MUCC's YUKKE on Creating the Ultimate Pop and Time-lapse: "The Path I've Walked Has Been a Thorny Road"
This interview was originally published in Japanese on barks.jp. Translated by VK Chronicle.
MUCC Interview: YUKKE on “Never Evergreen” and the Highest Pop
MUCC released “Never Evergreen,” their single to cap off 2025, on December 10th. The title track “Never Evergreen” was written and composed by Tatsuro (Vo), the second track “夜風 (Yoru Kaze)” by Miya (G), and the third track “茨-Ibara-“ by YUKKE (B). Each member explored and expressed “MUCC’s highest pop” through their own unique interpretations.
While the musical styles vary, the lyrics share a common thread of poignancy and nostalgia. We imagined they might have worked with a set concept, but that wasn’t the case. Because all three members live in the same era and share the band’s circumstances as members, these qualities naturally emerged.
We spoke with YUKKE, the creator of “茨-Ibara-“—the loudest of the three tracks and one already making fans go wild on the live floor. In this long-form interview, we look back on YUKKE’s eventful November, which included a 46th birthday live on November 5th and appearances at events like ＜LUNATIC FEST. 2025＞, while exploring where MUCC stands today.
28 Years Since Formation, 46 Years of Life — A Time-Lapse Image
Q: “Never Evergreen” is a set of songs where each member’s individuality really stands out, and there’s a sense of unity in the lyrics with their poignancy and nostalgia. Now that the single is finished, how does it feel?
YUKKE: First of all, it’s been a while since we properly released new songs on CD. It just so happened that all three of us were writing at around the same time, and it naturally settled into each of us contributing one self-written and composed track to a single release. I think this makes it something special for a new release at this time. Since we’re all three living through the same circumstances and flow of time, when you’re writing lyrics around the same period, there’s definitely something that connects us.
Q: So there wasn’t any pre-planned conversation like “let’s make this with this concept”?
YUKKE: Not with the lyrics, no. With the music, we got a proposal from staff and producers at the record label saying “this time, let’s all create MUCC’s highest pop.” We made the music heading toward that goal.
Q: Even though “茨-Ibara-,” which you wrote and composed, is pop, it has loud and punk elements to it. What was your interpretation of “pop” in this case?
YUKKE: I think “pop” is a pretty broad term that probably means different things to different people. For myself, there’s been a period—about the last three years or so—where I’m always trying to create songs that build up with the audience in the latter half of live shows. But I’ve struggled to really nail that feeling. This time, I channeled that part I’ve always wanted to create into the composition. The loud parts and heavy parts came from arrangements we developed while touching on them during pre-production and rehearsals with the band, and it evolved into something for live.
Q: I see.
YUKKE: For “茨-Ibara-,” pretty early on I was discussing with our leader (Miya/G) to approach it as a B-side rather than the title track. If “茨-Ibara-“ had been the title, the arrangement would probably be different.
Q: Listening to the melody, I felt it has the potential to become a masterpiece even as a ballad. Where specifically did you start creating from?
YUKKE: In terms of the order, I had an image of the chorus from way back. It starts with pretty high tension, and in that section where the chorus settles down, I wanted to include even just a little bit of a nostalgic feeling. Lyrically, at the part that says “旅の途中” (in the middle of a journey), I had the image of wanting to include a melody with that kind of nostalgic atmosphere—I’ve had that since about two years ago.
Q: It’s been that long?
YUKKE: I’ve been humming and had just the lyric “旅の途中” in my head for a while, so I was thinking the lyrics would naturally end up being something that looks back on the past.
Q: Lines like “コワレタ世界の隙間に” (in the gaps of a broken world) and “未来なら笑えてる気がして” (if it were the future, I feel like I could smile) suggest that in the present, you can’t smile, in a way.
YUKKE: It’s been 28 years since MUCC was formed, and 46 years in my own life. When I look at the past and future, if I’m standing at the center of the time axis—I didn’t make it the title, but I had this image of “time-lapse,” like observing starry skies.
Q: That’s the video technique where you take still images at set intervals and play them in sequence.
YUKKE: Yeah, various stars constantly flow by, and I’m standing at the center of that—I was writing with that image in mind.
Q: Is the time-lapse motif something you’ve had for a long time?
YUKKE: No, this is the first time.
Q: Where did that image come from?
YUKKE: I’ve always thought the past had all sorts of things happen, and the life I’ve walked so far has been like a thorny, spiky path. I realized MUCC’s journey has been really uneven. On a personal level—not that I’ve been writing lyrics at campsites or anything (laughs)—I’ve been doing a lot of thinking in the mountains and such. I naturally placed that situation in my head as I wrote. Stars do flow by, and “what was over there a moment ago is here now,” that kind of thing… though that’s just obvious, really. For the title, I thought something like a single kanji character might be more “us” than “time-lapse.”
The word “茨” (thorns) didn’t really come naturally to me, so I added it at the end, but it fit really well.
Q: This might be a silly question, but does it relate to your hometown of Ibaraki?
YUKKE: It’s more like “now that you mention it, I guess it does!” So with that meaning included, it works even better. (laughs)
＜YUKKE(5) 46th Birthday Live ♰夢幻♰＞
Q: You performed this song at your November 5th birthday live ＜YUKKE(5) 46th Birthday Live ♰夢幻♰＞. Happy birthday, by the way.
YUKKE: Thank you. We’d already performed all three new songs during the ＜Love Together＞ tour with other bands. But my birthday live was a two-man show with La’Mucc (MUCC’s phantom band that follows the aesthetic of ’90s Visual Kei), so playing up to 10 MUCC songs, including all three new tracks, felt like a lot.
Q: JIRO from GLAY made a surprise appearance at your birthday live, right? You also appeared at the ＜V系って知ってる？＞ event’s GLAY Respect Session where you borrowed JIRO’s own bass—and since you’ve publicly stated your admiration for JIRO, it was quite an incident.
YUKKE: It was an incident! I keep watching the recording and video. (laughs)
Q: Though it may have been a thorny path, it seems like MUCC—and you, YUKKE—have had so many dreams come true.
YUKKE: For high school me, I think “I want to meet JIRO” was a dream. I did get to meet him a few years ago, and of course I was happy, but actually standing on the same stage and performing one of my favorite songs (GLAY’s “SHUTTER SPEEDS のテーマ”) as twin bass with him… it was truly a surprise, something I never predicted. There are still so many surprising, first-time experiences ahead.
Q: Seeing you fulfill your dreams probably gives fans hope for living too, doesn’t it?
YUKKE: I’d be happy if it gave them hope, but in that moment, I could only think about JIRO—he was all I could see. (laughs) “This can’t be real!?” November was really that kind of month. The ＜LUNATIC FEST. 2025＞ I performed at recently was great, ＜CROSS ROAD Fest＞ was really good too, and the hope I felt was my own. The impulse I had in high school was brought back to me right in front of my eyes. People say “the senior’s back is big,” but there are so many seniors’ backs, it’s really incredible. Standing surrounded by all these backs, I hope we can also show backs like that to others.
Q: MUCC has had a big influence on later bands.
YUKKE: I hope so.