release of There in 2014, but also their first step into a new phase as The fin. Even with over a decade’s worth of experiences and memories, the duo never wants to stay complacent, wanting to continue to mature in their sound, artistry, and friendship. 

"I’m working on some acoustic tracks at the moment, and I’m planning to write new music this year. I’m ready to move forward to a new phase. I just can’t wait to start to write again," shares Yuto. 

In the last ten or so years, both Yuto and Kaoru have made a lot of memories, both as friends and bandmates. From touring the region and spending days recording in a studio to just going through the ups and downs of regular life, the pair have always stuck by each other. 

“Literally, it’s like we share everything. We’re always together even when we don’t work. The great thing about it is we understand each other very well and we know each one’s strong and weak points. We teach each other and learn from one another, it’s like we complete ourselves," says Yuto.

"The fin. can bring us anywhere, and it’s been very very special. Of course, there were so many hard times but I’m so happy and proud of what we have become. I wish my music spreads more and more. This project has brought us so many great moments, but I’m pretty sure there will be more to come."

Listen to The fin.'s Outer Ego here.