──You chose Bob Marley as one of your favorite musicians. What part of him do you feel empathetic towards?
Leo: Bob Marley made a lot of mistakes in his career. He made his own label in Jamaica and put out songs before he was known worldwide, but his label was bankrupted a few times. Then he released the songs from that time in on a major album. Anyway, he never gave up. Also, the texture of Bob Marley’s work is particularly raw when I listen to it on vinyl, and it’s awesome. When I listened to it, I was blown away.
Besides, the more I play myself, the harder it is to create a message and sound like him. I admire him ultimately for the fact that he never gave up even after he was over 30. And he is a of mixed race. That kind of thing also made me feel empathetic towards him.
──What attracted you to Nina Simon?
Leo: There’s a song called "Sinnerman" by Nina Simone, which is covered by Bob Marley & The Wailers, and it’s a song that makes me want to be this sound! It’s perfect. It’s so raw and the sound is super cool.
Upon further research, I learned that she was a fighting person who was at the forefront of the black civil rights movement and was energetic as a human being.
Among all of her activities, she had sincerity for the music. Like Bob Marley, Nina Simone, and Kurt Cobain, they all have sincerity for the music, which I admire, and that’s how I believe musicians should be. It doesn’t matter if the rest of life is happy or not, they are still impressive.
