GLAY'S LEGACY: 30 YEARS OF ROCK EXCELLENCE

AS GLAY KEEPS TURNING A CORNER AND DIVERSIFYING ITS PALETTE OF SONGS, IT OFFERS A SHINING INSTANCE - A NARRATIVE OF SINGLE-MINDEDNESS AND SHARED PASSION FOR MUSIC

- Debashree Dutta

Glay comes from Hakodate, in northern Japan. It all started with Takuro and Teru in 1988, joined by Hisashi and Jiro later, and debuted in 1994 with the single “Rain.” Ever since, the band has weathered the ever-changing tides of the music scene, adapting and evolving while preserving what “it” is—one of the most enduring and influential rock acts to emerge from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Through its music and unshakable bond with fans and listeners, Glay has etched its name in the upper crust of Japanese rock music. And it’s my absolute honor today to have the members share words on this incredible sustained ride as Glay observed its 30th anniversary a while ago. While heavily influencing the Japanese music space and inducting itself into its cult status, Jiro, however, is still unsure “if there’s been any remarkable evolution,” because he asserts that they’ve carried on without any breaks for three decades, “but the fact that we still enjoy making music today shows that we’re growing every day. Keeping up the motivation and continuing as a band for so long is very tough, so I think we’ve influenced the rock scene in that way,” he says.